Carpet Ride Unraveled
by Jason Pearce • July 2006 • 45 Comments •
“Everybody in the room knew it was a hit,” said John Kay, lead singer of the band Steppenwolf, after recording the song “Magic Carpet Ride” in the summer of 1968.
The Real Rockers
While there may be no connection to the members of Steppenwolf, these Lambda Chis put on a show.
Frankie Laine (Miami-FL 1934) is Lambda Chi Alpha’s most successful and influential singer. His nicknames include “Mr. Rhythm,” “Old Leather Lungs,” and “Old Man Jazz.” A star in the 1940s and 1950s, Laine had more than 70 charted records, 21 gold records, and worldwide sales of 250 million disks. In 1996, he was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 27th Annual Songwriters’ Hall of Fame awards ceremony, and on his 80th birthday, the U.S. Congress declared him a national treasure.
John Tesh (North Carolina State 1975) is best known for hosting the television show Entertainment Tonight from 1986-1996, but is also a contemporary musician composing “Roundball Rock,” the instrumental theme music for “The NBA on NBC” from 1990-2002, and the theme music for the CBS coverage of the Tour de France.
Kenny Chesney (East Tennessee State 1990) won back-to-back Entertainer of the Year accolades in 2005 and 2006 from the Academy of Country Music. Other awards include Single of the Year in 2003 and Top Male Vocalist awards in 1997 and 2003.
Tony Fagenson (Southern California 2000) was the drummer for the disbanded punk-pop band Eve 6. Their album Horrorscope went gold thanks to its singles “Promise” and “Here’s to the Night,” which was a Top 40/MTV hit.
He was right. Debuting on the heels of their 1967 hit “Born to be Wild,” “Magic Carpet Ride” quickly climbed to number two in the charts.
Steppenwolf’s second album, appropriately titled The Second, showed that it was a strong band that wasn’t going to rely on the success of its first hit.
And while “Every generation thinks they’re born to be wild,” said Kay, “and they can identify with that song as their anthem,” little did he know how his song “Magic Carpet Ride” would become the esoteric anthem for a general fraternity he never knew.
Arriving to North America
On any given night, you might hear the shifting tempos of “Magic Carpet Ride” emanating from our chapters. Step inside, and you will likely find a whirling mass of undergraduates hoisting a brother high over their heads.
How this tradition got started is anybody’s guess. Having never been members of Lambda Chi Alpha, it certainly wasn’t started by John Kay or Rushton Moreve, the two members of the band assigned credit for the song.
John Kay was born April 12, 1944, as Joachim Fritz Krauledat in Tilsit, East Prussia. After World War II, Kay’s mother fled the Soviet occupied East Germany in 1948 to resettle in Hanover, West Germany (as recounted in his song “Renegade” on the album Steppenwolf Seven). The family later moved to Toronto, Canada in 1958. John Kay was 14 years old.
“Within a few days of our arrival my aunt Meta took me down to Humberside Collegiate to enroll me in grade nine,” said Kay. “I spoke very little English but felt confident that I could learn. It was late March 1958.”
Considered legally blind, Kay had a difficult time deciphering the teacher’s handwriting on the blackboard, despite sitting in the front row. His handicap caused him to transfer to a sight-saving class for a few years, resulting in Kay losing a year of schooling.
In June 1963, Kay graduated from high school at age 19 determined to pursue his musical interests.
Less is known about Rushton Moreve, who was born John Russell Morgane in 1948 in Los Angeles, California. Also a recent high school graduate, Moreve joined Steppenwolf in 1967 at age 19, having responded to a “Bass Player Wanted” notice posted at Wallich’s Music City at Vine and Sunset in Hollywood.
According to Kay, “Moreve played intuitively, a real melodic style rather than just a thump thump with the kick drum. He loved the Mothers of Invention and brought a non-commercial sound to the band.”
