L-R: Goldy McJohn, Jerry Edmonton, John Kay, Larry Byrom and George Biondo.
"Like a true nature's child
We were born, born to be wild
We can climb so high
I never wanna die..."
We were born, born to be wild
We can climb so high
I never wanna die..."
Steppenwolf are a Canadian-American rock band from Toronto and Los Angeles that formed in 1967. They are best known for their hits "Born to Be Wild" and "Magic Carpet Ride".
"Like a trope nature's child":
- Animal Motifs: Wolves, of course.
- Awesome Mc Cool Name: Dennis Edmonton wrote "Born to Be Wild" under the pseudonym Mars Bonfire.
- Badass Biker: Ever since Easy Rider, "Born to Be Wild" has been associated with them, and pretty much with being a badass in general.
- Chronological Album Title: Steppenwolf The Second.
- Concept Album: Monster was a political statement about the times (1970). For Ladies Only is apparently about feminism, although the lyrics don't really put that across. The cover art didn't help.
- Continuity Nod: "Hippo Stomp" is mentioned in the title track of For Ladies Only.
- Cool Shades/Sunglasses at Night: John Kay, due to being nearly blind.
- Cover Version: Muddy Waters' "Hoochie Coochie Man" and Hoyt Axton's "The Pusher" and "Snowblind Friend".
- Dance Sensation: "Hippo Stomp".
- Dem Bones: On the cover of SkullDuggery.
- Drugs Are Bad: Played straight with "The Pusher" and "Snowblind Friend". "Don't Step on the Grass, Sam" rips a politician for speaking out against marijuana.
- Hard Rock: One of the popularizers.
- Heavy Meta: "Rock Me".
- "I Am" Song: "Rock Steady (I'm Rough and Ready)".
- I Am the Band: John Kay is the only original member left.
- Instrumentals: "Black Pit".
- Literary Allusion Title:
- Named for the Hermann Hesse novel of the same name.
- Also doubles as Gratuitous German as it is simply the German name for Steppe Wolves (Canis lupus campestris).
- Live Album: Their first was Early Steppenwolf.
- One-Woman Song: "Annie Annie Over", "Caroline (Are You Ready for the Outlaw World)".
- Protest Song: Monster is a protest album.
- Revolving Door Band: Many different members covering two separate versions of the band.
- Shout-Out/Song of Song Titles: "Berry Rides Again" is this to Chuck Berry.
- "Magic Carpet Ride" mentions "Aladdin's lamp".
- Single Stanza Song: "Reflections".
- Something Blues: "Gang War Blues", "Smokey Factory Blues".
- Spoken Word in Music: "Don't Step on the Grass, Sam" ends with a police raid interrupting the recording.
- Ur-Example: "Born to Be Wild" is credited with introducing the term "Heavy Metal" in the music itself (the term had been used by critics to describe contemporary hard rock bands, and was taken from William S. Burroughs' Naked Lunch).
- A Wild Rapper Appears!: They rerecorded "Magic Carpet Ride" in 1988 with Grandmaster Flash.
