The Music of Easy Rider

The 1969 Dennis Hopper/Peter Fonda/Jack Nicholson film Easy Rider is a classic of 1960s counterculture, and a milestone of motorcycle culture.  Part of what made the film great was the trio of actors, part of it was the pair of 60s Harley panhead choppers, and part of it was certainly the use of (in my humble opinion) some of the greatest music of the 20th century.  Many of the great artists of the era made a musical appearance in the film: The Byrds, Steppenwolf, The Holy Modal Rounders, Jimi Hendrix, and The Band, to name a few.  Here are a few of my personal favorites…we all need music to listen to while wrenching, riding (if you’re one of those high-tech types with earbuds under your helmet), or just daydreaming about old motorcycles.

A 1960s hard rock classic, “Born to Be Wild” was made famous by Steppenwolf, fronted by the charismatic John Kay, whose real name was Joachim Krauledat, and who was born in Germany. It was written by the Canadian rocker Mars Bonfire (known offstage as Dennis Edmonton), whose brother Jerry Edmonton was Steppenwolf’s drummer, and released in 1968. The lines in the second verse “I like smoke and lightning/heavy metal thunder” are credited with inspiring the name of the heavy metal genre. The song’s longstanding association with motorcycle culture originates with its use in the soundtrack Easy Rider, and has led to its inclusion on various “biker rock” compilations, covered by Ozzy Osbourne and Slayer, among others. 

The Band’s 1968 song “The Weight” was something of an anthem of 1960s counterculture.  It was written by Robbie Robertson, The Band’s guitarist, who said he wrote the song about the futility of trying to please everybody, and do everything anyone asked of you: “Someone says: ‘Listen, would you do me this favor? When you get there will you say 'hello' to somebody or will you give somebody this or will you pick up one of these for me?’ This is what it’s all about. So….one thing leads to another and it’s like ‘Holy Shit, what’s this turned into? I’ve only come here to say 'hello' for somebody and I’ve got myself in this incredible predicament.’”  “The Weight” was used in the soundtrack of Easy Rider, where its free and easy message-if you get too caught up in helping everybody, you won’t have any time left for yourself-fits right in with footage of Fonda and Hopper riding through spectacular southwestern scenery.  Incidentally, the song was used in the film as recorded by The Band, but a cover was recorded by Smith (best known for their record“A Group Called Smith”, released in 1969) for the ABC-Dunhill Records soundtrack recording, due to licensing problems.



The Byrds recorded “Wasn’t Born to Follow” in 1968 on The Notorious Byrd Brothers.  The song was written by the husband and wife songwriting team of Carole King and Gerry Goffin, known as Goffin and King.  It is used in Easy Rider during another riding sequence.  One can imagine these songs in the film as the songs running through the riders heads-this happens when you’re riding, just listen for them.  Here the filmgoer is let into the secret, and can hear what the riders are hearing.  This song's lyrics are full of beautiful, colorful, almost psychedelic imagery (enhanced by the lens flare rainbows in the film), and the Byrds’ signature sparkling guitar work.