Moreve died July 1, 1981, in Los Angeles, California, due to injuries he sustained in a car accident.
Sound Machine
“‘Magic Carpet Ride’ evolved out of something Moreve had been messing around with,” wrote Kay in his autobiography John Kay Magic Carpet Ride. “It was a simple but catchy three-note bass figure he played whenever we were setting up or doing soundchecks.”
While recording their second album in 1968, Moreve came in to the studio and told the band, “I wrote this song and it’s really great.” Kay asked him to play it.
According to Kay, Moreve played a simple three-cord pattern on his bass and sang, “I like my job, I like my baby.” That was it.
A few band members joined in, fleshing out the cords and rhythm. “In an hour, we had cut the instrumental track,” wrote Kay.
I felt there wasn’t enough to “I like my job, I like my baby”
“I felt there wasn’t enough to ‘I like my job.’” So Kay asked for a copy of the tape before heading home for the day.
Kay took the tape home and put it on his new sound system, which he purchased using some of the money that was just starting to roll in from the band’s first album.
“I had the system in the apartment for no more than a week when I brought home this tape,” wrote Kay. “Out came this domp domp, da da da domp domp thing and I just sort of let my mind flow. ‘I like to dream right between my sound machine’ — the sound machine being the hi-fi system.”
Twenty minutes later, the whole song was finished. Kay took the new lyrics for the song back to the studio the following day. The band added in some harmony, a jam sequence, some feedback sounds, and a few organ sweeps. In less than 24-hours, “Magic Carpet Ride” was born.
Let the sound take you away
Neither John Kay nor Rushton Moreve were members of Lambda Chi Alpha. In our database of 250,000 members, there are no matches for the surnames Kay/Krauledat (b. 1944) or Moreve/Morgane (b. 1948).
Regarding the other band members, none of their names appear in our database either.
Keyboardist Goldie McJohn was born John Goadsby in 1945, drummer Jerry Edmonton was born Jerry McCrohan in 1946, and guitarist Michael Monarch was born in 1950. Neither their real names nor stage names appear in our records. And at the time Magic Carpet Ride was written, they would have been age 23, 22, and 18 respectively.
Besides, not a single member of the band attended college. Kay was 21 when he joined The Sparrows (his first band) and Moreve was 19 when he joined Steppenwolf. While most 20-year-olds were in class, Kay and Moreve were already rock ‘n roll stars.
College was not the road they chose. Instead, they explored their music, drugs, and the hippie culture. And while Kay and Moreve didn’t join a fraternity, their song “Magic Carpet Ride” still holds a special place for members of Lambda Chi Alpha.
Photo Credits in Order of Apperance
- © Courtesy Odeon, All Rights Reserved.
- © Courtesy Lance McCord, Some Rights Reserved.
- © Courtesy 1968 issue of 16 Magazine, All Rights Reserved.
- © Courtesy 1968 issue of 16 Magazine, All Rights Reserved.
- © Courtesy Quarry Press, All Rights Reserved.
- © Courtesy 1968 issue of 16 Magazine, All Rights Reserved.
Glenn Miller Says:
July 2nd, 2006 at 4:21 pmThanks for clearing that up Jason! It’s a great story and a great song.
Cody Comfort Says:
July 2nd, 2006 at 5:33 pmWow, the guys at my chapter (New Orleans) are going to be real surprised by this. How about the band Kansas(hit songs Wayward Son, Dust in the Wind, Fight Fire with Fire)? We heard that one of thier band members may have been a Lambda Chi.
Kurt Mogonye (Phi Rho 349) Says:
July 2nd, 2006 at 6:11 pmNote: Album found, photo added to this comment.
B. Caesar Cubillos Says:
July 2nd, 2006 at 7:20 pmOne thing that should also be mentioned is that the late Rushton Moreve quit the band soon after the song was recorded. The band’s home was in California and a fortune teller had told Moreve that California would sink into the Pacific Ocean. Moreve moved to the East coast soon afterward.
