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.
Skullduggery
Steppenwolf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Had a smile, for quite a while but now I finally see
All the girls at your feet made you want to play for free
Now I know they got my soul
I was too damn blind to see
[Chorus: ]
Skullduggery, skullduggery
Outta sight, everything's alright are the words that fed my head
Don't look now, if you turn around you might just wind up dead
Got our crew and look it fool, the gun's aimed at your head
Play all night, better get it right tomorrow call the feds
[Chorus: ]
It's too late baby but it's alright
'Cause we're gonna make it with you tonight
The world outside's livin' all alone
'Cause we've been makin' plans of our own
[Chorus: ]
Had your fun, now your work is done, you've just been usin' me
All the while, had a big bad smile but not quite like your fee
You've been a jerk for what it's worth; a friend is what I need
Now I know that you're the fool and I am finally free
[Chorus: 2X]
The lyrics of Steppenwolf's song Skullduggery paint a picture of a person who believed they were cool when they played music in school for their family, but eventually discovered their insecurities when they became obsessed with impressing girls. The chorus repeats the word "skullduggery," suggesting that their pursuit of fame and popularity may have been a kind of deception or dishonesty. The singer recalls how the words "outta sight, everything's alright" fed their ego before warning that the crew they have surrounded themselves with could easily turn on them. The final verse suggests that the singer has come to see the true intentions of their former friend and is now free to make their own plans.
The lyrics of "Skullduggery" express a narrative arc in which the singer goes from feeling cool and being flattered by attention to feeling foolish and used. This is a recurring theme in rock music, particularly in the context of the 1960s and 70s counterculture, where youthful idealism was often met with betrayal and disillusionment. The song is musically characteristic of Steppenwolf's hard rock style, featuring prominent electric guitar riffs and a driving rhythm section. The repeated chorus of "skullduggery" adds to the song's sense of urgency and agitation.
Line by Line Meaning
Thought I was cool when I played in school for all my family
I used to feel good about playing music in school because it made my family proud.
Had a smile, for quite a while but now I finally see
I used to be happy with my musical career, but now I see that it's not as good as it seemed.
All the girls at your feet made you want to play for free
You were happy to play for free because you loved the attention that all the girls were giving you.
Now I know they got my soul
I realize that the girls and the fame that came with playing music had taken over my life.
I was too damn blind to see
I couldn't see how music was affecting me negatively.
Outta sight, everything's alright are the words that fed my head
I used to convince myself that everything was okay and good.
Don't look now, if you turn around you might just wind up dead
If I look back at the past, I may regret some of the choices I've made.
Got our crew and look it fool, the gun's aimed at your head
I had a group of friends but now I feel betrayed and threatened because of their actions.
Play all night, better get it right tomorrow call the feds
We're playing all night, but if we don't improve, we might get caught by the authorities.
It's too late baby but it's alright
Even though it's too late to change the past, it's okay.
'Cause we're gonna make it with you tonight
We'll make the best of tonight.
The world outside's livin' all alone
The outside world is going on with their own lives.
'Cause we've been makin' plans of our own
We have our own plans and we're not concerned with the outside world.
Had your fun, now your work is done, you've just been usin' me
You had your fun using me for your own benefit, but you're done now.
All the while, had a big bad smile but not quite like your fee
You had a fake smile that didn't match your true intentions.
You've been a jerk for what it's worth; a friend is what I need
You've been selfish and rude, and now I need a true friend.
Now I know that you're the fool and I am finally free
I realize that you were the one making foolish decisions and now I feel free.
Skullduggery, skullduggery
Skullguggery, skullduggery
The song is about deceit and trickery.
Lyrics © REDBEARD MUSIC
Written by: MARS BONFIRE
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.