'Born to Be Wild, it's one of the best songs any rock band has ever made'
New documentary traces the story of one of rock’s most iconic songs and the band behind it
When you hear the opening riff of Born to Be Wild, you're instantly transported to a different time. The energy, raw defiance and that iconic guitar line have made it one of rock's most powerful anthems. But behind its rebellious roar is a story that's as much about cultural upheaval as it is about the musicians who created it. "Born to Be Wild, it's one of the best songs any rock band ever made," says musician Jello Biafra.
Watch | Musicians Alice Cooper, Cameron Crowe, Jello Biafra and others talk about Born to Be Wild
It was the signature hit of the band, Steppenwolf, written by lead singer John Kay, a German-Canadian musician with a taste for hard-edged rock and Canadian-born Mars Bonfire, Steppenwolf's primary songwriter (and Kay's brother-in-law).
Their story is told in the new documentary Born to Be Wild: The Story of Steppenwolf now streaming on CBC Gem.
Steppenwolf's roots were in Toronto's Yorkville neighbourhood
Born Joachim Krauledat in 1944, Kay moved with his family from post-war Germany to Canada in the late '50s, landing in Toronto. Years later, he was swept up into the electric environment of Yorkville, a quiet residential neighbourhood that had transformed into the beating heart of Toronto's counterculture. "It was a magnet for those that just felt out of place in the regular neighbourhoods," remembers Kay in Born to Be Wild: The Story of Steppenwolf.
Coffeehouses, folk clubs, and intimate venues became the meeting grounds for musicians, artists and intellectuals. Figures like Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot and David Clayton-Thomas all made their mark here. Initially dominated by folk music, Yorkville's soundscape quickly expanded to embrace rock, blues and psychedelia.
"Toronto was the nexus of American music and British music," says Canadian music producer Bob Ezrin in Born to Be Wild. "If you take it on a per capita basis, the people coming out of Toronto, we're punching way above our weight class."
The scene in Yorkville mirrored the larger global movements, where music was no longer just entertainment; it became a powerful tool for social and political change.
It was here that Kay refined his songwriter skills and crossed paths with musicians Jerry Edmonton and his brother Dennis (later known as Mars Bonfire). Kay became the lead singer of their band, The Sparrows, a vital predecessor to Steppenwolf.
As the world grappled with the social upheaval of the 1960s, Kay found his voice in the raw power of electric rock — mirroring his desire to break free from convention and explore uncharted musical territory. Drawing on a mix of psychedelia, blues and a growing political consciousness, they created a sound that was both fresh and revolutionary.
The story of an iconic song, born in the California desert
Kay and several other Toronto musicians who would come together to form Steppenwolf moved south to Los Angeles in search of greater success. By the late 1960s, the city's counterculture was in full swing, and the band's raw, powerful sound — a mix of blues and psychedelic rock — captured the mood of the time.
That's where Bonfire initially wrote the track that would become an anthem. The lyrics spoke to the universal desire for freedom: "Get your motor runnin' / Head out on the highway." Its lyrics weren't just about hitting the road, they were about rejecting the restrictions of the mainstream and embracing self-expression. Kay, who had always wrestled with authority, saw the song as a personal expression of defiance.
Born to be Wild was featured in the film Easy Rider, an indie movie starring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper who plays two bikers on an epic road trip. The film became a huge mainstream success and solidified Steppenwolf's reputation as a biker band. Both the film and the song embodied the rebellion of the 1960s — a rebellion against conformity, authority, and societal norms.
Watch | Members of Steppenwolf talk about the impact of Born to Be Wild
As Steppenwolf grew in fame, John Kay faced serious health problems
Beneath the legendary status and electric performances of Steffenwolf, Kay faced a personal battle that few knew about. As a child, he was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative disease that attacks the retina and leads to gradual vision loss. It was the reason he was nearly always seen wearing dark sunglasses.
For someone whose identity was tied to the stage — where every performance demanded precision and presence — the diagnosis felt like a cruel twist of fate. Hiding his condition was initially a way of protecting the band's image. He feared that admitting to his failing eyesight might tarnish Steppenwolf's legacy or diminish his place in rock history.
Says his wife Jutta Kay, "For most musicians during that time, it was all fun and going wild and doing all sorts of stuff. For John, because of his eyesight, it was more of a livelihood. And he was very, very focused on making this happen. I mean, John was kind of the lead guy there because that's just his nature. you know, to take command."
Kay found new ways to continue writing lyrics, composing music and performing. He and the band Steppenwolf concluded their touring activities with a final performance on October 14, 2018, in Baxter Springs, Kansas. Since then, the band has not scheduled any further concerts.
Kay continues to be active in music. He has embarked on solo projects, including his recent podcast series Rockstar to Wildlife Advocate, which chronicles his journey from rock musician to champion of wildlife. The podcast is available to stream on platforms like YouTube and Spotify.
While Steppenwolf as a band is no longer touring, their legacy continues through their music and the ongoing endeavours of John Kay.
Says music lover and filmmaker Cameron Crowe, "There's a lot of love for Steppenwolf out there and I think why their music remains present … it's authentic. It's not a toy band with toy emotions. They're actually sincere."
Now streaming on CBC Gem.
