Frontman John Kay's mother escaped with him at age 4 from Soviet occupied East Germany, an event recounted in the song "Renegade" on the album Steppenwolf Seven. His family resettled in Hannover, West Germany, before moving to Canada in 1958. Kay is partially blind, hence the use of dark glasses
In 1968, Nick St. Nicholas replaced Moreve as bass player.
Steppenwolf had its origins in the Toronto blues band Sparrow, which was formed in 1964 and played coffeehouses in Yorkville. By 1967 they had settled in San Francisco.
Steppenwolf rocketed to fame after their third single, "Born to Be Wild" was used in the movie Easy Rider, as well as "The Pusher". The former song may have coined the term "heavy metal". This was followed by several more hits, including "Magic Carpet Ride" from Steppenwolf the Second, and "Rock Me" from At Your Birthday Party. Many fans consider their double album Steppenwolf Live [an extended single album in the UK] the best of Steppenwolf's releases. Monster and For Ladies Only were the band's most political albums, and are still fondly remembered by fans as two of the best rock & roll snapshots of the attitudes of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
The band broke up in 1971, and Kay pursued a solo career. Steppenwolf reformed in 1974 with the album Slow Flux, and disbanded in 1976. Afterwards, several versions of the band toured North America until Kay reformed the official version of the group in 1980.
John Kay released a solo album in 2001.
Don't step on
Steppenwolf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tryin' to find some life in the waste land
Fin'ly found a program, gonna deal with Mary Jane
Ready for a trip into hate land
Obnoxious Joe comes on the screen
Along with his guest self-righteous Sam
And one more guy who doesn't count
His hair and clothes are too far out
While pushin' back his glasses Sam is sayin' casually
"I was elected by the masses"
And with that in mind he starts to unwind
A vicious attack on the finest of grasses
Well it's evil, wicked, mean and nasty
(Don't step on the grass, Sam)
And it will ruin our fair country
(Don't be such an ass, Sam)
Well, it will hook your Sue and Johnny
(You're so full of bull, Sam)
All will pay that disagree with me
(Please give up you already lost the fight, alright)
Misinformation Sam and Joe
Are feeding to the nation
But the one who didn't count counted them out
By exposing all their false quotations
Faced by a very awkward situation
This is all he'd say to save the day
Well it's evil, wicked, mean and nasty
(Don't step on the grass, Sam)
And it will ruin our fair country
(Don't be such an ass, Sam)
Well, it will hook your Sue and Johnny
(You're so full of bull, Sam)
All will pay that disagree with me
(Please give up you already lost the fight alright)
You waste my coin Sam, all you can
To jail my fellow man
For smoking all the noble weed
You need much more than him
You've been telling lies so long
Some believe they're true
So they close their eyes to things
You have no right to do
Just as soon as you are gone
Hope will start to climb
Please don't stay around too long
You're wasting precious time
The lyrics to "Don't Step On The Grass Sam" by Steppenwolf criticize the government's stance on marijuana and the propaganda used to demonize the drug. The song begins by describing a man searching for something on TV, but finally finds a program about smoking weed. Sam and Joe, the hosts of the show, along with their guest self-righteous Sam, claim that marijuana is evil, wicked, mean and nasty and it will ruin the country. They also argue that marijuana will hook young people and those who disagree with them will pay the price. The lyrics suggest that Sam and Joe are spreading misinformation to the nation and using false quotations to support their argument.
The singer then confronts Sam and challenges his views on marijuana. He argues that it is a waste of money to jail people for smoking weed, and that everyone has the right to choose for themselves. The singer asserts that Sam has been telling lies for so long that some people believe them to be true, and that this is preventing progress. The chorus repeats the message "Don't step on the grass, Sam" and "Don't be such an ass, Sam", a clear reference to marijuana.
The song is a political commentary on the marijuana debate in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s. It questions the government's stance on the issue and highlights their propaganda machine. The song suggests that people have the right to choose for themselves and that the government should not interfere with their choices.
