Jamel...this is probably the most genuine reaction video I have EVER seen. You felt every note and lyric that John Kay played and sang. I’m 65, and grew up with this song, and have seen the difference between the effects of the dealer (hell, I used to grow my own weed) and the pusher (I’ve seen friends become junkies and kill their lives). This song obviously didn’t get much if any radio time, but it is one of my favorite Steppenwolf songs. The raw emotion John Kay expresses seems to speak of personal experience. Raw emotion and a true message...even my mother didn’t mind me listening to this song lol
Just to be clear when he said "God damn" he didn't mean it as slang like most people do, he meant literally like Jamel said "may God DAMN the pusher for what he is doing" to people.
This one, Snowblind Friend, and It's Never Too Late are my most favorite Steppenwolf songs. I've been listening to them since I was very young...47 now and they are still my favorites. Your reaction was pure gold and straight from the heart!
Hoyt Axton wrote a lot of great stuff. Elvis sang his material, as did 3 Dog Night, and others that I can't recall at the moment. His mother, incidently, wrote "Heartbreak Hotel", if I remember correctly. I've listened to his performances. I don't much care for him as a musician, but I greatly admire his songwriting ability.
Songwriter Hoyt Axton wrote many songs for Steppenwolf and Three Dog Night. He also played the father on Gremlins! God bless you, Jamel! Your struggle wasn’t easy.
When I first heard this song back in the 60's the sound was revolutionary. Most of us kids were still grovin' to the sweet harmonies of the Beatles and The Beach boys. This was Heavy Rock! And the lyrics, Unlike the Beatles song, "Ticket to Ride", which some people knew was about drugs this song didn't try to disguise what they were talking about. It pulled no punches.
The power of this famous 60s song is legendary. This cool dude went from a shallow ‘Mr. happy’ persona to deeply thought provoked and philosophical, I knew he had a story to share. At the end I never expected such an honest, chilling and reflective summary of a difficult time in his life in a tough LA neighbourhood. I could even read in-between the lines what went down in his neighbourhood. Many thanks for sharing a legendary song and story.
Brutally honest song by an overlooked force of rock and roll - Steppenwolf. Jamel, love hearing your background and all you've overcome. Thank you for sharing it with us!
As much as people say that “Born to be Wild” is the theme song to ‘Easy Rider’..., “The Pusher” (written by Hoyt Axton, the country music legend) is actually the first song in the film...
Fool On The HiLL He also wrote “joy to the world“ by three dog night, along with a bunch of other songs covered by other people including Elvis, Simon and Garfunkel, and Nina Simone did a cover of “the pusher“. Here is a link to the original Hoyt Axton version. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6-7WpPk00jA.html
Hoyt was an icon. One of the true unsung musicians of the era, almost forgotten nowadays. I bet if you asked 100 people who he was, pretty much 100 would say "Who?"
Hoyt Axton wrote this song as well as "Snow Blind Friend", Joy To The World" & "Never Been To Spain". He's been in a few movies, included as the father in "Gremlins".
They were differentiating between the Dealer = grass, etc. as opposed to Pusher = heroin. Soft (non-addictive)drugs vs hard (addictive) drugs. This song was from 1969, before crack and coke became so widespread. Back in the day that long guitar note that went from speaker to speaker was quite a novelty, because not everybody was listening to the radio in stereo.
I grew up in the time frame of this song. I saw it as The Dealer would sell you what you wanted, weed, pills, hash. The pusher would give you the first dose of horse, dust, LSD, or other hard stuff, free after pushing you into it, with threats, cajoling, peer pressure, anything to get you hooked.
Hendrix was credited with developing that technique. He recorded with head phones in mind because he knew everybody's parents were yelling "Turn that sh$t down!" There's one version of All Along the Watch Tower that it you listen to it on head phones he brings the note from one side to the other and then back. Listening to it, you feel like you were shot through the head. Very unique experience.
