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.
Hoochie Coochie Man
Steppenwolf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the day I was born
Oh, you got a boy child comin'
Oh, Lord, he's gonna be a son of a gun
He's gonna make those pretty women
You know, he's gonna make 'em jump and shout
The whole wide world gonna wonder
What it's all about
Yeah, you know I'm here
And everybody knows I'm here
I'm your Hoochie Coochie man
Oh, Lord, everybody knows I'm here
I got a black cat bone
Lord I got a mojo too
I got little John, the conquered
Oh baby, I'm gonna mess with you
I'm gonna grab those pretty women
I'm gonna grab 'em by the hand
You know, the whole wide world gonna know
Oh Lord, I'm your Hoochie Coochie man
Yes, you know I'm here
Everybody knows I'm here
On the seventh hour
Oh Lord, on the seventh day
I tell you on the seventh month, child
Hey, the seven doctors say
Now, he was born for luck
I said, baby, don't you see
I got seven hundred dollars darlin'
Don't you mess with me
Because I'm here
Everybody, everybody knows I'm here
I'm your Hoochie Coochie man
Hey, I tell you, everybody knows I'm here
The lyrics to Steppenwolf's song "Hoochie Coochie Man" tell the story of a man who was born to be a powerful player with women. The song starts with the line, "The gypsy woman told my mama on the day I was born," which implies that the singer had a predestined fate to be a womanizer. The woman predicts that he will be a "son of a gun" who will make "pretty women...jump and shout." This gives us the idea that the man is going to be a charmer and a seducer, and the entire world will want to know more about him.
The singer claims that he has several charms or good luck tokens, such as a black cat bone, a mojo, and a little John the Conquered, which gives him power over the women he is going to seduce. By the end of the song, the singer has established himself as a legend, with "seven doctors" saying he was born for luck, and he has amassed seven hundred dollars, which he exclaims in the lyrics as a warning to the women that they should not mess with him.
The song paints a picture of a man who is both charming and dangerous, someone who knows how to get what he wants and is unafraid to pursue it. It also touches upon the cultural beliefs of charms and magic which people believe in for years.
Line by Line Meaning
The gypsy woman told my mama
At my birth, a fortune teller prophesized to my mother
On the day I was born
It happened on the exact day I was born
Oh, you got a boy child comin'
My mother learned that she was going to give birth to a boy
Oh, Lord, he's gonna be a son of a gun
The child was promised to be a powerful man
He's gonna make those pretty women
He will charm beautiful women
You know, he's gonna make 'em jump and shout
He will make these women extremely excited and happy
The whole wide world gonna wonder
People will be curious about him everywhere he goes
What it's all about
His greatness and power will be discussed by all
Yeah, you know I'm here
I am present and visible
And everybody knows I'm here
Everyone knows about my presence and influence
I'm your Hoochie Coochie man
I am the man who wins the hearts of women
Oh, Lord, everybody knows I'm here
My power and influence are widely recognized
I got a black cat bone
I possess a powerful charm made from the bone of a black cat
Lord I got a mojo too
I have a magic spell of my own
I got little John, the conquered
I have a small statue that can bring great luck and success
Oh baby, I'm gonna mess with you
I am going to use these magical items to win you over
I'm gonna grab those pretty women
I will charm and win over beautiful women
I'm gonna grab 'em by the hand
I will take their hand and lead them forward
You know, the whole wide world gonna know
Everyone will be aware of my conquests
Oh Lord, I'm your Hoochie Coochie man
I am the man who can make any woman fall for me
Yes, you know I'm here
I am present and visible
Everybody knows I'm here
Everyone knows about my power and influence
On the seventh hour
At a specific time of day
Oh Lord, on the seventh day
On a specific day of the week
I tell you on the seventh month, child
On a specific month of the year
Hey, the seven doctors say
Seven different doctors confirmed my lucky birth
Now, he was born for luck
I was born with great fortune
I said, baby, don't you see
I am telling you this to make you understand my greatness
I got seven hundred dollars darlin'
I have a lot of money that adds to my power and prestige
Don't you mess with me
Don't underestimate my abilities or challenge my greatness
Because I'm here
I am present and visible
Everybody, everybody knows I'm here
Everyone is aware of my power and influence
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Iricom US Ltd
Written by: Willie Dixon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Captain Joe (Best Radio 947)
Undoubtebly the best rendition of this blues standard, with a high degree of psychedelia...
Ray Scott
This song was made for the people at the time. My generation can still dig it. 72 and counting.
Tom Mc Conville
Count me one too at 72 Ray
NitrousNinja
I'm a blues lover who is very fussy and hard to please. I found this Steppenwolf rendition of "Hoochie Coochie Man" to be top shelf. Excellent electric blues here! I think higher of them now then I ever did before.
RONALD POKATILOFF
Great rhythm with the heavy bass. Lead them by the hand in the original words. Very artistic ensemble playing!
Roberto Luiz
The best version of this song , no doubt about it! What a sound!!
Lee Eisenstein
Saw them back in the day, at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz. They blew the roof off the place. By the end of the show, the audience was in total pandemonium. John Kay's vocals were phenomenal.
Fred Flint
If you hear this version of Hoochie Coochie first, then all others will pale by comparison. They literally made this song their own. I don't mean to take anything away from muddy waters, he is good, but all the extra instrumentation of this version makes it awesome. Deep down, funky awesome.
MrZootalores
Respect. teenage high school guitarist Michael Monarch did serious shit to make this album great; he made a lotta $ for Muddy you weekend critics...
PatiMelts
Jeff healy did pretty good