"The Joker" is a song by the Steve Miller Band

Steve Miller Band

The Steve Miller Band is an American rock band formed in 1967 in San Francisco, California. The band is managed by Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals, and is known for a string of mid-1970s hit singles that are staples of the classic rock radio format.-History:In 1965, Steve Miller and...

 from their 1973 album The Joker

The Joker (album)

The Joker is the title of the eighth album by Steve Miller Band, released in 1973. The album marked a period of significant change for the group as the band abandoned their psychedelic oriented music for a more melodic, smooth rock/blues sound. Perhaps not coincidentally, it was also their first...

. The song is one of two Steve Miller Band songs that feature the neologism "pompatus

Pompatus

The word pompatus is a neologism used in the lyrics of Steve Miller's 1973 rock song "The Joker":-Lyrics:...

". The song topped the US Billboard Hot 100

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

 in early 1974. It draws heavy influence from the Allen Toussaint

Allen Toussaint

Allen Toussaint is an American musician, composer, record producer, and influential figure in New Orleans R&B.Many of Toussaint's songs have become familiar through numerous cover versions, including "Working in the Coalmine", "Ride Your Pony", "Fortune Teller", "Play Something Sweet ", "Southern...

's song Soul Sister featured on his 1972 album Life, Love and Faith

Life, Love and Faith

Life, Love and Faith is the fourth album by R&B artist, Allen Toussaint. It was released in 1972 and has received positive reviews. Warner Reprise ranks Life, Love and Faith as a very influential singer/songwriter album. The album also shows signs of early funk...

. The bass line and the guitar effects on the intro are the same, although both songs have different lyrics and distinct melodies.

More than 16 years later, in September 1990, it reached number one in the UK Singles Chart

UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

 for two weeks after being used in a Levi's television advertisement, thus holding the record for the longest gap between transatlantic chart-toppers. This reissue of "The Joker" also topped the Irish Singles Chart

Irish Singles Chart

The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...

, the New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart, the Dutch Nationale Top 100

Mega Top 50

The Mega Top 50 is a Dutch music chart, originally started on May 23, 1969 as the Hilversum 3 Top 30. Throughout the years, the chart has had several names and lengths:*1969 - 1974: Hilversum 3 Top 30...

 and the Dutch Top 40

Dutch Top 40

The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...

.

The song is sometimes misidentified by the title "Space Cowboy" because of the first line of the lyrics, which actually refer to an earlier song by that title from Miller's Brave New World

Brave New World (Steve Miller Band album)

Brave New World is the third album by American rock band The Steve Miller Band, released in 1969. The tracks "Celebration Song" and "My Dark Hour" featured Paul McCartney on backing vocals, drums and bass guitar credited as Paul Ramon....

album. The following lines refer to two other earlier songs, "Gangster of Love

Gangster of Love

"Gangster of Love" is a blues song recorded by Johnny "Guitar" Watson in 1957. When Watson re-recorded the song in 1978, it became a hit. It has been identified as "his most famous song" and has been recorded by several artists.-Original song:...

" from Sailor

Sailor (album)

Sailor is the second studio album by American rock band The Steve Miller Band, released in October 1968 by Capitol Records. Like The Steve Miller Band's previous album, Children of the Future, Sailor was produced by Glyn Johns; but unlike its predecessor which was recorded in London, England,...

, and "Enter Maurice" from Recall the Beginning...A Journey from Eden

Recall the Beginning...A Journey from Eden

Recall the Beginning...A Journey from Eden is the seventh album by American rock band Steve Miller Band, released in 1972. Like his previous album, Rock Love, this album did not meet with much success...

.

During the song, Steve Miller references lines from the 1954 The Clovers

The Clovers

-History:The group formed in 1946 at Armstrong High School in Washington, D.C., with members Harold Lucas, Billy Shelton, and Thomas Woods. John "Buddy" Bailey was added soon after, and they began calling themselves the "Four Clovers", with Bailey on lead...

 song "Lovey Dovey" four times when he sings "You're the cutest thing that I ever did see/ Really love your peaches, wanna shake your tree / Lovey dovey, lovey dovey, lovey dovey all the time"; the second of these mentions is during the fade-out

Fade (audio engineering)

In audio engineering, a fade is a gradual increase or decrease in the level of an audio signal. The term can also be used for film cinematography or theater lighting, in much the same way ....

.

The song is noted for its wolf whistle played on a slide guitar

Slide guitar

Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...

 after the "lovey dovey" parts and the "some people call me Maurrice [sic]" part.