"Far-Out Jamel", as my generation would say. Simple but Serious lyrics, lost folks to them pushers, a pestilence that should not be tolerated in our society. Thanks for this oldie.
I've said it once but it's worth saying again. None of these Steppenwolf songs can measure up to their track " America ". What an incredible work, a no B.S telling of this country's history. And just as relevant today as it was back in 68 - 69. Please, please reaction this song !!!!!!! You will be awe struck. Does anyone else agree ?
It's not just the song America.The tryptich Monster/Suicide/America tells the whole story. But I do agree with you its one of their best & it's at least as valid now as it was at the time created [vietnam war]
Definitely powerful. I knew this would be meaningful to you, with your story. Thank you for sharing with us, and thank you for getting out of there. Stay safe, brother.
Easy Rider was one of the first movies to incorporate contemporary songs in the storyline. In the case of Steppenwolf, Born to be Wild and The Pusher. It also included the Weight by the Band, which is the only record label that did not allow the song to be included on the sound track album (the rights were owned by Bob Dylan but written by Robbie Robertson of the Band when they were the back up band for Bob Dylan). So they commissioned a recording of the song for the album by a group called Smith.
God bless you for having the strength, courage and determination to rise above and become the terrific person you are today...bring joy and peace to so many. You are an amazing young man who brings hope to anyone who will listen. 😌🙏
Classic Rock Lady 100 percent. I'm old enough to to be Jamel's dad and he makes me a little better person every time I tune in. I hope he is making some fat cake doing this.
Can relate this my own brother got my teenaged daughter hooked on the white stuff. Thank God she realized in her early 20s what she was into and quit cold turkey on her own,.
@@cavalvo she did have the tools needed for complete recovery. When she was 16 I put her in rehab for 45 days. She had to go to 12 step meetings. But at that time she was not yet ready to give up her addiction. She got a DUI at 21 and the courts were very tough on her. It was shortly after that when she got completely clean.
@ mona Sardin Good for her. It's not an easy thing to do and I've lost a nephew and numerous friends that couldn't (or wouldn't) do it. Tell her that Reverend Bill is sending a prayer to her all wrapped up in a big CONGRATULATIONS.
Right on, Jamal! Music is an emotion and we listen to songs that speak to us on an emotional level. Music speaks to us in ways that so many things cannot. Drugs have claimed so many from all walks of life. Songs like The Pusher reach inside and grab us by the soul. Music knows no gender, nor colour. Music knows blood and emotion. Take care and stay safe, brothers and sisters
This song was written by Hoyt Axton: other notable songs include "Snow-Blind Friend," and "Joy to the World." Axton was one of the premier songwriters of the sixties and seventies. Well worth checking out!
the Pusher was like #2 or #3 song on the original movie album from "Easy Rider". I am not sure what order the songs are in on any CD or later album release
@@robertsaul234 the funny thing is that I remember that fact from 1970, old memory..... Because my cousin (son of a Baptist minister) was playing it for me in his bedroom to 3 or 4 of the cousins there at the time, and we got caught by his dad, who especially did not like the Pusher lyrics "Go____mn". BOY, THAT WAS A WILD NIGHT!!!! We were there to go on a vacation with them to Padre Island the next day (a 3-family vacation w/ my mother's sibling's families and our family)
Curtis Mayfield was the schitt! That man was a genius. I have Superfly movie & soundtrack. I grew up in the 60s & 70s listening all kinds of music, thanks to my 4 older siblings. Jamel I could hang out with you anytime. God bless brother.
My mother heard that song one time coming off my record player and the next thing I knew she had a needle scratching that one track off that album. My sister still has the album and it still won't play that one track! Peace!
Hoyt Axton wrote this song! His mother co-wrote Elvis' "Heartbreak Hotel"! Hoyt also wrote "Joy To The World" by Three Dog Night" and The "No-No song" by Ringo Starr. "The Pusher", "Snowblind Friend", and "No-No Song" are reflections on Hoyt's own addiction to Heroin.