I think it’s a great song, but I always laughed at the ridiculous urban legend that said that Moreve had a brother who was a Lambda Chi. The song is a coincidence, nothing more. I’m glad we have other songs that actually sing of the brotherhood.
In ZAX,
ZE 631
Spencer Ross Says:
July 2nd, 2006 at 7:31 pmI had a chance to talk to Robby Steinhardt in his dressing room one time, and asked him about the songs of Kansas. He laughed and said that the only thing back in the 60’s and 70’s that really contributed to any of the songs was….well you can guess the rest (but it unfortunately it wasn’t Lambda Chi).
B. Caesar Cubillos Says:
July 2nd, 2006 at 7:37 pmOh, and regarding the band Kansas…
Kansas has had many members — currently Phil Ehart, Billy Greer, Richard Williams, Steve Walsh and David Ragsdale. Dave Hope, Kenny Livgre, Lynn Meredith, Larry Baker, Dan Wright, Don Montre, Zeke Lowe, Brad Shulz, Rod Mikinski, and John Bolton are all former members. From what I’ve researched not a single one of them ever went to college.
david m sharpe Says:
July 2nd, 2006 at 9:07 pmAnother great piece by Mr.Pearce!Though there’s no bona fide connection as witnessed here,any initiated brother will connect with a certain part of the song…….:)
Yours in ZAX,
Dave Sharpe
Sigma Chi 195
Ben Davis Says:
July 2nd, 2006 at 10:04 pmWhatever, Pearce. I have it from a solid authority (Andy Olenik) that you are dead wrong. He tells me that thousands of undergrads around the country have pointed out numerous connections between that song and LXA. And why else would Mitch Gibson have gotten that Steppenwolf tattoo when he visited the Elon chapter?
William Killeffer Says:
July 2nd, 2006 at 10:26 pmThis is an interesting story about one of the fun aspects of being a Lambda Chi. If memory serves, the rumor about this song that circulated in our Zeta was that an uncredited ghostwriter alumnus contributed several lyrical ideas to members of Steppenwolf, but no one knew who he was.
I started listening to “classic rock” when I entered seventh grade in the fall of 1987, and Steppenwolf was very popular with my classmates. Everyone liked “Born To Be Wild” because of its rebellious imagery, and “Magic Carpet Ride” sounded like the singer was going on a drug trip. Subversive-seeming lyrics made that song quite popular.
“Magic Carpet Ride” acquired new meaning when I joined the Zeta Phi-Zeta of Lambda Chi Alpha in the fall of 1993. Loudly singing the lyrics while dancing together in a sweaty mob became a tradition of which no one would ever grow tired. One can only wonder if John Kay knows just how much we appreciate his song.
While the truth behind the words may be less enchanting than the rumors, this magical song will remain a special part of our Fraternity lore. As our own alumnus Paul Harvey would say, we now know the rest of the story.
Pete Tzavaras Says:
July 3rd, 2006 at 8:55 amI remember in about 1970-1971, Steppenwolf came to
Chattanooga, Tn. and two other brothers besides myself went backstage to talk to them before the concert. When introduced to them, they gave us the “handshake test” and asked us to stay for the final song(of course-Magic Carpet Ride! It is hard for me
to believe there is not a link here.
Pete Tzavaras
Zeta-Phi 458 University of Tn@Chattanooga
Cody Comfort Says:
July 3rd, 2006 at 9:23 amAfter reading all the other posts I believe that nationals is missing something…There must be some connection.
Kevin Bley Says:
July 3rd, 2006 at 9:34 amWhy don’t we initiate John Kay and be done with it?
Mark Christiansen Says:
July 3rd, 2006 at 10:35 amI’m with Kevin Bley - LXA should initiate Mr. John Kay. There are many reasons to do so and few if any not to. What could be the harm, and it could be done at the National Assembly for all to see. Now that should draw so attention!
