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.
SUICIDE
Steppenwolf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And it's keepers seem generous and kind
It's leaders were supposed to serve the country
But now they won't pay it no mind
'Cause the people grew fat and got lazy
And now their vote is a meaningless joke
They babble about law and order
But it's all just an echo of what they've been told
It's got our heads into a noose
And just sits there watchin'
Our cities have turned into jungles
And corruption is stranglin' the land
The police force is watching the people
And the people just can't understand
We don't know how to mind our own business
'Cause the whole worlds got to be just like us
Now we are fighting a war over there
No matter who's the winner
We can't pay the cost
'Cause there's a monster on the loose
It's got our heads into a noose
And it just sits there watching
The song Suicide by Steppenwolf is a commentary on the state of American society in the late 1960s. The opening lines of the song set the tone for the rest of the lyrics as a depiction of freedom and justice being thwarted by corrupt leaders who have turned a blind eye towards serving the country. The next lines go on to say that people have grown apathetic and self-indulgent, leading to their vote becoming meaningless.
The third stanza is a commentary on the rampant urbanization taking place and the corruption that has come along with it. The police force is seen as a tool of the powerful, keeping an eye on the people who are confused and don't understand what is happening. There is a sense of disillusionment with the way Americans act, with the line "we don't know how to mind our own business because the whole world's got to be just like us." This line suggests a feeling of American exceptionalism and the notion that the rest of the world must follow America's path. This belief has led to the United States engaging in various wars and conflicts, which the country can no longer afford.
The concluding lines, "there's a monster on the loose, it's got our heads into a noose, and it just sits there watching" sum up perfectly the state of the nation. The monster represents the government, corporate power, and greed, while the noose represents the citizens' inability to recognize and challenge the said monster. The lyrics point out the disturbing fact that people are too comfortable with their lifestyles to notice how they are being exploited and controlled by the select powerful few.
Line by Line Meaning
The spirit was freedom and justice
The founding principles of the country were to ensure freedom and justice for all
And it's keepers seem generous and kind
The leaders who were supposed to protect these principles appeared to be generous and kind
It's leaders were supposed to serve the country
The leaders of the country were elected to serve the people and the nation
But now they won't pay it no mind
But now, they seem to have forgotten their duty and no longer care
'Cause the people grew fat and got lazy
The people have become complacent and indolent
And now their vote is a meaningless joke
As a result, their right to vote has lost its significance
They babble about law and order
They talk about the importance of upholding the law and maintaining order
But it's all just an echo of what they've been told
But it's just empty rhetoric that echoes what they've been taught
Yeah, there's a monster on the loose
There is a grave danger facing the country
It's got our heads into a noose
This danger is slowly but surely tightening its grip on the nation
And just sits there watchin'
And the danger is just waiting and watching from the shadows
Our cities have turned into jungles
The cities have become lawless and chaotic like jungles
And corruption is stranglin' the land
Corruption is suffocating the nation
The police force is watching the people
The police are increasingly monitoring and controlling the citizens
And the people just can't understand
The citizens are unable to comprehend what's happening to them
We don't know how to mind our own business
The nation interferes in matters that do not concern it
'Cause the whole worlds got to be just like us
Because the nation believes that the entire world should adopt its way of life
Now we are fighting a war over there
The nation is currently involved in a foreign war
No matter who's the winner
Regardless of who wins the war
We can't pay the cost
The nation cannot afford the cost of the war
'Cause there's a monster on the loose
Because the danger facing the nation is still present
It's got our heads into a noose
The danger is slowly but surely tightening its grip on the nation
And it just sits there watching
And the danger continues to wait and watch from the shadows
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANGIE APARO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bazenoyleolur
lead me here,
lead me there,
lead me baby, anywhere.
can't do right.
can't do wrong.
ain't that happy,
won't live too long.
(won't live too long.)
did you smile?
did you cry?
or did you need an alibi?
did you ride upon a sea?
but never have a tear for me?
gonna die by suicide.
would you like a suicide.
gonna die by suicide.
would you like a suicide.
it's suicide.
i'm not scared to say farewell,
to this life, i feel is hell.
without your love, my soul has died.
that's why i've gotta do suicide.
no farewells, no good-byes,
and no more of your stupid lies.
put me down and rest with ease
my heart is cold,
just help me please.
gonna die by suicide.
would you like a suicide.
gonna die by suicide.
would you like a suicide.
it's suicide.
@danmoore7313
I could see this as a nice anti-suicide power ballad but, THIS A'INT STEPPENWOLF!
@Nemecis313
Shazam made its miracle again.... It is indeed from the band "The trybe". The album is called "The trybe play steppenwolf... hence the title.. here is a link of their discography....http://www.shazam.com/music/web/artist?id=40666648 good luck finding it guys...
@SchenkerScorpions
Does anyone have the guitar chords from this song? can't find it anywhere. Would be really gratefull
@iamintegral
Badass!
@wayneherzog3382
I think the confusion comes from the fact that this song was included on the CD "Steppenwolf - Born to be Wild" but it's not Steppenwolf so maybe somebody at Carlton Home Entertainment screwed up
@torreland782
This one is so true!
@DacKito
Suicide by Steppenwolf - Title Album "Monster" (1969)
@colmmcl
I finally found the album, its Rock Masters: Born To Be Wild (Re-Recordings) still dont know who sings on the cd. listen to full album, click below..
@marcorudel874
yes in 97
@Szjerski
Could someone write lyrics of this song here? I would be grateful.