For Ladies Only
Steppenwolf Lyrics


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What you say to drive that girl away
When she's the one and only?
Who's the one that you been leanin' on
Every time that you were down and lonely?

How many times did you say to yourself that woman is the devil's tool?
Somehow you knew that you blew it again and didn't want to look like a ravin' fool
But when you need affection
You go to her with a smilin' face
But now she's got a strange reaction

[Chorus]
For ladies only
Tired of talkin' 'till somebody hears
For ladies only
Half the world has been built upon their tears

If you've been contemplatin' just what you're doin' wrong
Then you will be a witness to the rumble goin' on
You find it hard to tell apart the truth from the jive
They've got a right to say it wrong if freedom's to survive
Now if you don't believe your own reflection
Just take a look at all your smooth talkin' friends
I'm sure you'll make the right connection

[Chorus]

I'll give you my donation to help the cause along
I'll make my contribution 'till the fight has been won
But when my bedroom closes one thing remains
Man, woman, hog or dog, I'm callin' the plays
And if you find the need to raise objections




Don't talk to me 'bout your wasted time
You know you made your own selections

Overall Meaning

The song "For Ladies Only" by Steppenwolf talks about a man who has treated a woman badly despite relying on her for emotional support whenever he's down and lonely. He recognizes the mistakes he has made and how he pushed that girl away. He had referred to women as the devil's tool and knows that he often relies on them for affection even after pushing them away. The woman in question now has a strange reaction towards him, which proves his actions have consequences. The song features a chorus that emphasizes the importance of listening to women and their struggles and that half the world is built on their tears.


The song's lyrics highlight the treatment of women throughout history and how they have been neglected and silenced. The song advocates for the empowerment of women, urging men to recognize their struggles and join in the fight for their rights. It emphasizes the idea that the truth should always prevail, and that freedom survives only when people are allowed to speak the truth, even if it means criticizing those in power.


Line by Line Meaning

What you say to drive that girl away
How many times did you say to yourself that woman is the devil's tool?


When she's the one and only?
Somehow you knew that you blew it again and didn't want to look like a ravin' fool.


Who's the one that you been leanin' on
But when you need affection, you go to her with a smilin' face.


Every time that you were down and lonely?
But now she's got a strange reaction.


For ladies only, tired of talkin' 'till somebody hears
Women are fed up with being ignored and dismissed in conversations.


For ladies only, half the world has been built upon their tears
Women's struggles and tears have been a vital part of building society.


If you've been contemplatin' just what you're doin' wrong
If you're wondering what you're doing wrong in your relationships with women.


Then you will be a witness to the rumble goin' on
You'll see the tension and conflict between genders.


You find it hard to tell apart the truth from the jive
You struggle to distinguish truth from deception.


They've got a right to say it wrong if freedom's to survive
Women have the right to speak their truth even if it goes against societal norms.


Now if you don't believe your own reflection
If you're in denial about your own behavior towards women.


Just take a look at all your smooth talkin' friends
Take a look at the men around you who manipulate and deceive women.


I'm sure you'll make the right connection
You'll see the connection between your behavior and theirs.


I'll give you my donation to help the cause along
I'll donate to the feminist cause.


I'll make my contribution 'till the fight has been won
I'll keep donating until we achieve gender equality.


But when my bedroom closes one thing remains
But in my personal life, I still hold the power.


Man, woman, hog or dog, I'm callin' the plays
I'm the dominant one in my intimate relationships regardless of the gender of my partner.


And if you find the need to raise objections
And if you have issues with my behavior.


Don't talk to me 'bout your wasted time
Don't bother me with your complaints because I don't see it as wasted time.


You know you made your own selections
You made the choice to be with me despite my behavior.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JERRY EDMONTON, JOHN GOLDY, JOHN KAY, KENT HENRY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@hopelines1397

Such an underrated song this is - one of the all-time greats of rock!

@electrochubb

^ right up there with 'Stairway...'.

@lionelbeauclaire

Steppenwolf are really a lot more than ‘born to be wild’ fantastic discography.

@awaken77

Great band with a talent

@drumdad54sdl47

You'll get that & Magic Carpet Ride on classic rock radio.. and that's pretty much it.
So many other great songs out there by them.

@hotrod4013

Fully agree! And they had several members who sang just as good as john kay. Really love 7. Incredible album.

@chrise.3814

theyre also Magic Carpet Ride

@brianduncan2793

Another awesome song from a group who's musical talent was never appreciated as a total catalogue

@caddyjoint96

For five decades one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite rock bands. Today I focused on the keyboardist -- totally masterful.

@scottgillig908

Steppenwolf. What can you say. To me, they never made a bad song. I listen to Monster/Suicide/America, and it's as relevant today as it was when they released it. Steppenwolf was always pushed to get that second, and sometimes third album out in a year. They didn't change band members often, but when they did, they found someone that just got what Steppenwolf was all about. Steppenwolf 7 was an incredible look at what John Kay went through as a child. " If you get to the other side, just you run like hell. " You can feel the anticipation building with the song. Radio will never play this. It's too bad because every song on here teaches you something. John Kay retired Steppenwolf, but he till tours as John Kay. Steppenwolf....one of the greatest bands in the world.

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