Steppenwolf: Born to be Wild Meaning

Song Released: 1968

Born to be Wild Lyrics

Get your motor runnin'

Head out on the highway

Lookin' for adventure

And whatever comes our way

Yeah Darlin' go make it happen

Take the world in a love embrace

Fire all of your guns at once

And explode into space

I like...

1. 1TOP RATED

   #1 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Jun 26th 2016 !⃝

   This was written by Mars Bonfire, which is the stage name of Dennis Edmonton. He wasn't a member of Steppenwolf, but his brother Jerry was the band's drummer. Bonfire wrote a few other songs for Steppenwolf as well, including "Ride With Me" and "Tenderness."
   Explaining how he came up with the song, Bonfire said: "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 with all this fire around it. 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 coming out along with the freedom and joy I felt in having my first car and being able to drive myself around whenever I wanted. 'Born To Be Wild' didn't stand out initially. Even the publishers at Leeds Music didn't take it as the first or second song I gave them. They got it only because I signed as a staff writer. Luckily, it stood out for Steppenwolf. It's like a fluke rather than an achievement, though."
2. anonymous

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   Feb 17th 2020 !⃝

   If this song started out as a war protest songs it has last of the test of time as an Anthem for everybody who loves rock and roll all night on music it's one of the first uses of the word heavy metal there is in history and is arguably one of the grandfathers of heavy metal music with the bass guitar rhythm that it has and also the slight Distortion to delete guitar it really set the groundwork for other bands to use and further distort the sound of their instrument this song has always been a favorite of mine it's really just isn't anthem for being alternative I'm a female who loves heavy metal music too loud rock music and this is always fun one of my favorite classic rock songs are is
3. anonymous

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   Feb 17th 2017 !⃝

   Burn to be wild was not written during the Kirea War. Time to go back to school. It was about the Vietnam war. Huey helicopter gun ships to be exact.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
4. anonymous

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   Jul 3rd 2012 !⃝

   Born to be Wild is a Viet Nam War protest song. It was written and released during the time of protest over the war.
   
   The first verse uses the slang of helicopter pilots as they start the engines and begin their aerial patrol, ready to take on anything.
   
   The second verse refers to the smoke and thunder of a heavily armed helicopter in combat and heavy metal lightening is referring to the flash created by the weapons as they were fired.
   
   The bridge lyrics refer to being a child of nature as is discussed in philosophy. Man's nature is one of wildness and self preservation, but it is within the context of the laws of nature where peaceful coexistence is prime. Within the laws of nature man can climb above his internal nature, but at the same time, his internal nature is one of self preservation.
   
   The chorus is where everyone gets confused when they try to interpret it as a biker song. Bikes can't "fire all their guns" and "explode into space" as they are not armed war machines. Combat helicopters are capable of exploding into space.
5. anonymous

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   Jun 17th 2011 !⃝

   I think it sounds a bit like it's about protesting the Korean War. It was released at about the same time, and some of the lyrics sound a bit like it's about being peaceful, and influencing others in mass quantities. "Get your motor running" Sounds like he means "Get ready for the event", the event being a war protest. "We can climb so high," Sounds like it means that multiple people are grouping together, , making their influence high all around the country. "Yeah darling, go make it happen": Stop the war. "Take the world in a love embrace.": Do I even need to explain this one? "Like a true nature's child.": Nature is often thought of as peaceful. They are people who are like nature. Maybe this isn't what it's supposed to mean, but I think it really sounds like one of those songs with a hidden meaning.
6. JasmineStar

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   Aug 11th 2009 !⃝

   This is one of the early metal songs, "heavy metal thunder". In this song you can almost feel the wind in your hair riding a motor bike, maybe a Harley, and feeling free. The song has movement that mirrors that feeling, and it has a lot of images of freedom that just flow in with that feeling, like "explode into space". It is one of the best early metal songs, full of passion.

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