Track listings

7" single (1973)

1. "The Joker" – 3:36
2. "Something to Believe In" – 4:40

7" single (1983 - live version)

1. "The Joker" (live) – 2:55
2. "Take the Money and Run
   Take the Money and Run (song)
   "Take the Money and Run" is a song recorded in 1976 by the Steve Miller Band. A song about two young bandits, it was one of the many hit singles produced by the Steve Miller Band in the 1970s and featured on Fly Like an Eagle. The song peaked at #11 on the U.S...
   
   " (live) – 3:49

7" single (1990)

1. "The Joker" (single version) – 3:34
2. "Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around" – 2:27

12" maxi (1990)

1. "The Joker" (LP version) – 4:22
2. "Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around" – 2:27
3. "Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma" – 5:39

CD maxi (1990)

1. "The Joker" (single version) – 3:34
2. "Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around" – 2:27
3. "Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma" – 3:33
4. "Living in the U.S.A." – 3:59

Certifications

Country	Certification	Date	Sales certified
U.S.	Gold	January 11, 1974	1,000,000
Sweden	Gold	February 6, 1991	10,000

Charts

Chart (1973/1974)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...	1
Canadian RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...  Top Singles	2
Dutch Daverende 30 Mega Top 50 The Mega Top 50 is a Dutch music chart, originally started on May 23, 1969 as the Hilversum 3 Top 30. Throughout the years, the chart has had several names and lengths:*1969 - 1974: Hilversum 3 Top 30...	18
Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...	18
Chart (1990/1991)	Peak position
Austrian Singles Chart	5
Dutch Nationale Top 100 Mega Top 50 The Mega Top 50 is a Dutch music chart, originally started on May 23, 1969 as the Hilversum 3 Top 30. Throughout the years, the chart has had several names and lengths:*1969 - 1974: Hilversum 3 Top 30...	1
Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...	1
French SNEP Singles Chart	33
Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...	1
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart	1
Norwegian Singles Chart	2
Swedish Singles Chart	4
Swiss Singles Chart	5
UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...	1

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Covers

• k.d. lang
  K.D. Lang
  Kathryn Dawn Lang, OC , known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress...
  
   covered it on her album Drag (1997) on which all the songs have the theme of smoking or cigarettes. The song was released as a single.
• Fettes Brot
  Fettes Brot
  Fettes Brot is a German hip hop group founded in 1992.Fettes Brot is German for fat bread. "Fett" is a German slang term for "excellent" and brot is slang for "hash". The band took the name from a fan who called them "Fettes Brot" after an early gig, which was probably meant as a compliment, but...
  
   did a German rendition of the song in 2001, retitled as "The Grosser" (English translation "The big guy").
• Fatboy Slim
  Fatboy Slim
  Norman Quentin Cook better known by his former stage name Fatboy Slim, is a British DJ, electronic dance music musician, and record producer. He is a pioneer of the big beat genre that achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s...
  
   reworked the song on his 2004 album Palookaville, featuring Bootsy Collins
  Bootsy Collins
  William Earl "Bootsy" Collins is an American funk bassist, singer, and songwriter.Rising to prominence with James Brown in the late 1960s, and with Parliament-Funkadelic in the '70s, Collins's driving bass guitar and humorous vocals established him as one of the leading names in funk...
  
   on lead vocals. This cover version reached No. 32 on the UK Singles Chart
  UK Singles Chart
  The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
  
   in 2005.
• Mike Myers
  Mike Myers (actor)
  Michael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer of British parentage...
  
   did a cover to the song, playing a sitar, in The Love Guru
  The Love Guru
  The Love Guru is a 2008 comedy film, directed by Marco Schnabel and starring Mike Myers and Jessica Alba along with Romany Malco and Justin Timberlake. In addition to starring in the film, Myers wrote The Love Guru with Graham Gordy and produced it with Gary Barber. The film was released by...
  
  .
• Post-grunge band Puddle of Mudd
  Puddle of Mudd
  Puddle Of Mudd is an American rock band from Kansas City, Missouri, USA. To date the band has sold over 7 million albums, and have had a string of #1 mainstream rock singles in the United States. Their major-label debut Come Clean has sold over 5 million copies...
  
   covered it on their covers album Re:(disc)overed
  Re:(disc)overed
  Re:overed is the fifth studio album from U.S. post-grunge band Puddle of Mudd. It was released on August 29, 2011 on Arms Division Records.-Background:The band began recording the album in March 2011 and commenced within a three week period...
  
  .