B. Caesar Cubillos Says:
July 3rd, 2006 at 1:49 pmInitiate John Kay because he wrote a song about being on drugs? Wow, the principles of the fraternity sure have deteriorated since I was active.
BRUCE J. BURDETTE JR. Says:
July 3rd, 2006 at 2:15 pmGREAT ARTICLE..I ALWAYS WONDERED ABOUT THE CONNECTION.. BRUCE BURDETTE JR.
LAMBDA PHI #248
Robert J. Desch Says:
July 4th, 2006 at 11:56 pmThank you for an excellent article. I remember discussing the similarities with the song and LAX during chapter meetings.There has to be a connection some where. The similarities are too great!
Jesse Fosnaugh Says:
July 5th, 2006 at 8:49 amThere must be some connection if Pete Tzavaras is telling the truth. Granted the song likely eludes to drug trips, there is something quite interesting about it. Making John Kay an honorary initiate would not deteriorate our principles Caesar. We made Truman an initiate and he ordered to drop the most destructive bombs known to humanity.
Brett Harris Says:
July 5th, 2006 at 12:09 pmThis debate has gone on for quite some time and will continue to do so. I heard rumour of it before I joined and it is interesting to see the different experiences people have had throughout the history of the song being played.
B. Caesar Cubillos Says:
July 5th, 2006 at 6:54 pmSome would think of President Truman as just a BIT more of an important figure in the history of our country than John Kay. I don’t want to get into a political argument, but many feel that the war in the Pacific would have gone on longer and cost many more lives had Truman NOT bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Either way, the song is a fun thing that chapters do but I think there are many more important things that Lambda Chi Alpha stands for… just think about what the letters themselves really say.
In ZAX,
ZE 631
Jason Pearce Says:
July 5th, 2006 at 7:44 pmNo matter how strong the coincidence, my research did not find a connection.
Q: Who wrote the words and who wrote the music?
Chapter “Eight: Magic Carpet Ride” of the 1994 autobiography John Kay: Magic Carpet Ride includes the following statements.
“‘Magic Carpet Ride’ evolved out of something Rushton (the bass player) had been messing around with. He played a three chord pattern … on his bass and sang, ‘I like my job, I like my baby.’ That was it.” — John Kay
Kay then wrote that he took the rough recording of Rushton’s song home and played it one his new hi-fi sound system. “I like to dream right between my sound machine — the sound machine being the hi-fi system. Twenty minutes later, the whole thing was finished.” — John Kay
“Writing credits were assigned me and Rushton (Moreve); regrettably, it turned out to be the only song he ever contributed as a songwriter.” — John Kay
Q: If Kay wrote the words, could he be a member?
“Magic Carpet Ride” was written in the summer of 1968. John Kay, born April 12, 1944, as Joachim Fritz Krauledat was 24 years old, had been in two bands, had two kids, and lived in three countries — all described in his 372-page autobiography. He could not have attended college during this time, which fills chapters Four through Eight.
In our database, no one has the last name “Krauledat.” There are, however, three named John Kay: John Elliot Kay (Union 2007), John Pete Kay (Memphis 1972), and Jonathan Lee Kay (Western Carolina 1992). No match.
Q: If Moreve wrote the music, could he be a member?
Rushton Moreve was born John Russell Morgane in 1948 in Los Angeles, California. There is not a single person with the last name Moreve or Morgane in our database.
Q: Is there a Steppenwolf historian? What does he say?
Though the band didn’t return my calls or email, a long-time fan, historian, and friend of the band Van Epperson responded.
“I am a fan of the band who has befriended most everyone still alive who has ever been in Steppenwolf. I also have a tremendous knowledge of the band’s history,” wrote Epperson.
“The old guys from the MAGIC CARPET RIDE days were hippies in the late 1960s. College was not the road they chose. Instead, they explored the world, their music, the hippie culture, the drugs of the day, and the ‘flower power’ of love,” wrote Epperson.
