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.
Someone Told A Lie
Steppenwolf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somebody gossiped about my...
Bt nobody warned us about those...
Someone told a lie
Now we don't trust each other's faces
And I don't know what to think about you
'Cause we can't stand in each other's places
And I can't trade with you
We've had times together where the sparks would fly
But in stormy weather we stood side by side
Now we're cold and distant
Wtching love roll by
Just when tuth was needed
Someone told a lie
Some folks say I'm a sinner
Some people claim I'm a saint
But nobody knows who's the winner
The truth was told too late
Now I was raised to believe that you're different
And I was told not to play with your kind
Does anyone know why
They were so hell bent on poisoning our minds?
Now we're cold and distant
Watching love go by
Just when the truth was needed
Someone told a lie
But I'll do what I have to
You do what you can
Just keep on searching for the pride of man
All those tears we wasted wondering why
All those years we wasted fighting lies
But I'll do what I have to
You'll do what you can
Just keep on searching for the pride of man
The song "Someone Told A Lie" by Steppenwolf speaks about the aftermath of a lie that someone told about the other person. The song has overtones of mistrust, lost love, and misunderstandings. The lyrics convey a message that sometimes even one lie can fracture a relationship, and it can be challenging to regain trust once lost.
The song's opening lines suggest that someone shared a rumor about the other person, but nobody warned them about the untrue nature of the statement. As a result, the two protagonists in the song have become suspicious of each other and cannot look at one another the same way. The line, "And I don't know what to think about you, 'cause we can't stand in each other's places," captures the essence of the damage that a lie can cause. The chorus of the song reinforces the impact of the falsehood by saying that now they are "cold and distant, watching love roll by," and the "just when truth was needed, someone told a lie."
The song ultimately shows hope that it's worth fighting for the relationship, even if someone has lied. The line "Just keep on searching for the pride of man," suggests that it's essential to keep searching for the best in humanity, even if one's faith in it has wavered due to lies.
Line by Line Meaning
Someone told me about your...
Somebody gossiped about my...
Bt nobody warned us about those...
But nobody warned us about those lies...
Someone told a lie
Someone spread false rumors...
Now we don't trust each other's faces
We've lost trust in one another...
And I don't know what to think about you
I'm unsure about your character...
'Cause we can't stand in each other's places
We can't understand each other's perspectives...
And I can't trade with you
I can't work with you...
We've had times together where the sparks would fly
We've had passionate moments together...
But in stormy weather we stood side by side
But in difficult times we supported each other...
Now we're cold and distant
Now we're emotionally detached...
Wtching love roll by
Watching love fade away...
Just when tuth was needed
Just when the truth was necessary...
Someone told a lie
Someone spread false rumors...
Some folks say I'm a sinner
Some people think I'm immoral...
Some people claim I'm a saint
Some people think I'm virtuous...
But nobody knows who's the winner
But nobody knows who's right or wrong...
The truth was told too late
The truth came out too late...
Now I was raised to believe that you're different
I was taught to believe that you're unique...
And I was told not to play with your kind
And I was warned not to associate with your group...
Does anyone know why
Does anyone know why the prejudice exists...
They were so hell bent on poisoning our minds?
They were determined to indoctrinate us with their hatred...
But I'll do what I have to
But I'll do what I must despite the circumstances...
You do what you can
You do what is possible for you...
Just keep on searching for the pride of man
Just keep on striving for the best in human beings...
All those tears we wasted wondering why
All those tears we shed wondering why things happened...
All those years we wasted fighting lies
All those years we spent combating falsehoods...
But I'll do what I have to
But I'll do what I must despite the circumstances...
You'll do what you can
You'll do what is possible for you...
Just keep on searching for the pride of man
Just keep on striving for the best in human beings...
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.