Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Steppenwolf's version of Hoyt Axton's The Pusher (with lyrics)

Easy Rider (1969) is the first movie I saw where Rock and Roll was an integral part of the movie. Yeah, there were some others...five years earlier, A Hard Day's Night was an unbelievable music movie. But this was something else. It was an actual movie, with real actors...including Jack Nicholson's over the top cameo. The songs were edgy, and on the cutting edge, including this great tune by Steppenwolf...the highest fidelity version I could locate is this one, with a "psychedelic" fan video. The Pusher blew our young minds when we heard it. It was written by the late great Hoyt Axton...




The Pusher
by Hoyt Axton

You know I've smoked a lot of grass
O' Lord, I've popped a lot of pills
But I never touched nothin'
That my spirit could kill
You know, I've seen a lot of people walkin' 'round
With tombstones in their eyes
But the pusher don't care
Ah, if you live or if you die

God damn, The Pusher
God damn, I say The Pusher
I said God damn, God damn The Pusher man

You know the dealer, the dealer is a man
With the love grass in his hand
Oh but the pusher is a monster
Good God, he's not a natural man
The dealer for a nickel
Lord, will sell you lots of sweet dreams
Ah, but the pusher ruin your body
Lord, he'll leave your, he'll leave your mind to scream

God damn, The Pusher
God damn, God damn the Pusher
I said God damn, God, God damn The Pusher man

Well, now if I were the president of this land
You know, I'd declare total war on The Pusher man
I'd cut him if he stands, and I'd shoot him if he'd run
Yes I'd kill him with my Bible and my razor and my gun

God damn The Pusher
Gad damn The Pusher
I said God damn, God damn The Pusher man

---o0o---

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