Album tracks

• In 1998, Todd Snider
  Todd Snider
  Todd Daniel Snider is an American singer-songwriter with a musical style that combines Americana, alt-country, and folk.-Biography:...
  
   covered the song on his Viva Satellite album.
• Spearhead
  Michael Franti
  Michael Franti is an American poet, musician, and composer. He is the creator and lead vocalist of Michael Franti & Spearhead, a band that blends hip hop with a variety of other styles including funk, reggae, jazz, folk, and rock...
  
   recorded a cover for the compilation CD Hempilation 2 (1998).
• Darkbuster
  Darkbuster
  Darkbuster is a punk rock band hailing from Boston, Massachusetts, known largely for their songs about the joys of heavy drinking, which have earned them a strong following in the American Northeast....
  
   covered the song as "Space Cowboy" on their album 22 Songs You'll Never Want to Hear Again!
  22 Songs You'll Never Want to Hear Again!
  22 Songs You'll Never Want To Hear Again was the debut release by Boston-based punk band Darkbuster. The album was self released in 1999.- Track listing :...
  
  (1999).
• Twiztid
  Twiztid
  Twiztid is an American hip hop duo from Warren, Michigan. The group is composed of Jamie Spaniolo and Paul Methric, who perform under the respective personas of Jamie Madrox and Monoxide Child...
  
   recorded a cover of the song, which appeared on their 2004 compilation Cryptic Collection Vol. 3
  Cryptic Collection Vol. 3
  Cryptic Collection 3 is a compilation album by Twiztid. Released on May 18, 2004, it is the third in the Cryptic Collection series, preceded by Cryptic Collection Vol. 2. Cryptic Collection 3 includes nine previously unreleased tracks and five remixes, including a "surprisingly faithful" cover of...
  
  .
• In 2006, Jason Mraz
  Jason Mraz
  Jason Thomas Mraz , also known as Mr. AZ and Mr. Raz, is an American singer-songwriter. Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy ", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, "Mr. A-Z", in 2005, that Mraz achieved...
  
   covered the song for the soundtrack to the film Happy Feet
  Happy Feet
  Happy Feet is a 2006 American-Australian computer-animated family film with music, directed and co-written by George Miller. It was produced at Sydney-based visual effects and animation studio Animal Logic for Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures and Kingdom Feature Productions and was released...
  
  . This recording was produced by Josh Deutsch and John Powell. On the soundtrack album Happy Feet: Music from the Motion Picture
  Happy Feet: Music from the Motion Picture
  Happy Feet is the lyrical soundtrack album from the 2006 animated film, Happy Feet. As of March 2007, the OST has sold over 272,627 copies in the US.-Track listings:# "Song of the Heart"#:Written and performed by Prince...
  
  , the song is mashed up with "Everything I Own
  Everything I Own
  "Everything I Own" is a song written by David Gates. Originally recorded by Gates's band Bread for their 1972 album Baby, I'm a Want You, the single was recorded by The Connells, Jack Jones, Ken Boothe, Olivia Newton-John, Georgie Fame, Boy George, *NSYNC, Jude, Rod Stewart, Crystal Gayle, Nicole...
  
  ", recorded by Chrissie Hynde
  Chrissie Hynde
  Christine Ellen "Chrissie" Hynde is an US musician best known as the leader of the rock/new wave band the Pretenders. She is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, and has been the only constant member of the band throughout its history.-Early life and career:Hynde is the daughter of a part-time...
  
  .

Live cover performances

• The song was covered live by The Smashing Pumpkins
  The Smashing Pumpkins
  The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
  
   in 1992, and the recording can be found on the Mashed Potatoes box set.
• Kurt Elling
  Kurt Elling
  Kurt Elling is an American jazz vocalist, composer, lyricist and vocalese performer. Born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Rockford, Elling first became interested in music through his father, who was Kapellmeister at a Lutheran church...
  
   performed live during a concert in the Czech Republic
  Czech Republic
  The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
  
   in 2006.
• Tim McGraw
  Tim McGraw
  Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...
  
   performed it during the "Soul2Soul" 2007 tour with his wife Faith Hill
  Faith Hill
  Faith Hill is an American country singer. She is known both for her commercial success and her marriage to fellow country star Tim McGraw. Hill has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and accumulated eight number-one singles and three number-one albums on the U.S...
  