Hoyt had his own drug and alcohol problems, but guess what, the man played the dad who bought the Gremlin home to his son. Did disney know of his history?
As a shy kid in junior high living in an abusive, alcoholic home, music was my refuge and release. I had a cheap record player and listened to artists from Steppenwolf to James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Wonder, the Monkees to The Sound of Music, and Lady Sings the Blues. The Pusher is seared into my brain. I somehow rejected the pull of drugs and alcohol, and I was ostracized for it in the ‘70’s. But I thank God for the beautiful life and family I have now. I watched many lives go down a bad road, including plenty of my own family, from addictions and bad choices. Thanks for playing this formative song. I’m glad your path led you to a better place. God bless you, Jamel 🙏
Well that's a song I've always listened to - and hearing you tell your story side by side was something pretty special. Thank you for being so open hearted about such serious stuff. A good man you are.
There's a scene in the movie "Where The Day Takes You" where the pusherman gets a kid hooked on the shit telling him it will help him sleep. The kid hotshots himself in the bathroom and dies. Cut scene to the pusherman throwing away garbage. He throws it on top of the kid, who is now in the dumpster. Garbage in, garbage out
I will never forget that my friend's older sister was playing this on her record player when it first came out and when her father heard the words "God damn" he walked over to the player, took the record off, and smashed it on the floor! Memories.
Yeah ... I put it on the stereo Christmas day, after the presents had been opened ... the old fella shut it down pretty quick - I think he came close to smashing the record ... lol ... poor ol' Dad, he put up with a lot ..... !
@@drdr76 All I can say in my own defence is that I didn't know the unfortunate expletive was coming: I had given my older brother the soundtrack of 'Easy Rider' for Christmas, but hadn't heard it myself; I got too impatient waiting for my brother to play it, so I jumped the gun and slapped it onto the turntable (on the buffet in the dining-room, right beside the Christmas tree) ... the rest is history ... !
If someone would have told me a month ago that I would watch someone else listen to music, I would have laughed at them and called them crazy. I discovered your channel while searching for a music video. The first thing that got my attention (other than the song) was that awesome T-Shirt you wear about being a good human. After about 10 of your reaction videos, I was hooked. Your personality is perfect for this, your genuine passion and love for music is truly inspiring. The more I hear you talk about your past and how you feel about things makes me realize that if I met you in my home town, we would definitely be friends. You are totally my kind of people from what I can see from your videos. I plan to order a couple of those T-Shirts to spread the love. Keep up the good work, I'm loving your show!
I too was looking for a particular video and while Jamel wasn't he first person I reacted to I never imagined watching other people react to our music! I'm soon to be 67 next month, but I check out quite a few reactors now and have been doing so for about a year or more now, I don't tend to watch songs I don't like but I do get a kick out of seeing them react to certain songs, all of them! Have a great day! Enjoy yourself! Deb
I'm 66, and this is a great song and Steppenwolf was a amazing group. He mentions both the dealer and the pusher. The dealer would sell to anyone, only selling never giving you anything. The pusher is the one that gives you the sh!t free a couple times to get you hooked. Yea g0d d@mn the pusher man.
Just to clarify Jamel, Steppenwolf is making a distinction between a 'dealer' and a 'pusher'. A dealer is alright because to them weed is harmless, a pusher is evil because he's dealing in Heroin, coke, and other chemicals that kill.
Also, there is a recreational element to cannabis. There is NO recreational element to smack. It's a soul killer, a deadening agent, a person destroyer.
It's a gateway drug in a sense. Because it's still illegal in some places, a lot of people end up having to buy their weed from the same guy pushing harder stuff. And any violence associated with it, ties back to the same reason.
My 1st concert was Steppenwolf in 1970 omaha. Awesome!Then I saw them in Maui in 1991. People were dressed the same. Awesome!!!! John Kay has a real story to tell!!!
