Steppenwolf is a rock band which formed in Los Angeles, California, United … Read Full Bio ↴Steppenwolf is a rock band which formed in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1967. The band originally consisted of John Kay (vocals, guitar), Michael Monarch (guitar), Rushton Moreve (bass), Goldie McJohn (keyboards) and Jerry Edmonton (drums). The band is best known for their hit singles "Born to be Wild" and "Magic Carpet Ride". They were named after the novel Der Steppenwolf by German author Hermann Hesse.

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.

Tell Me It's Allright
Steppenwolf Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Words and music by John Kay and Michael Palmer

Tell me what you've got to give me
Tell me what you've got that's free
All I want is all you got, hey
You would do the same to me

That's all I seem to hear, day in, day out

Where it not for your sweet love, I'd scream and shout

Every day's a new beginning
But every night the same old end
Will the good times really come again
Will a dollar buy a quarter
Will a quarter buy some time
Time enough to save the Five and Dime

Somebody, tell me it's all right (it's all right)
To believe that it's all over
Tell me it's o.k. (it's o.k.)
Happy days are on their way

All I ever want ( to feel right)
Is the best of everything (come tomorrow)
All I ever need (it's o.k.)
Is a perfect world today

Â© 1983 Rambunctious Music
ASCAP

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Steppenwolf's song "Tell Me It's Allright" revolve around a plea to ask for reassurance and hope. The song highlights the singer's desperation for a glimmer of hope in a world that seems unwelcoming and gloomy. The first stanza highlights the singer's need for something, anything, that would give him comfort and solace in trying times. The second verse is marked by a questioning tone that focuses on the uncertainty of the times. It's a reflection of life's ongoing struggle between good and bad times. The singer hopes that somebody could reassure him that everything is going to be alright and that happy days will soon be on their way.

The chorus celebrates hope and resilience despite the uncertainty of the times. The singer acknowledges that happy times will arrive, and things will eventually work out in the end. The song's conclusion speaks of the singer's longing for a perfect world today, a world free of all the struggles and pain. Overall, "Tell Me It's Allright" can be seen as a song that emphasizes the significance of hope and reassurance during difficult times.

Line by Line Meaning

Tell me what you've got to give me
I want you to be honest with me and tell me what you can offer me, considering your current situation.

Tell me what you've got that's free
I'd like to know if you have something to offer me that doesn't come with any conditions or costs.

All I want is all you got, hey
I'm asking you to give me everything you can, without holding anything back.

You would do the same for me
I'm expecting that you would treat me the same way I am treating you, in terms of giving everything you have.

That's all I seem to hear, day in, day out
I keep hearing the same thing repeatedly, and it's getting annoying to me.

Where it not for your sweet love, I'd scream and shout
If it weren't for your love and support, I'd be in a very bad place emotionally right now and would likely be very upset.

Every day's a new beginning
Each day provides an opportunity to start fresh and begin anew.

But every night the same old end
Despite the possibility for new beginnings each day, everything seems to end the same way every night.

Will the good times really come again
I'm questioning whether good times will ever return or if things will continue to feel stagnant.

Will a dollar buy a quarter
I'm skeptical about whether even small things can be accomplished with minimal monetary resources.

Will a quarter buy some time
I'm wondering if even small amounts of money can provide temporary relief from stress or difficult circumstances.

Time enough to save the Five and Dime
I'm hoping that there will be enough time to save something that is likely at risk of being lost or failing.

Somebody, tell me it's all right (it's all right)
I'm asking for someone to reassure me that everything will be okay and that my worries are unfounded.

To believe that it's all over
I'm having difficulty accepting that my current struggles are coming to an end and not necessarily permanent.

Tell me it's o.k. (it's o.k.)
I want to be told that things are fine and that there is no reason to worry.

Happy days are on their way
I'm hoping that better and happier days are inevitably coming my way.

All I ever want ( to feel right)
My ultimate goal is to feel good and at peace with myself and my surroundings.

Is the best of everything (come tomorrow)
I'm hoping that in the future, I will be able to have the best things in life and achieve my goals.

All I ever need (it's o.k.)
I know that I don't really need a lot to feel content and happy.

Is a perfect world today
I would like everything to be perfect right now and for all of my problems to disappear.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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