  .
• They Might Be Giants have played it live on occasion, and included a cover of it on their podcast
  Podcast
  A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
  
  .
• The String Cheese Incident covered it at a show in Melkweg
  Melkweg
  The Melkweg is a popular music venue and cultural center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It is located on the Lijnbaansgracht, near the Leidseplein, a prime nightlife center of Amsterdam. It is housed in a former warehouse and is divided into a number of spaces of varying sizes...
  
  , Amsterdam
  Amsterdam
  Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
  
   on March 27, 2004, and added "Don't wanna see Billy run" (Bill Nershi
  Bill Nershi
  Bill Nershi was a founding member and acoustic guitarist in The String Cheese Incident, a US jamband from Boulder, Colorado....
  
   of SCI)
• Keith Urban
  Keith Urban
  Keith Lionel Urban is a New Zealand-born Australian, country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Australia at an early age...
  
   performed the song during his "Love, Pain, and the Whole Crazy Thing" 2007 tour with The Wreckers
  The Wreckers
  -Studio albums:-Live albums:-Singles:-Featured singles:^ Song was credited as Santana with Michelle Branch and The Wreckers.-Music videos:-Awards and nominations:-External links:***...
  
   on August 18, 2007 and with Amanda Wilkinson
  Amanda Wilkinson
  Amanda Nichole Wilkinson was born January 17, 1982, in Belleville, Ontario, Canada and was raised in nearby Trenton, Ontario. She is a Canadian country music singer. She is also a member of country group The Wilkinsons, which includes her father Steve and brother Tyler. She began singing early. Her...
  
   and Tyler Wilkinson on December 15, 2007.
• 311
  311 (band)
  311 is an American rock band from Omaha, Nebraska. The band was formed in 1988 by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Nick Hexum, lead guitarist Jim Watson , bassist Aaron "P-Nut" Wills and drummer Chad Sexton...
  
   performed it live in New Orleans on 311 Day (March 11, 2008).
• Puddle of Mudd
  Puddle of Mudd
  Puddle Of Mudd is an American rock band from Kansas City, Missouri, USA. To date the band has sold over 7 million albums, and have had a string of #1 mainstream rock singles in the United States. Their major-label debut Come Clean has sold over 5 million copies...
  
   performed the song at DC101 Chili Cook-Off
  DC101 Chili Cook-Off
  The DC101 Chili Cook-Off is an annual chili cookoff and rock concert sponsored by Washington, D.C. / Baltimore, Maryland radio station WWDC . Proceeds from the cookoff, traditionally held in Washington, D.C...
  
   on May 16, 2009
• Jack Johnson
  Jack Johnson (musician)
  Jack Johnson was born May 18, 1975 is an American folk rock singer-songwriter, surfer and musician known for his work in the soft rock and acoustic genres. In 2001, he achieved commercial success after the release of his debut album, Brushfire Fairytales. He has since released four more albums, a...
  
   often performs the song live during his 2010 To the Sea world tour and did so in Vancouver on October 1, 2010.

Sampling

• "The Joker" was sampled
  Sampling (music)
  In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
  
   in the song "Summer and Lightning" by Electric Light Orchestra
  Electric Light Orchestra
  Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...
  
   from their 1977 album, Out of the Blue
  Out of the Blue (Electric Light Orchestra album)
  The 30th Anniversary Edition was released on February, 20th 2007 with three bonus tracks.-Personnel:ELO*Jeff Lynne – lead vocals, backing vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion*Bev Bevan – drums, percussion, backing vocals, fire extinguisher on "Mr...
  
  .
• "The Joker" serves as the outline of the song "So Cal Loco (Party Like a Rockstar)
  So Cal Loco (Party Like a Rockstar)
  "So Cal Loco " is a song by American band Sprung Monkey. The song uses the bassline of The Joker. The song appeared on the motion picture Dude, Where's My Car?. It was also later re-recorded for the group's Get A Taste album....
  
  " by Sprung Monkey
  Sprung Monkey
  Sprung Monkey is an American band that originated in San Diego, California, USA, initially active from 1991 to 2002, and again since 2005. Sprung Monkey consists of five members, Steve Summers for the vocals, Mike Summers and William Riley for the guitars, Ernie Longoria for the drums, and Tony...
  
   which appeared on the film Dude, Where's My Car?
  Dude, Where's My Car?
  Dude, Where's My Car? is a 2000 American stoner comedy film directed by Danny Leiner. The film stars Ashton Kutcher and Seann William Scott as two young men who find themselves wasted and forget where they parked their car....
  
