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.
Give Me Life
Steppenwolf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Good evening one and all, this is channel 24
Bringing you the latest news around the world
Down in Florida today, someone tried to get away
When he commandeered the train at Disney World
Until noon it was a standoff, but then he lost his luck
When someone shot him down, dressed up like Donald Duck
And we're sorry that we could not show it live
But we'll have film of the shooting here at five
Give me some news I can use, let me smile for a while
For the madness has taken it's toll
Give me some news I can use, just a break for the sake
Of my mind which is losing control
From Washington today, called a senator to say
That our future has been cancelled 'cause we're broke
We called the white house without end finally reached the President
Says he don't know if it's real or just a joke
And last night at the playoffs, things got pretty grim
They crucified the referee and tore him limb from limb
Ah, you should have been there
And in the weather, there's a hurricane in sight
And that's the way it is with us tonight
Give me some news I can use, let me smile for a while
For the madness has taken it's toll
Give me some news I can use, just a break for the sake
Of my mind which is losing control
Seems like every single day another mind gets blown away
And the world goes just a little more insane
I got problems of my own, tryin' to keep my house and home
And I sure could stand some cheerful news again
My agent called to tell me my record's on the chart
It's number 90 with an anchor, I never said that it was art
I gotta eat too, ya know
And my buddy who still owes me for his bail
He says, "don't worry, your check is in the mail"
Give me some news I can use, let me smile for a while
For the madness has taken it's toll
Give me some news I can use, just a break for the sake
Of my mind which is losing control
Steppenwolf's "Give Me Life" is a satirical commentary on the state of the world in the 1970s. The lyrics offer a bleak view of the news media and society's obsession with sensationalism. The first verse reports on a hostage situation at Disney World, which ends in a bizarre shootout involving a midget dressed as a G-man and someone dressed as Donald Duck. The news anchor apologizes for not being able to show the live footage but promises to air the shooting at five. The second verse features a phone call to a senator about the country being broke and future being cancelled. It's followed by a gruesome scene at a playoff game where the crowd crucifies the referee. The last verse reflects on the constant stream of bad news and the singer's personal struggles. The song ends with a bit of good news: the singer's record made it to number 90 on the charts.
At its core, "Give Me Life" is a commentary on the way news media sensationalizes and profits off of tragedy, violence, and tabloid-style reporting. John Kay's lyrics and delivery are dripping with sarcasm, highlighting the ridiculousness and absurdity of the news. The song is also an observation of how the media impacts the mental health of people who consume it daily, leading to a loss of hope, trust, and control.
Line by Line Meaning
Good evening one and all, this is channel 24
Greetings everyone, welcome to our news channel
Bringing you the latest news around the world
We have fresh and up-to-date news from all around the globe
Down in Florida today, someone tried to get away
An incident occurred today in Florida where someone attempted to escape
When he commandeered the train at Disney World
He took control over a train located at Disney World
Until noon it was a standoff, but then he lost his luck
The situation lasted until noon without any progress, but then things took a turn for the worse for him
When someone shot him down, dressed up like Donald Duck
Then, an unknown person disguised as Donald Duck managed to shoot him down
It was a midget G-man
The person was a G-man that happened to be small in height
And we're sorry that we could not show it live
We apologize for not being able to broadcast the event live
But we'll have film of the shooting here at five
However, we will have footage of the incident at 5
Give me some news I can use, let me smile for a while
Please provide me with useful news that could make me happy temporarily
For the madness has taken it's toll
The current world situation takes a toll on people's mental health
From Washington today, called a senator to say
Today, a call was made from Washington to a senator
That our future has been cancelled 'cause we're broke
The future is bleak since it's canceled due to a lack of financial resources
We called the white house without end finally reached the President
We attempted to contact the White House numerous times but eventually reached the President
Says he don't know if it's real or just a joke
He's unsure if the situation is genuine or a prank
And last night at the playoffs, things got pretty grim
Things took a dire turn during last night's sports playoffs
They crucified the referee and tore him limb from limb
The crowd was so angry that they killed and mutilated the referee
Ah, you should have been there
If only you were there to witness the chaos
And in the weather, there's a hurricane in sight
The weather forecast predicts a hurricane on the horizon
And that's the way it is with us tonight
That sums up the current situation here tonight
Seems like every single day another mind gets blown away
It's becoming common to hear about people losing their sanity every day
And the world goes just a little more insane
The world is slowly becoming crazier every day
I got problems of my own, tryin' to keep my house and home
I have enough of my own issues dealing with trying to keep my home and family together
And I sure could stand some cheerful news again
I could really use some happy news right now
My agent called to tell me my record's on the chart
My agent informed me that my music is popular and currently charting
It's number 90 with an anchor, I never said that it was art
It's ranked 90 with an anchor, I never claimed my work to be art
I gotta eat too, ya know
I also need to eat and sustain myself financially
And my buddy who still owes me for his bail
My friend still hasn't paid me back for his bail money
He says, "don't worry, your check is in the mail"
He assured me that he sent the check in the mail, and I shouldn't worry
Give me some news I can use, let me smile for a while
Please provide me with useful news that could make me happy temporarily
For the madness has taken it's toll
The current world situation is having a negative impact on people's mental health
Give me some news I can use, just a break for the sake
I need a break due to the distressing news, so please provide me with helpful and lighthearted news
Of my mind which is losing control
I'm struggling to maintain control of my thoughts and emotions
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: JOHN KAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ventues97
Made the Top 200 singles chart 1987
Les Schoenberger
It's a good song, too bad it didn't go anywhere. "Hold on" from the same album is excellent!