Since you brought it up, “Pusher Man” from Curtis Mayfield on “Superfly”, a great, great album. “Freddie’s Dead” and “Superfly” are classics. Mayfield is an iconic legend when it comes to issues and struggles in African American life. “(Don’t Worry) If There’s Hell Below, We’re All Gonna Go”, “Move On Up” from “Curtis”. Whether with the Impressions , “Choice of Colors”, “Check Out Your Mind”, “(Mighty MIghty) Spade & Whitey”, or solo, Mayfield could be a deep dive into some important music.
This was on the "Easy Rider" soundtrack which I played a lot when I was about 15. I became adept at making a leap across my bedroom to turn the volume down before John Kay's "God damns" started so my dad wouldn't hear. Also, Steppenwolf was my first big concert. No going back after that. Next was Zeppelin & then Hendrix the same year. So much great music back then.💙🌿💚
Saw Steppenwolf perform this live in ‘69, fronted by Flo&Eddy(The Turtles), and The Byrds. Parents brought kids to this concert, walked out when Steppenwolf played this song.
The song you referred to was by Curtis Mayfield from a 1972 movie called "Superfly". The song is "I'm your Pusherman". Superfly was one of those blackspoitation films. What made his so different was he didnt' glorify drugs but painted a dirty gritty drug fueled lifestyle. Incidently..the bongos and congas of "Im Your Pusherman" were superb. He was in the Impressions for years..songs you would recognize when you heard them. He died in 1999 from diabetes...57 years old. Curtis Mayfield was so far ahead of his time..watch "Superfly" sometime. make you cry. And Steppenwolf's "Pusherman was written by Hoyt Axton, a prolific songwriter....Axton died in 1999 as well a few heart attacks did him in ...59 years old. I just saw The Black Moses "walk on by" so I'm gonna listen to that for a little.
One of my favorite Steppenwolf’s songs is “It’s Never Too Late”-deserves a wider recognition. There was definitely more to them than just “Born to Be Wild” and “Magic Carpet Ride”...
The Needle and the Damage Done by Neil Young should be next. Thank you for being you, Jamel, and for sharing your journey with us. I feel like I am hearing these songs again for the first time!
The establishment of the time had a hard time dealing with this song and it's anti-heroin message combined with the "sweet dreams" of the pot dealer. You didn't hear this except on the late-night FM radio shows
Written by Hoyt Axton. Axton also wrote Joy To The World (Jeremiah was a bullfrog) and Never Been To Spain, both of which made popular by Three Dog Night. He was also the father in the movie Gremlins.
The lead singer of Steppenwolf was Joachim Fritz Krauledat, aka John Kay. He was born in East Prussia in 1944. Very interesting background for an American rock star.
Man, I can see the smoke filled room, bean bag chairs, black lights, lava lamps, hanging beads for doors, the scent of pachouli, water bongs, bell bottoms, tinted granny glasses, double albums for cleaning, "chronic", "really man", "far out," "outta sight", "groovy,", "Dig It","right on", "make love not war", PEACE AND LOVE. THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING, THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING, THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING!!!!!!
Likely, because he DID mean it. Rock musicians in that era were constantly burying friends, bandmates, and other associates, due to overdosing. This was probably very personal to him, along with "Snowblind Friend".
@@truckertriesfarming9792 Yeah, I know you're right about that. So many...Keith Moon, Janis Joplin, Mama Cass, Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix... A lot of greatly talented people have had their lives cut tragically short.
@@TwistedSither Indeed...though, Cass Elliot died of a heart attack, and a drug screen, performed as part of her autopsy, found no drugs in her system. Of course, 1974 drug screens, and 2020 drug screens are not the same thing. She was notably overweight, and had gone through considerable effort, in the past, to lose some of that weight, with a negative outcome. It's entirely possible that she had been using some weight loss diet suppliment that served to more greatly stress her overstressed heart, causing a fatal heart attack. If that's true, that would make her death even more tragic. Hendrix, Moon (who died at the same age as Elliot, in the very same room) and Jones died in pursuit of a good time. Joplin died, wallowing in self-pity (which is sad and tragic, too), while Cass would have died in pursuit of self-improvement. To me, the idea of someone dying in an effort to improve their life, their health... I don't know, that just seems the most tragic of scenarios, to me.