  .
• It was also sampled on the original Def American Records release of The Geto Boys' song "Gangster of Love" from their 1989 album, Grip It! On That Other Level
  Grip It! On That Other Level
  Grip It! On That Other Level is the second album by Houston hip hop group the Geto Boys, then known as the Ghetto Boys. Following the disappointing results of the group's first album, Making Trouble, Rap-A-Lot Records replaced original rapping members, Sire Jukebox and Prince Johnny with Scarface ...
  
  . The sample, presumably unauthorized, was replaced with Lynyrd Skynyrd
  Lynyrd Skynyrd
  Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...
  
  's "Sweet Home Alabama" on later pressings of the album.
• The song was sampled on Shaggy's song "Angel
  Angel (Shaggy song)
  "Angel" is a 2001 number one hit song by reggae artist Shaggy featuring Rayvon. It was the follow-up to Shaggy's U.S. number-one hit "It Wasn't Me". "Angel" reached number one in the U.S...
  
  " from 2001.
• The song "Hudson Dragonfly" by Jackie-O Motherfucker
  Jackie-O Motherfucker
  Jackie-O Motherfucker is an American experimental music group that formed in Portland, Oregon in 1994.-Biography:Jackie-O Motherfucker began as a duo consisting of multi-instrumentalist Tom Greenwood and saxophonist Nester Bucket. The group has had more than forty members drawn from the U.S....
  
  , from the album, America Mystica (2006), contains a sample of "The Joker".

Pop Culture

• Cover version appeared in the movie My Super Ex-Girlfriend
  My Super Ex-Girlfriend
  My Super Ex-Girlfriend is a 2006 American romantic comedy superhero film, directed by Ivan Reitman and stars Uma Thurman and Luke Wilson with Anna Faris, Eddie Izzard, Rainn Wilson, and Wanda Sykes.-Plot:...
  
  .
• In the 2008 Hollywood movie, The Love Guru
  The Love Guru
  The Love Guru is a 2008 comedy film, directed by Marco Schnabel and starring Mike Myers and Jessica Alba along with Romany Malco and Justin Timberlake. In addition to starring in the film, Myers wrote The Love Guru with Graham Gordy and produced it with Gary Barber. The film was released by...
  
  , the song is performed by Mike Myers
  Mike Myers (actor)
  Michael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer of British parentage...
  
   and Manu Narayan
  Manu Narayan
  Manu Narayan is an American actor. He has been hailed as a "promising young star...a compelling actor and outstanding singer who can light up a stage with sheer force of personality." Manu has starred on Broadway, and co-stars as Rajneesh alongside Mike Myers in the Paramount Pictures' Film The...
  
   towards the ending.
• In the "The Way We Was
  The Way We Was
  "The Way We Was" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 31, 1991. In the episode, Marge tells the story of how she and Homer first met and fell in love. Flashing back to 1974, we see how Homer falls in love with...
  
  " episode of The Simpsons
  The Simpsons
  The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
  
  , Homer
  Homer Simpson
  Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
  
   sings along to the song while driving. Homer's rendition of the song also plays over the end credits of the episode.
• The first lyric of the song was sung in an episode of Space Ghost Coast to Coast
  Space Ghost Coast to Coast
  Space Ghost Coast to Coast is an American animated parody talk show hosted by the 60s Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Space Ghost. The show premiered on April 15, 1994 on Cartoon Network...
  
  by Space Ghost, backed up by Zorak, banging tunelessly on a piano. Unable to figure out the next few lyrics, he adds: "Dumb people haul trash around!"
• In the "That '70s Musical" episode of That '70s Show
  That '70s Show
  That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979...
  
  , Eric Forman
  Eric Forman
  Eric Albert Forman is a fictional character and the male lead on the Fox Network's That '70s Show between seasons one through seven. Portrayed by Topher Grace, Eric is based on the adolescence of show creator Mark Brazill. Most of the show takes place at the Formans' home, particularly in the...
  
  , Donna Pinciotti
  Donna Pinciotti
  Donna Marie Pinciotti is a fictional character and one of the two female leads in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, appearing in all eight seasons...
  
  , Steven Hyde
  Steven Hyde
  Steven James Hyde III, known as Hyde by his friends, is a fictional character from the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, portrayed by Danny Masterson. He is Eric Forman's best friend and by the end of season one, his de facto adopted brother...
  
   and Michael Kelso
  Michael Kelso
  Michael Christopher Kelso usually referred to simply as Kelso by his friends is one of the five male leads on Fox Network's That '70s Show, portrayed by Ashton Kutcher. Tall, lanky and long-haired , he is the dim-witted pretty-boy of the group, coasting through life on his good looks...
  
   sings it in "The Circle" in Fez
  Fez (That '70s Show)
  Fez is a fictional character and one of the four male leads on the Fox Network's That '70s Show, portrayed by Wilmer Valderrama. He was the foreign exchange student in a group of six local teenagers.-Origins:...
  
