Steppenwolf – The Pusher
About The Song
“The Pusher” is a rock song written by Hoyt Axton, made popular by the 1969 movie Easy Rider which used Steppenwolf’s version to accompany the opening scenes showing drug trafficking.
This song is about a drug dealer. It is one of the first songs to deal with harsh realities of drug use, and condemns “the pusher” as a heartless criminal who is only after your money.
Hoyt Axton wrote this song after one of his friends died of a drug overdose. Axton struggled with addiction for much of his life and was keen on exposing the dangers, which he did on “The Pusher” and on another song recorded by Steppenwolf: “Snowblind Friend.”
Axton had a viable solo career at the time, but when his album My Griffin Is Gone flamed out in 1969, he focused on writing for other artists and landed a #1 when Three Dog Night did “Joy To The World,” which Steppenwolf rejected.
The song was made popular when rock band Steppenwolf released the song on their 1968 album Steppenwolf.
