Born To Be Wild – Steppenwolf | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#2 for 3 weeks); 1968
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
Undoubtedly, the most famous motor-vating song of all time is Born To Be Wild. The band behind Born grew out of a Canadian band called Sparrow, which broke up, then reformed in Los Angeles with three of the original Sparrow’s on board.
Now named Steppenwolf – after Herman Hesse’s cult novel – the band released two singles that stiffed. With their career hanging in the balance, drummer Jerry Edmonton’s brother, aka Mars Bonfire, presented the band with a ballad he’d penned called Born To Be Wild.
Although singer John Kay was not impressed with it, Jerry persisted. Michael Monarch’s “heavy metal thunder” guitar gave the song new life, and set the template for a whole new genre of rock.
Radio deejays ignored the designated A-side, Everybody’s Next One, in favor of Born To Be Wild. It became the ultimate biker track after a feature role in Easy Rider, starring Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda, and Jack Nicholson.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Gabriel Mekler
Lyrics Written by:
- Mars Bonfire
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).