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.
Take What You Need
Steppenwolf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wipe that smile off your face
I don't love anyone but you
No one can take your place
But sometimes I worry darlin'
The way you seem to hog my love.
Just take what you need
Just take what you need
'Cause I ain't got much more.
Took a stroll in the country
Some peace of mind to find
Wire fences everywhere
No place to rest my mind
Seems like a shame to me
The way some people hog the land.
Just take what you need
Don't empty out the store
Just take what you need
'Cause I ain't got much more.
Took a look in the paper
While tryin' to eat a bite
You know I read the evenin' news
And lost my appetite
Some have the nerve to ask
For more respect from you and me.
Just take what you need
Don't empty out the store
Just take what you need
'Cause I ain't got much more.
The song "Take What You Need" by Steppenwolf highlights the issue of greed and the tendency of people to want more than they need. The lyrics of the song describe how the singer's lover seems to be hogging his love, and he worries about it. In the same manner, people tend to hog resources, seeking more wealth and land than they require, leading to a world of inequality and scarcity. The song suggests people should take only what they need and not empty the store, urging humility, moderation, and contentment.
The second verse of the song reinforces the message by highlighting the issue of land ownership. The singer complains about how wire fences everywhere make it impossible to relax and find peace in the countryside due to the territorial nature of humans. This is a metaphor for how people erect barriers to their resources, including wealth, power, and land, and they fail to see the bigger picture of shared resources and sustainability. Then in the third verse, the singer reads the newspaper and becomes disillusioned when he reads about people asking for more respect. The message here is that people should aim to live simply and satisfy only the basic needs, not selfishly obsessing over power, wealth, and ego.
Overall, the song Take What You Need carries an important societal message about the need to balance our wants and needs to create a better world for all. By advocating for humility, moderation, and contentment, the song inspires people to live simpler and meaningful lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Take my hand sweet darlin'
I want you to come with me and be my partner
Wipe that smile off your face
I want you to stop smiling and listen to what I have to say, as it is serious
I don't love anyone but you
I am committed to you and only want to be with you
No one can take your place
You are unique and irreplaceable in my life
But sometimes I worry darlin'
Although I am devoted to you, I am still concerned about the way our relationship works
The way you seem to hog my love.
I am worried that you are being possessive and monopolizing my affection
Just take what you need
You should only take what is necessary and not demand more than that
Don't empty out the store
You should not take everything and leave nothing for others
Took a stroll in the country
I went for a walk in a rural area
Some peace of mind to find
I wanted to relax and reduce stress
Wire fences everywhere
I found that many areas were fenced off and restricted
No place to rest my mind
I couldn't find a peaceful spot to calm my thoughts
Seems like a shame to me
I feel sad about the situation
The way some people hog the land.
I am unhappy with the way some people take up too much space and control access to it
Took a look in the paper
I read the news from a newspaper
While tryin' to eat a bite
While I was attempting to eat some food
You know I read the evenin' news
I was reading about current events that had occurred earlier that day
And lost my appetite
The news was so disturbing that I could no longer eat
Some have the nerve to ask
There are some people who are bold enough to request
For more respect from you and me.
They want us to treat them with greater esteem and dignity
'Cause I ain't got much more.
I cannot offer anything beyond what I have already given
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GABRIEL MEKLER, JOHN KAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mark Jean
Michael Monarch always played really cool riffs. Didn't just strum cords. Great song!!
Bruce Wayne
@IchBin Vegetarische UNFORTUNATELY --- CORRECT !!!
IchBin Vegetarische
And an interview with John Kay tells me Monarch really made Born to be Wild into the rocker it is, but Monarch got no songwriting credit.
eoj2495
I think this is my favorite off this album... oh hell I love the whole album!!!1
Bruce Wayne
ABSOLUTELY
St Pauli
When I hear this I think of "The Doors" first LP.Both debut LP's and both are probably their best offering.
tokaicarl
love this bloody song amazin
Brian Frost
Words to live by in these days of crisis.
Bruce Wayne
true to this moment as the crises continue to escalate ... have we become too civilized to confront the uncivilized war mongers ???