To create a song titled ‘Born To Be Wild’ and incorporate those words into the lyrics, one would have to understand what being wild entails—and that life is open to everyone.
Steppenwolf formed in 1967 with founding members John Kay on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Goldy McJohn on keyboards, Jerry Edmonton on drums, Michael Monarch on lead guitar, and Rushton Moreve on bass.
Born to Be Wild was written by Mars Bonfire in 1967. Bonfire, who was not a member of Steppenwolf at the time, was also known as Dennis Edmonton (though born Dennis McCrohan) and was the brother of Steppenwolf’s drummer, Jerry Edmonton.
Bonfire had been a member of the Canadian band Sparrows until 1967 when he decided to pursue a career as a songwriter. Despite leaving the band, Bonfire maintained close ties with his former bandmates and wrote songs for Steppenwolf, including Born to Be Wild.
Steppenwolf’s self-titled debut album dropped on January 29, 1968, but the band already had two singles out. Their first release, A Girl I Knew, landed in October 1967 but failed to gain traction. The follow-up, Sookie Sookie, arrived in February 1968 and saw success in Canada, peaking at number 92, though it remained under the radar in the Unites States.
It wasn’t until Thursday, May 9, 1968, when Born to Be Wild hit the road and the band fired on all cylinders, reaching number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The lyrics paint a vivid picture of hitting the open road to embrace adventure and live life to the fullest. The song is heavily linked to the 1960s counterculture and motorcycle lifestyle, primarily because it’s the opening music for the 1969 film “Easy Rider,” which starred Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Jack Nicholson.
“The inclusion of that song, as well as ‘The Pusher,’ in Easy Rider ensured that our music was introduced to other parts of the world, thanks to the film’s success,” said Steppenwolf frontman Kay.
Bonfire said the inspiration for the song stemmed from a movie poster, stating, “I was walking down Hollywood Boulevard one day and saw a poster in a window saying ‘Born to Ride,’ with a picture of a motorcycle erupting out of the earth like a volcano, surrounded by fire.”
“Around this time, I had just purchased my first car, a little secondhand Ford Falcon. So, all this came together lyrically: the idea of the motorcycle emerging, along with the freedom and joy I felt from having my first car and being able to drive myself around whenever I wanted,” recalled Bonfire. “The biker thing was a big surprise to me… The truth is, I wrote ‘Born to Be Wild’ about my first car, a beat-up Ford Falcon. It’s not as glamorous as a fire-breathing two-wheeler, but c’mon. Nothing’s as cool as your first car.”
Lyrically: Born To Be Wild
Get your motor runnin’
Head out on the highway
Lookin’ for adventure
And whatever comes our way
The opening lyrics set the tone for an adventure on the open road. The image of getting a motor running—any type of motor—and heading out on the highway, regardless of direction, brings freedom with discovery as the passenger.
Yeah, darlin’, go make it happen
Take the world in a love embrace
Fire all of your guns at once and
Explode into space
The lyrics “Yeah, darlin’, go make it happen” serve as call to pursue your dreams and light your ignition up. Additionally, “Take the world in a love embrace” suggests an open-hearted approach to all experiences is the perspective needed. The metaphor “firing all of your guns at once” signifies fully committing, while “explode into space” captures a sense of growth on this unknown adventure.
The role of the periodic table
The lyrics “I like smoke and lightnin'” capture so much of the moment—smoke suggests intensity and lightning represents power. Or it could simply refer to lighting up a cigarette while operating a running motor.
One of the most memorable lines in the song, “heavy metal thunder,” stems from Bonfire’s recollection of the periodic table of elements during a rainstorm while driving in the San Bernardino mountains.
“The sky was dark and lightning struck. I remembered studying the periodic table of elements in school, and there was a category for heavy metals. The phrase ‘heavy metal thunder’ popped into my head,” said Bonfire. “I had no idea how important those words would soon become.”
This term “heavy metal” took on a life of its own and contributed to the evolution of heavy metal music as a genre. The phrase later influenced bands like Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Led Zeppelin.
Like a true nature’s child
We were born, born to be wild
We can climb so high
I never wanna die
“Like a true nature’s child” suggests a deep connection with the outdoors and the freedom it brings. The line “We were born, born to be wild” reinforces the idea of living a carefree, adventurous lifestyle, while “We can climb so high” embraces the idea of having limitless potential—and this can be achieved together. The declaration “I never wanna die” captures a desire to live every moment.
This is what being wild could mean, and it’s something that anyone can experience.
Born to be wild
Born to be wild
The repetition of “Born to be wild” as the final set of lyrics is a constant reminder to live unrestricted by walls.
“Every generation thinks they’re born to be wild,” said Kay, “and they can identify with that song as their anthem.”