“The Lambda Chi question came up two or three times a few years back and the band responded directly with the same answer I have now provided you. No one who has ever been in STEPPENWOLF has ever been a member of Lambda Chi. This is an ‘urban legend’ that is 100 percent false. The lyrics to MAGIC CARPET RIDE were written by John Kay. He did not attend college and has never been a member of Lambda Chi,” wrote Epperson.
Q: Has anyone actually asked the band?
I did, in the late 1990s. Steppenwolf played under a small tent at a beer festival in Indianapolis, Indiana. Fewer than 300 people were in the tent. I approached the small stage and waited for them to finish their set. When they did, I asked “Did any of you guys ever join a fraternity? In particular, Lambda Chi Alpha?” Sounding a bit annoyed, a member of the band took the microphone and simply said “No” before exiting the back of the tent. Hardly official, but that’s my only interaction with the band.
A: It’s okay to dream
Though I understand why some members may continue to believe and question, I’ve found no fraternal connection to the song, and that’s okay with me. I still enjoy the song and I still think about Lambda Chi Alpha every time I hear it. It’s even the ring tone on my cell phone.
In ZAX,
Jason Pearce, Editor
Edward H. Thuer Says:
July 6th, 2006 at 12:33 amGentlemen,
I started Penn State in ‘84, and I’ll be finishing sometime in ‘07. Sometimes I think the only positive thing I did in ‘84 was joining Lambda Chi Alpha. Our ideals and some special brothers got me through some very dark times in the intervening years.
One of my dearest memories of ‘84 is being an associate watching Jim Vachon whooping it up to this song at one of our parties and wondering what the big deal was. Even in my darkest days, I was comforted by this memory, and the memory of the night I learned what the “big deal” was in the Chute room.
Thank you to the brothers of Zeta Zeta for accepting me into our bond. I strive everyday to be worthy of that honor.
Yours in ZAX,
Edward H. Thuer
Z1082
eht111@psu.edu
The 40-Year Old Junior
Steven Alles Says:
July 6th, 2006 at 6:34 amI really could care less if they were members or not. There are alot of songs that my chapter uses to celebrate with and probably none of those people were brothers either. Our chapter has know the truth behind the music that they were not members for years. We worked at a summer fest concert where they were playing at and confronted them where they corrected us. The truth hurts, but it doesn’t change the fact that it is a great song and for reasons that god only knows connected our partying and crazy chanting to this song. And where did this connection with Kansas come from? That is new to me.
In ZAX,
IY 1126 “Alles”
Jim Arico Says:
July 6th, 2006 at 9:59 amI became a Lambda Chi in 1969, so the new song, Magic Carpet Ride, seemed more than just a coincidence. We had several discussions about the bands link to the fraternity. After 37 years, I finally know the true story.
In ZAX,
E Pi 666
Jon Martin Says:
July 6th, 2006 at 4:55 pmSadly, I discovered the same thing about 10 years ago.. I was at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, and they actually have the original hand written lyrics to this song on display.. Some of the most coincidental lyrics in the song are actually not what we think they are (and sing them as)..
Disappointing…I was Alpha at the time, and chose not to tell the Brothers, as I didn’t want to tarnish a great tradition and song..
ZAX,
Jon Martin
GT1013
C.A.M. Says:
July 10th, 2006 at 4:02 pmI STILL BELIEVE!!! I have to agree with my brother from Alpha Chi…it must be true. Poor reporting Pearce, just like all the other journalists…Take it from a guy who’s band opend up for Kansas…they didn’t go to college!
Glen Alan Graham Says:
July 13th, 2006 at 1:35 pmWell! This is a VERY interesting item of LCA history! And the responding comments are fascinating!
