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.
Turn Out the Lights
Steppenwolf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Frost on the window, snow against the door
The world will turn without me
For today I won't be movin'
Won't you lie back down beside me girl
Get your feet off that ice cold floor
Let's you and I stay out of sight
Let's you and I make love all day, all night
Turn out the lights, turn out the lights
Turn out the lights and gaze into my eyes
Slowly the day slips under cover
A day to be remembered while dreaming in the dark
At times like these I wonder
Why am I the lucky lover
Who found the joy and loveliness
That lies here in my arms
The day is done, here comes the night
Let's have some fun and games tonight
Turn out the lights, turn out the lights
Turn out the lights and gaze into my eyes
Let's you and I play games tonight
Let's start the fun, time is getting tight
And time is what we need to do this right
Ah, so turn out the light
Turn out the lights, turn out the lights
Turn out the lights, turn out the lights
"Turn Out the Lights" is a song by Steppenwolf that portrays the singer waking up to another gray and dreary morning. The world is carrying on without him, but for one day, he won't join in. He asks his lover to lie back down with him and keep warm. The singer wants to spend the entire day with his lover, hidden away from the world. As the day turns into night, the singer reflects on his luck in finding his lover and the loveliness that they share.
The chorus encourages the lover to turn out the lights and look into the singer's eyes. It's a request to get lost in the moment and forget about the outside world. The verses suggest the desire for intimacy and the experimentation that can happen in a private space. The singer wants to play games and have fun, exploring the physical relationship they have together.
Overall, the song is an intimate look into a private moment between two people who want nothing more than to shut out the world and focus on each other. It's a reminder to take a break from the everyday and cherish your relationships, however brief they may be.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, another gray and dreary mornin'
The morning is dull and depressing
Frost on the window, snow against the door
Indicates that it's very cold outside
The world will turn without me
The world will keep turning even if he's not productive today
For today I won't be movin'
He doesn't plan on doing anything today
Won't you lie back down beside me girl
Asks his lover to come back to bed with him
Get your feet off that ice cold floor
Asks his lover to get off the cold floor
Let's you and I stay out of sight
Wants to hide away with his lover
Let's you and I make love all day, all night
Wants to spend the day and night making love with his lover
Turn out the lights, turn out the lights
Asks his lover to turn off the lights
Turn out the lights and gaze into my eyes
Wants his lover to look into his eyes in the dim light
Slowly the day slips under cover
The day is ending slowly
A day to be remembered while dreaming in the dark
Wants to remember this day while he's dreaming tonight
At times like these I wonder
He wonders during these moments
Why am I the lucky lover
He wonders why he's so lucky to have his lover
Who found the joy and loveliness
He's found happiness with his lover
That lies here in my arms
He's holding his lover in his arms
The day is done, here comes the night
The day is ending and night is beginning
Let's have some fun and games tonight
Wants to have fun and play games tonight
Let's you and I play games tonight
Wants to play games with his lover
Let's start the fun, time is getting tight
Wants to start having fun because time is running out
And time is what we need to do this right
Needs time to do whatever he has in mind right
Ah, so turn out the light
Asking again for his lover to turn off the light
Contributed by Carter G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Old Cyril The Gaming Grandpa
Such an underrated track by the most underrated/misunderstood band of all time.
Axel’s PokéDex
Shadows definitely has the perfect 80s metal voice.
kadek nova
M. Shadows is perfect anywhere dude
Greenpea
Love this tune. Metal is alive!!!!!!
Haydean
@la It is, it just isn’t mainstream. There’s a difference.
la
No it's really not
Dane Boling
I Love This Song!!! Steel Panther is the best
Michael McGlenn
This is by far my favorite song...by any group!! It has everything!! Thank you Steel Panther and M. Shadows for this Musical Masterpiece!!
RandomRobinnnn
OMG i searched for the best songs of steel panther, and this was the first video that came up. Avenged Sevenfold is my favorite band, and i like steel panther too! so this is so fucking awesome!
Hector
I went out last week and I've had this song stuck in my head since, but I was so drunk at the time I couldn't for the life of me remember what it was. It's been driving me fucking nuts.