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.
Jeraboah
Steppenwolf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She used to drive the milkman wild
She'd steal his bottles to pay the rent
But I know that ain't where it went
Jeraboah, you're a fine looin' lady
You can get what you want with a smile
Goin 'round makin' everyone crazy
Those years of livin' out in the streets
Make that Jerabo' so sweet
That even when she'd steal your pay
You'd just smile and have to say
Now that the cit has changed a lot
But some folks still just ain't forgot
How Jeraboah would laugh and play
Make the smile and have to say
The lyrics of Steppenwolf's song "Jeraboah" tell the story of a street-smart woman who has had to hustle to survive. As a child, Jeraboah would steal bottles from the milkman to pay the rent, but the singer knows that there's more to her story than just theft. Her beauty and charm have allowed her to get what she wants with a smile, making everyone crazy with her love.
The years of living on the streets have made Jeraboah the person she is today: sweet and charming, even when she's stealing from you. The singer reminisces about how even when she stole someone's pay, they would still smile and have to say something nice about her. The city may have changed, but the memory of Jeraboah's laughter and playfulness lives on in the minds of those who knew her.
Line by Line Meaning
When Jeraboah was a child
The story begins with Jeraboah's childhood where people used to admire her for the wildness she possessed.
She used to drive the milkman wild
Jeraboah had a certain charm which the milkman could not resist.
She'd steal his bottles to pay the rent
Jeraboah resorted to stealing milk bottles to earn money for paying rent.
But I know that ain't where it went
The artist believes that there was some other reason behind Jeraboah's act of stealing milk bottles.
Jeraboah, you're a fine looin' lady
Despite being seen as a thief, Jeraboah was still considered a beautiful and attractive woman.
You can get what you want with a smile
Jeraboah had a way of charming people with her smile and getting what she wanted from them.
Goin 'round makin' everyone crazy
Her wildness and charm made everyone go crazy around her.
With the love of a backstreet child.
The artist associates Jeraboah's personality with that of a child living in poverty and obscurity.
Those years of livin' out in the streets
Jeraboah had spent a considerable amount of time living on the streets.
Make that Jerabo' so sweet
The hardships of her life on the streets had given Jeraboah a unique sweetness in her personality.
That even when she'd steal your pay
Jeraboah's charm and sweetness were so strong that people didn't mind when she stole from them.
You'd just smile and have to say
People were simply unable to resist Jeraboah's charm and would often forgive her for her wrongdoings.
Now that the cit has changed a lot
The city has undergone significant changes since Jeraboah's childhood days.
But some folks still just ain't forgot
Some people still remember and talk about Jeraboah's wildness and charm.
How Jeraboah would laugh and play
People remember Jeraboah for her carefree laughter and playfulness.
Make the smile and have to say
Her charm was so strong that people had to smile and talk about her even years later.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JACK S. CONRAD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
on Move Over
A really great song.
Philip Kassabian
on It's Never Too Late
Yet another great Steppenwolf song.
Philip Kassabian
on Jupiter's Child
Wow what an excellent song.
Philip Kassabian
on Born to Be Wild
Wow a great song love it.
Scott
on Happy Birthday
It is I hope you read your story book NOT WRECK YOUR STORY BOOK.