My initiation took place at the end of 1972 (calendar year), when Steppenwolf was still very popular among my generation (end-of-baby-boomers). I can still clearly remember that nite of the Ritual, listening over and over again to Ravel’s “Bolero” interspersed with the clip from Steppenwolf’s “Magic carpet Ride”. And as High Phi in succeeding years I got very familiar with the two songs(as well as all else that went into presenting our blessed Ritual).
From the start the older Brothers of Epsilon-Gamma Zeta made sure that we initiates understood that the verse in question in “Magic Carpet Ride”, while eerily referential to certain details of the Ritual, were COINCIDENTAL lyrics! And that neither the author of the lyrics nor any Steppenwolf member were Brother Lambda Chis.
Oh, and we also heard “The Balance” by the Moody Blues - again eerily referential lyrics. But no Moody Blue member is LCA (after all, they’re all Brits).
Yours in ZAX,
Glen Alan Graham
EG 540, U of Idaho Class of ‘76
Stack Says:
July 18th, 2006 at 10:53 amI want to further push the initiative expressed in an earlier post that a great way to top off the legacy of this great traditional music and the brotherhood of Chops is to simply initiate John Kay. You can choose to argue about the circumstances of the time of its writing; that it was “drug music”. The fact is very clear: “Magic Carpet Ride” has become a Lambda Chi INSTITUTION! Not by design, but by adoption. Start making your list of things you can associate with your brotherhood experience and somewhere on that list time spent listening, or singing this song with brothers WILL be there. I do not believe anyone will be exempt from that fact. Many times in life things that become influential to our lives occur from some other motivation besides the what is the ultimate result. It is, what it is.
I know a lot of brothers who would road trip to the General Assembly to be a part of that experience. It would set an all time attendance record the likes that has never been seen!
Daniel P. Parker Says:
July 22nd, 2006 at 4:48 pmThis is an interesting story, but how about another famous Lambda Chi, Harry Truman? Every Biography I’ve read of him states that he never attended college, but we have deified him as a famous alum. maybe someone can clear this up for me, and others!
ZAX
-Dan Parker
DU 146
Mike Raymond Says:
July 24th, 2006 at 1:22 amBrother Dan,
Read next month’s “History” column for an article about Brother Harry S Truman!
Yours in ZAX,
Mike Raymond, ZU-384
R.E.C. Says:
December 4th, 2006 at 7:52 pmim still so confused on what the big deal is on this song…i like it and all but i just don’t by the whole members of steppenwolf being a lambda chi
Charles Gilbreath Says:
January 17th, 2007 at 8:42 pmI refuse to believe that there is no correlation between the song magic carpet ride and LXA. Espically when you take into consideration that an alumni was tested backstage at a concert. Has it never occured to anyone that perhaps some of the band members friends were in LXA and perhaps had some input on the songs lyrics. Or, and this would be sad if it is true, they had friends in LXA who told them secrets of such things that are only meant for brothers to know. Even still, I have heard accounts before of people being initiated illegaly due to their chapter being closed. It would be a sad truth indeed to find out that one of these reasons were the cause for the song, but either way, I think that there has to be some explanation to the similarities in the song.
In ZAX
Zeta Phi 959
Kelly Glover Says:
January 23rd, 2007 at 9:57 pmI also find it hard to believe there is not a connection of some sort. If I am wrong, it has to be one of the greatest coincidences in history. We can speculate on secrets being divulged, a brother who may have influenced the lyrics, or any other combination of rumors. No matter what the truth is, Magic Carpet Ride will remain in my heart and soul forever. It connects us all as brothers forever. Twenty years after I went through ritual, I can see a group of strangers at a bar and immediately recognize them as brothers when this song is played. Many of these “strangers” I have wound up sharing stories of brotherhood and great times (after the handshake test of course). I can’t count the times I have been with people that don’t know the memories we have from this song, and just smiled when I hear those lyrics. I remember my brothers at Indiana State and how it all came together that incredible night when I became an active member of such a great fraternity. It takes me back to such a great time when we all had the world by the balls and anything and everything was possible. We have all moved on in our lives but remain brothers forever in ZAX!