Line by Line Meaning
Starin' at the boob tube, turnin' on the big knob
Watching television, looking for something interesting to watch
Tryin' to find some life in the waste land
Searching for something positive in a negative situation
Fin'ly found a program, gonna deal with Mary Jane
Finally found a show about marijuana use
Ready for a trip into hate land
Prepared for a controversial topic
Obnoxious Joe comes on the screen
A loud, irritating person appears on the television
Along with his guest self-righteous Sam
Sam is portrayed as arrogant and self-righteous
And one more guy who doesn't count
A third person who isn't significant to the conversation
His hair and clothes are too far out
His appearance is unconventional and strange
While pushin' back his glasses Sam is sayin' casually
Sam is speaking in a casual manner while adjusting his glasses
"I was elected by the masses"
Sam asserts his democratic legitimacy
And with that in mind he starts to unwind
Sam is becoming more relaxed
A vicious attack on the finest of grasses
Sam begins to criticize marijuana use
Well it's evil, wicked, mean and nasty
Sam describes marijuana in negative terms
(Don't step on the grass, Sam)
The singer advises Sam to stop criticizing marijuana
And it will ruin our fair country
Sam believes marijuana use will have negative consequences for the country
(Don't be such an ass, Sam)
The singer tells Sam not to act like a foolish or stubborn person
Well, it will hook your Sue and Johnny
Sam believes marijuana will entice young people
(You're so full of bull, Sam)
The singer believes Sam is lying or exaggerating
All will pay that disagree with me
Sam believes that anyone who disagrees with him will suffer
(Please give up you already lost the fight, alright)
The singer advises Sam to stop arguing since he won't change anyone's mind
Misinformation Sam and Joe
Sam and Joe are spreading false information
Are feeding to the nation
They are influencing a large group of people with this misinformation
But the one who didn't count counted them out
The third person who wasn't significant earlier is now the one with the power to reveal the truth
By exposing all their false quotations
This person reveals that Sam and Joe have been lying
Faced by a very awkward situation
Sam and Joe are in an uncomfortable position
This is all he'd say to save the day
The third person speaks up to resolve the issue
You waste my coin Sam, all you can
Sam is wasting the singer's money
To jail my fellow man
Sam is punishing people for a relatively minor offense
For smoking all the noble weed
Sam is punishing people for marijuana use
You need much more than him
The singer believes Sam needs more than just marijuana prohibition to achieve his goals
You've been telling lies so long
Sam has been spreading misinformation for a long time
Some believe they're true
Some people have been convinced by Sam's lies
So they close their eyes to things
These people refuse to consider opposing viewpoints
You have no right to do
The singer believes that Sam is overstepping his authority
Just as soon as you are gone
The singer looks forward to Sam's departure
Hope will start to climb
Things will improve once Sam is no longer in power
Please don't stay around too long
The singer urges Sam to leave quickly
You're wasting precious time
Sam is using his time in a futile or detrimental way
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN KAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@glennhughes9594
I was in middle school when I found a best of steppenwolf tape in my dads car. So I put it in the tape deck and the first song I heard was this one and I loved it. Then I heard sookie sookie. I have been listening to them ever since. My son was listening to them while I had them playing on my phone. He said who is this Dad? I said Steppenwolf son. He sat there lightly bobbing his head to the groove and said they’re pretty good. That was a proud Dad moment for me.
@adamparker6048
That made my heart swell, priceless.
@datoorion
I was encouraged to go take your pick of about 400 vinyls.... There was a couple of these guys
@kaitlinpowell7167
I love this🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼 My mother introduced me to The Stepping Wolf,When I was a little girl. They'll never be another that is for dang sure ,Thanks for sharing your story made me smile 🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼
@farleytrading
@@datoorion I have over 2500 vinyls with many of these guys in there! lol
@ejdet.feeney9020
I even as a kid listened to Steppenwolf I grew up
In 70s every now and then on car radio would hear Born to be wild or Don’t step on the Grass Sam
@lindseyb0303
These guys are about 40 years overdue for R&R Hall of Fame.
@Heimdallr00
The issue may well be that their music isn't as much rock-and-roll as it is in a category all its own.
@youtubesucks4535
As soon as they put that rap and hip hop crap in the RRHOF any category should be open.
@bobfritz1466
The moment Abba got in, everything should have been fair game.