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.
Snow Blind Friend
Steppenwolf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lyin' on the pavement with a misery on his brain
Stoned on some new potion he found upon the wall
Of some unholy bathroom in some ungodly hall
He only had a dollar to live on 'til next Monday
But he spent it on some comfort for his mind
Did you say you think he's blind?
And they'll come to take him back home on a bus
But he'll always be a problem to his poor and puzzled mother
Yeah he'll always be another one of us
He said he wanted Heaven but prayin' was too slow
So he bought a one way ticket on an airline made of snow
Did you say you saw your good friend flyin' low?
Flyin' low
Dyin' slow
The lyrics to Steppenwolf's 'Snow Blind Friend' paint the bleak picture of a man who is lost in a world of drugs and addiction. The song opens with the singer recounting the last time he saw his friend, lying on the pavement with a misery in his brain, stoned on some new potion he found in an unholy bathroom. The friend only had a dollar left until next Monday, but instead of using it for basic necessities, he spent it on drugs to numb his pain. Throughout the song, the singer questions the choices his friend made, from spending his last dollar on drugs to buying a one-way ticket on an "airline made of snow" in his search for heaven.
Ultimately, the song is an indictment of those who suffer from addiction and the toll it takes on them and their loved ones. The singer suggests that the friend's family will come to take him home on a bus, but he will remain a problem to his mother and will always be "another one of us," a reference to the collective struggle against addiction. The last lines of the song capture the tragedy of the situation, as the friend is seen flying low and dying slow, lost in a world that promises him escape but only delivers suffering.
In summary, 'Snow Blind Friend' is a powerful commentary on the devastation of addiction, told through the lens of a friend struggling to understand and help a man lost in a world of drugs and despair.
Line by Line Meaning
You say it was this morning when you last saw your good friend
You reminisce that you saw your close associate in the morning today
Lyin' on the pavement with a misery on his brain
Your friend was lying on the ground with a sad and depressed mind
Stoned on some new potion he found upon the wall
He was high on some new drug found on the wall
Of some unholy bathroom in some ungodly hall
That bathroom was unholy and the hall was ungodly
He only had a dollar to live on 'til next Monday
He had only one dollar to manage his expenses until the next week
But he spent it on some comfort for his mind
He used that one dollar to get some peace of mind
Did you say you think he's blind?
Are you suggesting that your friend has lost his eyesight?
Someone should call his parents, a sister or a brother
It would be good if any of his family members are informed about this
And they'll come to take him back home on a bus
They will come to pick him up and take him back home on a bus
But he'll always be a problem to his poor and puzzled mother
He will forever remain a problem to his unfortunate and perplexed mother
Yeah he'll always be another one of us
He will always be one of us, a person who struggles to get by
He said he wanted Heaven but prayin' was too slow
He desired to go to heaven but found praying too slow
So he bought a one way ticket on an airline made of snow
So, he bought a one-way ticket on a snow-made airline
Did you say you saw your good friend flyin' low?
Did you mention that you saw your friend flying low?
Flyin' low
He was flying low
Dyin' slow
He was dying a slow death
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HOYT WAYNE AXTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tamaraposton4270
No one makes music like this. Glad I grew up listening to these guys and bands equally as talented! We are a lucky breed of people! I am 63 years old and remember this album very well. Anyone agree?
@user-zh1xj7my1h
Hell, I remember laying on the pavement.
@Gerald-fi2yw
Yes, I am also 63 and I grew up on this kind of music I love it, brings back. Awesome memories
@ksr9t
@user-zh1xj7my1h you're one of the unusual ones. Most who laid on the pavement don't remember that part.
@user-zh1xj7my1h
@@ksr9t
Bunch of people above me yelling "how many fingers am I holding up!". Me: Go away, please, I'm resting. Or at least all of you need to agree on how many fingers!
@TimVanWagnor-lk9kg
I'm the little kid that found you lyin on the pavement, they didn't have 911.. sorry about your dumbass luck!!
@dreamsicleblues
Snowbound Friend captures the heartache of drug addiction through the understated observations of a friend. There is a raw power in the lyric's simplicity that was never recognized, unfortunately. I rarely heard it on the radio.
@Steve-qz2nv
Yes those times were free and easy not a care in the world let's just go for it man it's all we got.
@nickk8416
I loved Steppenwolf as a kid. Still do. This is easily a top 5 or so song for them. John Kay has a way of singing it that really brings it home. I'm not much of a lyric guy but these lyrics are so heartfelt.
@johncraft6603
This should have got the air time “Born to be Wild” got. This song really displayed the soul and talent this band had.