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.
Sign On The Line
Steppenwolf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're gonna do a song about those dangerous little plastic cards in our
wallets.
The ones that get a lot of us into trouble every month!
'Cause we wind up paying this incredible interest for something we bought a
month ago and doesn't work anymore.
It's called ...
Sign On the Line
You got your share and I want mine
I'd love a trip to paradise
But I ain't got the cash to pay the price
Everytime I turn around
Someone's at my door
Who say's he's got the answer
I've been lookin' for
Sign on the Line!
Buy Now, Pay Later Sonny
Sign On The Line!
Don't worry 'bout a thing
Sign On The Line!
Go on, It's only money
Sign on the Line!
Go! Have your fling!
I want the high life on T.V.
Just like they do on Dynasty
To live a life fit for a king!
And have the best of everything
But everytime I save a Buck!
Someone's on my case
Wavin' pen and paper
Stick it in your face
Sign on the line ...
Been spending like a millionaire
On women, cars, a house in Belair
And all the things I can't resist
Now I've got handcuffs on my wrists
I said "Judge, a man like me can't make a dime in jail."
He said "Son, use your credit card, so you can make your bail."
Sign on the line
Just buy your freedom, Sonny
Sign on the Line!
And just walk on out of here
Sign on the Line!
Go on, It's only Money!
Sign on the line!
But don't you disappear! Ya hear!
Sign On The Line!
The song Sign On The Line by Steppenwolf is a cautionary tale about the dangers of credit cards and impulse buying. The lyrics talk about the desire for material possessions and the pressure to keep up with the lifestyles of the rich and famous, despite not having the means to do so. The first verse of the song highlights the common problem of falling into debt due to credit card purchases, which often come with exorbitant interest rates. The chorus urges listeners to sign on the line and buy now, pay later, with little concern for the consequences.
The second verse of the song describes the consequences of reckless spending, with the singer now in debt and facing legal trouble. The lyrics suggest that credit cards can be used as a way to escape from financial problems, with the judge telling the singer to use a credit card to pay for bail. The song ends with a repeated chorus of "Sign on the Line," emphasizing the pressure to keep spending and buying, despite the potential risks and consequences.
Interestingly, the song was released in 1976, just a few years after the introduction of credit cards with magnetic stripes in the United States. The increased availability and ease of use of credit cards during this time period likely contributed to the growing issue of credit card debt. Additionally, the song was released during a period of economic uncertainty and inflation in the United States, which may have added to the financial anxiety and pressure to keep up with material possessions highlighted in the song.
Line by Line Meaning
So many toys so little time
There are so many things to buy and so little time to enjoy them all
You got your share and I want mine
You've already gotten what you wanted, and now it's my turn
I'd love a trip to paradise
I would really enjoy going on a luxurious vacation
But I ain't got the cash to pay the price
Unfortunately, I don't have enough money to afford it
Everytime I turn around
Someone's at my door
Who say's he's got the answer
I've been lookin' for
Sign on the Line!
Every time I turn around, there's someone trying to sell me something that they claim will solve all my problems, but it always involves me signing on the dotted line
Buy Now, Pay Later Sonny
Sign On The Line!
Don't worry 'bout a thing
Sign On The Line!
Go on, It's only money
Sign on the Line!
Go! Have your fling!
You can buy whatever you want now and worry about paying for it later by signing on the line. Don't worry about the consequences; just enjoy yourself!
I want the high life on T.V.
Just like they do on Dynasty
To live a life fit for a king!
And have the best of everything
I want to live the luxurious lifestyle that I see on TV shows like Dynasty, and have everything I could ever want
But everytime I save a Buck!
Someone's on my case
Wavin' pen and paper
Stick it in your face
Sign on the line ...
Every time I try to save money, there's someone trying to get me to spend it by shoving a contract in my face to sign
Been spending like a millionaire
On women, cars, a house in Belair
And all the things I can't resist
Now I've got handcuffs on my wrists
I've been spending money recklessly on expensive things that I can't resist, and now I'm in trouble
I said "Judge, a man like me can't make a dime in jail."
He said "Son, use your credit card, so you can make your bail."
Sign on the line
I told the judge that I wouldn't be able to make any money in jail, but he told me to just use my credit card to pay my bail and sign on the dotted line
Just buy your freedom, Sonny
Sign on the Line!
And just walk on out of here
Sign on the Line!
Go on, It's only Money!
Sign on the line!
But don't you disappear! Ya hear!
Sign On The Line!
Just sign on the dotted line and you can buy your freedom and walk out of here. Don't worry about the money; it's just a small price to pay. But don't try to skip out on your responsibilities after signing on the line; you hear me?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: KAY, RITCHOTTE, WILK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cardtrix1970
Saw. One of their tour stops when this album came out(Milwaukee); John Kay signed a T-Shirt I had purchased at the merchandise booth. Great Concert!!!