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.

The Daily Blues
Steppenwolf Lyrics

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Words and music by John Kay, Rocket Ritchotte and Michael Wilk

Hey baby, you and I should get together
Hey, baby, come on girl, let's get away
Just maybe, we'll get lucky with the weather
Just maybe, sun will shine like this all day
Oh baby, got the need to leave the city
Oh baby, I got the need to feel the breeze

Go crazy, let's go somewhere we can really
Go crazy, and take our share of liberties

Runnin' away just for today, we're running away
Got nothin' to lose just my old shoes and the daily blues

Hey baby, ain't nobody gonna stop us
Hey baby, nothin's gonna waste our time
Just maybe, we'll go ridin' in the country
Just maybe, we'll be hidin' from the grind
Oh baby, soon we'll be alone together
Oh baby, let's get wild and have some fun
Go crazy, 'til we feel a whole lot better
Go crazy, we'll take our pleasure on the run

Runnin' away just for today, we're running away
Got nothin' to lose just my old shoes and the daily blues

Overall Meaning

The song "The Daily Blues" by Steppenwolf is about a couple who are fed up with living in the city and want to escape for the day to somewhere peaceful and carefree. The lyrics suggest that the couple wants to "get lucky with the weather" and enjoy the sunshine all day. The vocalist encourages his partner to come along and enjoy the freedom and pleasure that comes with running away from the daily grind. He promises to leave all his troubles behind, even his old shoes and the daily blues. The song's message is about seizing the moment and embracing spontaneity in life, as the alternative (frustration, boredom and sorrow) is simply not worth it.

The lyrics suggest that the couple is looking for a place to ride in the country and get away from the humdrum of the city. They long to be alone and have fun, running away from the daily routine and taking their share of liberties. The song encourages listeners to break free from the mundane and embrace the unexpected adventures that life has to offer. In essence, the song is about letting go of the daily blues and taking a leap of faith towards a better, more exciting and fulfilling life.

Line by Line Meaning

Hey baby, you and I should get together
Hey, baby, come on girl, let's get away

Just maybe, we'll get lucky with the weather
Just maybe, sun will shine like this all day

Oh baby, got the need to leave the city
Oh baby, I got the need to feel the breeze

Go crazy, let's go somewhere we can really
Go crazy, and take our share of liberties

Runnin' away just for today, we're running away
We're leaving just for the day to escape our problems

Got nothin' to lose just my old shoes and the daily blues
We have nothing to lose except for our daily problems

Hey baby, ain't nobody gonna stop us
Hey baby, nothing can stop us from running away

Just maybe, we'll go ridin' in the country
Maybe we'll travel through the countryside

Just maybe, we'll be hidin' from the grind
Maybe we will hide from the stresses in life

Oh baby, soon we'll be alone together
We will soon have time to be alone with each other

Oh baby, let's get wild and have some fun
Let's venture off the beaten path and have a good time