My birthplace would be hard to find
It changed so many times
I'm not sure where it belongs
But they tell me the Baltic coast is full of amber
And the land was green
Before the tanks came
One day I learned just how it used to be
The devils' curse brought the whole world to it's knees
And it was "Hey you, keep your head down
Don't look around, please don't make a sound
If they should find you now
The Man will shoot you down"

It's a mighty long way out of the darkness
To where the sun is free to shine
Oh! The truck came by to put us in the back
And left us where the railroad tracks cross the line
Then the border guide took us by the hand
And led us thru the hole into the promise land beyond
And I can hear him now
Whispering soft and low
"When you get to the other side
Just run like hell"

I thought I had a quiet place
Where I could learn how to catch my childhood dreams
But on my left and to my right they keep on shouting
While I'm just stuck here in between
Lord! I'm tried of running and I don't believe I can
I can hear them calling time and time again
And it's "Hey you, keep your head down
Don't look around, please, don't make a sound
If they should find you now
The Man will shoot you down"

Comments (1)

  • Heymr Paul
    This has been for decades one of my favorite Steppenwolf songs. They remain possibly the most under-rated bands of the 60s and 70s. Steppenwolf 7 was truly a masterpiece album and showed the songwriting and instrument maturation of the band. It was for me, the height of their talent as a musical group, yet gets a fraction of the airplay of the songs associated with Hollywood movies from years earlier. If you've not heard this band in a while and want to relive better times give that album (Steppenwolf 7) a listen in a quiet place on some really good gear. The interplay of the instruments and vocals is first rate. At my age (61) the highs aren't as clear and I've got to EQ the music to appreciate what's stored in memory. Given my current world views, the only plausible reason I can see for this band not reaching the same popularity as others with far less talent did would be the political views of their leader, John Kay. Read the lyrics to Monster and you'll understand what I mean. Hollywood is a small club, and we ain't in it.