True or not, every time I hear our song, It will take me back…and make me smile.
Yours in ZAX,
Kelly Glover
IE 1328
matt lathrop Says:
January 28th, 2007 at 8:57 amhey guys,
i just wanted to put my two cents in.
at the moment i am a junior at theta chi zeta(eureka college) and i have found something very wierd… im not going to post a direct link but look up the Steppenwolf - Magic carpet ride video… watch closely… you can find it on youtube.com… just watch and look
be attentive
in ZAX
Matt Lathrop
Theta Chi 893
brian r brown Says:
February 17th, 2007 at 11:05 pmIt shouldn’t matter.
I find the idea that there is not direct connection, especially based on the findings, to be a bit more plausible. And I think most, if they take a step back and look at the lyrics objectively, would probably agree.
The great thing about the mind is that it can make all kinds of connections. However, it is also human nature to want to connect things together, especially those things that are positive and desirable to us. So it isn’t surprising that such connection has been made and grown into something of epic proportions.
Will we ever know, definitively? Perhaps not. Personally, it doesn’t really make any difference to me. Music and art are often as much about what they mean to the experiencer as anything else. This song carries special meaning to me and hopefully to all Brothers. To me, it has never really had anything to do with Steppenwolf or John Kay. The association has and will always be, for me, with Lambda Chi Alpha.
I hope that all Brothers can take this view. It really shouldn’t matter whether it was specifically written by anyone from LCA or about LCA. And whether it was or not, hopefully shouldn’t effect what it means to you.
Perhaps this is the perfect example of Brotherhood in LCA. Brotherhood should be beyond rhetoric, story, and anything describable. Brotherhood is something that can’t be expressed in words, on paper, in lyrics, or anything else… it can only be experienced, which is why no one can ever take it away, you can only choose to give it up.
In ZAX,
Brian R.”Hoover” Brown
ZA681
Kevin Bley Says:
March 22nd, 2007 at 8:21 amInitiate John Kay.
Also, if you listen to the song “Fight Fire With Fire” by Kansas, there is a very strange part in the song (it is not listed in the lyrics below). The singer mumbles something that sounds very similar to something we have all heard. The song, in my opinion is bad, but it is worth a listen. Even some of the listed lyrics could relate to what is mumbled. You have to listen to it load to hear it. I have done it over and over and it is there.
“Fight Fire With Fire”
(John Elefante / Dino Elefante)
There’s a hole in the wall
With a light shining in
And it’s letting me know to get up
It’s time to begin
Oh there is nothing to lose
‘Cause it’s already lost
In a runaway world
Of confusion
I’m gonna take it
(Chorus)
That’s why I fight fire with fire
Oh I’m burning inside and my heart is a-cryin’
Fire with fire
I don’t want to lose this flamin’ desire
Standing alone
In a crowded room
I can feel a chill in the air
I’m shakin’
I’m miles away
I want to cry out loud
I want to fight till the end
I won’t let ‘em take me alive
(Chorus)
And you know I’ll fight fire with fire
Oh I’m burning inside and my heart is a-cryin’
Fire with fire
‘Cause I’m never gonna lose this flamin’ desire
JH Says:
September 16th, 2007 at 10:14 pmIn reference to Harry S. Truman, he was made an honorary member by the Gamma Kappa Zeta at the University of Missouri. He is Gamma Kappa 213. This is my chapter and we have a copy of his initiation certificate hanging on the wall in our house. Also, I’ve listened to Fight Fire With Fire over and over and cannot for the life of me understand what is being said. Is it something that could be hinted at publicly?
