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.
Live Your Life
Steppenwolf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every day I heard the radio
Every night I had the same old dream
To sing a song, oh, baby, to watch my name in lights
If you want to see your dream come true
Honeychild, you gotta get right down and fight
Well I sailed cross the ocean, girl, I felt so all alone
But the Joy I found in song gave me the will to carry on
Live your life the way you want to
Don't let fools lead you astray
Live you dreams so you hold on to
All you need along the way
I was payin' my dues right here in the land of the free
All the time I learned to sing along
I could not speak and I could barely see
Still all the while I knew where I was at
But the people that believed in me
Lord, I could count them all in seconds flat
Well, someday I would be, I knew it all along
A gentleman of leisure, girl, right or wrong
And though my dream has come and gone
There's plenty more where those came from
[Chorus]
The lyrics to Steppenwolf's song "Live Your Life" are about the pursuit of dreams against all odds. The singer explains that he was raised in a difficult environment until he was thirteen years old. Despite his circumstances, he would listen to the radio and dream of singing a song and seeing his name in lights. However, he acknowledges that achieving your dreams requires fighting for them. He describes his own fight, which took him across an ocean, where he felt alone and thought about giving up. But, he found joy in singing and it gave him the strength to keep going. The chorus encourages listeners to live their lives the way they want to, not letting others lead them astray. The singer speaks of paying his dues and learning to sing, despite limitations in speech and sight. He faced doubters but believed in himself and knew he would succeed. Finally, he acknowledges that his dream has come and gone, but there are always more dreams to pursue.
Overall, the song is about the journey of achieving one's dreams, the obstacles that arise, and the need to stay true to oneself despite naysayers. It's a reminder to keep pushing forward and never give up on one's passions.
Line by Line Meaning
I was raised in the ruins, mama, 'till I was thirteen
I grew up in a difficult and impoverished environment until I was thirteen years old.
Every day I heard the radio
Every day, I listened to the radio and heard songs that inspired me.
Every night I had the same old dream
Every night, I dreamed of becoming a famous singer and having my name in lights.
To sing a song, oh, baby, to watch my name in lights
My ultimate dream was to become a singer and see my name in lights.
If you want to see your dream come true
If you want to achieve your goals and make your dream a reality,
Honeychild, you gotta get right down and fight
you need to be determined and persistent in working towards your dream.
Well I sailed cross the ocean, girl, I felt so all alone
I once traveled across the ocean and felt isolated and alone.
Many times I thought about goin' right back home
At times, I considered returning home because it was challenging being so far away.
But the joy I found in song gave me the will to carry on
However, my love of music and the happiness it brought me gave me the strength to keep going.
Live your life the way you want to
Live your life according to your own desires and values.
Don't let fools lead you astray
Don't allow people who don't understand your dreams to steer you in the wrong direction.
Live you dreams so you hold on to all you need along the way
Pursue your dreams so that you can access all the resources and support you need along the way.
I was payin' my dues right here in the land of the free
I worked hard to achieve my success in the United States, the land of the free.
All the time I learned to sing along
Throughout my journey to success, I continued to improve my singing skills.
I could not speak and I could barely see
Despite facing obstacles, I persevered and overcame barriers to achieve my dream.
Still all the while I knew where I was at
Throughout my struggles, I remained aware of my position and kept focused on my goals.
But the people that believed in me
The few people who believed in me and supported me throughout my journey,
Lord, I could count them all in seconds flat
I could count those supporters quickly and easily, but their impact was immeasurable.
Well, someday I would be, I knew it all along
Despite setbacks and challenges, I always knew that I would eventually achieve my dream of becoming a singer.
A gentleman of leisure, girl, right or wrong
Eventually, I was able to establish myself as a successful musician, but with that came new challenges and responsibilities.
And though my dream has come and gone
Although I have already achieved my ultimate dream of becoming a famous singer,
There's plenty more where those came from
There are always new dreams and goals to pursue, and I am not done striving towards them.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOHN KAY
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.