Steppenwolf - who says "Don't Step On the Grass?"

December 6, 2006 3:54 PM

In the Steppenwolf song "Don't Step on the Grass, Sam," is "Sam" in reference to a real politician?
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim to Media & Arts (3 answers total)

I'm nearly positive it's not. The song's so vaguely written (in terms of events or details that would make sense if it were a real person), not to mention the other first names in the song that are clearly generic in nature.
posted by Dee Xtrovert at 4:45 PM on December 6, 2006

um, wouldn't it be a reference to Uncle Sam?
posted by cosmicbandito at 4:54 PM on December 6, 2006

We can deduce from the lyrics that 'Sam' is a self-righteous guy with glasses who holds elected office and has appeared on some guy named Joe's TV show. Based on this information, I'm pretty sure it's not Senator Sam Ervin.

John Kay wrote the song, and he's still alive, so I suppose you could try to ask him. Or, alternately, ask the folks in the Steppenwolf forum.

(Oh--and this random marijuana website, and this German Wikipedia page, seem to support the Uncle Sam reading.)
posted by box at 6:54 PM on December 6, 2006