  's thoughts.
• The Pompatus of Love
  The Pompatus of Love
  The Pompatus of Love is a 1996 film that tells the story of four guys discussing women and the meaning of the word "pompatus". This made-up word is found in two Steve Miller songs, "Enter Maurice" and "The Joker", the latter of which contains the line "Some people call me Maurice / 'cause I speak...
  
  is a 1996 film based on the same notable lyrics in this song.
• In Cowboy Bebop
  Cowboy Bebop
  is a critically acclaimed and award-winning 1998 Japanese anime series directed by Shinichirō Watanabe, written by Keiko Nobumoto, and produced by Sunrise. Its 26 episodes comprise a complete storyline: set in 2071, the series follows the adventures, misadventures and tragedies of five bounty...
  
  , many of the episodes end with the text "See you Space Cowboy...", which is a double reference to the main character
  Spike Spiegel
  is the protagonist of the anime and manga series Cowboy Bebop. He won first place in the male character category of the Anime Grand Prix in 1998 and 1999.-Background:Spike is a fictional bounty hunter who was born on Mars, June 26, 2044...
  
   and how the story is influenced by music.
• David Letterman
  David Letterman
  David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
  
   once did a Top 10 list of Rejected Batman
  Batman
  Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
  
   villains. Included in the list were The Joker
  Joker (comics)
  The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
  
  's brothers, The Smoker and The Midnight Toker (a reference to the line: I'm a joker, I'm a smoker, I'm a midnight toker...).
• It is in the video game Karaoke Revolution Volume 2.
• The song is also featured in the video game Guitar Hero World Tour
  Guitar Hero World Tour
  Guitar Hero World Tour is a music video game developed by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision. It is the fourth main entry in the Guitar Hero series...
  
  .
• The song has also been released as downloadable content
  Downloadable content
  Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
  
   for the video game Rock Band
  Rock Band
  Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
  
  , having been released on January 20, 2009.
• On the sitcom Friends
  Friends
  Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
  
  , Joey's imaginary friend from childhood was Maurice and his occupation was "Space Cowboy."
• On the Spike original show 1000 Ways to Die
  1000 Ways to Die
  1000 Ways to Die is a docufiction anthology television series that premiered on May 14, 2008 on Spike. The program recreates unusual supposed deaths and debunked urban legends and includes interviews with experts who describe the science behind each death...
  
  , way to die #623 is titled "MIDNIGHT CHOKER", in reference to the lyric in the song "midnight toker".
• A character in Stephen King
  Stephen King
  Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
  
  's novel Gerald's Game
  Gerald's Game
  Gerald's Game is a psychological horror novel by Stephen King. The story is about a woman who accidentally kills her husband while she is handcuffed to the bed as part of a bondage game, and, following the subsequent realisation that she is trapped with little hope of rescue, begins to let the...
  
  is nicknamed "The Space Cowboy" from the corresponding lyric in this song.
• In the King of the Hill
  King of the Hill
  King of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
  
  episode "Patch Boomhauer", the song is used in bachelor party scenes.
• In comedian Frank Caliendo
  Frank Caliendo
  Frank Caliendo is an American comedian and impressionist, best known for his work on the Fox Network television series MADtv, and as the in-house prognosticator for Fox NFL Sunday. In 2007 and 2008, he performed his impersonations on his own show, Frank TV, which aired on TBS...
  
  's stand up special on TBS, he spoofs the song during an act as Batman characters and a note The Riddler has left says that he has a new partner in crime, but "because I'm the Riddler I can't tell who that partner is, but the answer lies in a song from 1974." Frank, as Robin, then says "Holy midnight tokers, Batman! It's The Joker!"
• In the 2009 Marvel Comics
  Marvel Comics
  Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
  
   limited comic series "Deadpool: Suicide Kings", Deadpool introduces himself by quoting some of the song's lines, saying, "Some people call me Deadpool, some call me the gangster of love, some people call me Maurice, 'cause I speak the pompatus of love."

External links

• The tokezone: "The Joker" lyrics and biography, more on the pompitous of love; video and e-cards
• The Straight Dope: In Steve Miller's "The Joker," what is "the pompatus of love"?
• Language Log: Dismortality and puppetutes -- post on the etymology of "pompatus".