@@djhrecordhound4391 Yes, you are correct. Axton has written a lot of my favorite songs. He's one of my favorite songwriters. Unfortunately, he's also one of my least favorite performers. His personal singing and playing style just isn't my cup of tea, I guess.
In Euless, TX @ 1969 I was sitting at a red light late at night in my '67 Firebird with the 8 track tape deck, no traffic at all, windows down with this song blasting loud. I looked to my left and a car full of nuns with the windows rolled down had stopped next to me, mouths hanging wide open! I'll never forget the look on their faces as the music kept playing. Not long after that the tape deck was stolen from the car right in front of my house. I called the cops who came and were writing down the names of all the tapes stolen, and when I said, Inna Gadda Da Vida by Iron Butterfly, the cop said, "In a goddamn what?". Good times.
Yep. Steppenwolf has a couple of those. I love music of that era, but many bands of the era performed political songs with lyrics that cause me to roll my eyes. Steppenwolf is NOT one of those bands, even though they have a LOT of songs that are political or address social concerns. John Kay had a tendency to write or choose songs that were more Libertarian in nature. Steppenwolf addresses humanity as it is, as opposed to a fantasy version of humanity. Ironically, when I used to be into the drug scene (a scene that I've long since sauntered away from), I used to love listening to this song while high. This is one of the few "get high" songs that I still like, stone sober.
Not ANYTHING like your described experience. I was in high school, and got to hang out in my band directors office. This is a song/album we played religiously. I’m a 70 year old grandma now, and you just flooded my mind with olde memories. Thank you!
I was born in 1958 and my neighbors across the street blasted this song out their open window when it was released. My mother was unnerved by this song but I told her what it was about. I had listened closely to the lyrics even at the age of nine or ten and understood what he was singing about. She said, "Maybe, but I still don't like it."
Snow blind friend and this are very hard songs that hit A lot of people. We all knew someone like this. I didn't do drugs but lost a lot of friends from 60's and 70's. And they lived these songs.
I remember a line in snowblind friend, He said he wanted heaven but praying was too slow, so he bought a one way ticket on a airline made of snow, Guess I'll have to look it up.
I've always loved the rhythm guitar tone in this song. BTW- not many people remember that Steppenwolf was a Canadian band. That line "I've never touched nothing that my spirit, could kill" does not refer to the singer's spirit killing or not killing something- it means the substances he has taken could not kill his spirit. The syntax is reversed, written that way to maintain the rhyme and scansion (the cadence of the way the words 'fall') of the lyrics. Think of it as meaning "that my spirit could be killed by".
Great song! Perfect musical commentary for the iconic movie “Easy Rider”. Highly recommend just about every song on the movie’s soundtrack, especially the 2004 TWO-disc release. ☮️💟+🗽
Best line in this classic song: "I'll kill him with my Bible" indeed the Word of God is alive and true and all powerful. God Bless You Brother Jamel. 🕊🎼❤
When I was 10 years old, my mother told me to never go into my older brothers room again. This song is more than just an admonishment of the 'pusher' it also, if you listen to the sounds of the recording, recreates the effects of getting high. So on the one hand, the pusher is cursed but, on the other hand, the dealer is where you buy 'lots of sweet dreams'. This tune signaled in general, and Steppenwolf specifically, the end of innocents. They even swear. This song still reminds me of the strange smells coming out of my older brothers room.
Their song "The Wall" may not be as well-known but believe me, the maintained their pinnacle -- it can be put right alongside "Monster" as a pivotal track. Very strong, exceptional.
I can remember in 8th grade art class our teacher would not let us play this song because it said goddamn, loved it back then and love it still! Such a good message.