Bob Howard Says:
September 20th, 2007 at 11:14 pmBrothers,
there is a direct line between magic carpet ride and our great fraternity. It ISNT the lyrics, It ISNT the possibility that John Kay and others were brothers or knew some brothers that told them secrets that shouldn’t have told them. It IS the fact that if you are a Lambda Chi, this song makes you think about the ritual, it gets you pumped up about our fraternity. In my undergraduate days at BETA-LAMBDA ZETA(Morehead State University), We were low on membership, in debt to nationals and a host of other problems. But I could hear that song, and It would remind me what being a Lambda Chi is all about, and would remind me what I was doing in the fraternity was right!! I love this song! I don’t ever want to hear that Magic Carpet Ride has nothing to do with LCA, because you know and I know that it does. In closing, I would just like to say if we initiate John Kay, I want a front row seat.
Fraternally Yours,
Bob Howard
blz 418
Dave"Big D" Dowdy Says:
November 2nd, 2007 at 3:58 pmThis article is excellent, i remember when i went thru rush at Florida Southern in 1996 that it was amazing to see the brothers of LXA performing magic carpet at a rush party, and that stuck with me. I was excited to join, and ever since when i hear the song I remeber the good times in college.
Epilon Zi 862
Dave
Herman Guillen Says:
December 2nd, 2007 at 6:29 pmThanks Matt Lathrop.
Check out this video. It’s The Magic Carpet Ride Video. Watch it and make up your mind. Link below.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=WwLdyIdY6U8
Yours in ZAX,
Herman Guillen Zeta 226
JH Says:
December 5th, 2007 at 5:45 amThe video definitely raises new questions. I still want to know about Fire With Fire.
Ryan Sumner Says:
January 23rd, 2008 at 11:24 pmI always thought there was a connection between LCS and Magic Carpet Ride until after reading this post and from doing other searches. Another coincidence that people believe is Pink Floyd’s “The Dark SIde Of The Moon” and The Wizard Of Oz. Through out our entire lfe we will see coincidences that appear to have a true connection. I think that the “test of the hand shake” as mentioned above was probable John Kay squeezing a firm grip, that a College kid wanted to believe ws a sign. I have very fond memories of LCA, some of the best times of my life. But I also no longer believe in Santa Clause.
Gamma Xi Zeta 1126
Ron Boyd Says:
March 10th, 2008 at 2:40 pmWhen our Montevallo Colony was initiated by the Auburn, Alabama, Birmingham-Southern, and Samford Univeristy chapters in 1970, “Magic Carpet Ride” was not mentioned. I remember that it was started about 1971 or 1972 in our chapter. I believe that the Samford chapter gave us the tradition while we had a combined chapter party in Birmingham, AL. It was then played at rush parties, all regular parties, and I remember people on campus asking us what is the deal with LXA and “Magic Carpet Ride”. I agree, everytime I hear that song I turn the music up LOUD, and remember some of the best days of my life as an active brother of Lambda Chi at Montevallo. It always brings back great memories and I could care less if the so called “urban legend” has been proven wrong. The song will always be special to all LXAs.
ZAX,
Ron Boyd, Sigma Epsilon #001
University of Montevallo
John Pete Kay Says:
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:45 amBeing the first of 3 brothers with the name John Kay I find this article interesting. I remember being asked by many if I was the John Kay that wrote the lyric to the song. It was done a little before my time and had no part in it. I don’t think that there is any conncetion with the John Kay of Stepnewolf and our brotherhood. The song does bring back many great memories of being an active member of LAC that I will always cherish.
Yours in ZAX
John Pete Kay
Zeta Theta
462
Dale A. Berryhill Says:
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:07 pmBrother Pearce’s article is excellent and appreciated. I believe he’s proven that John Kay was not a Lambda Chi. However, as several posts have pointed out, that does not preclude the possibility that Kay had friends who were Lambda Chis and who “spilled the beans” during some late-night pot party. (It was the late 60s and early 70s, after all.) The lyrics don’t just capture events, but the way you actually feel at that moment, so I agree with those who say it would have to be one of the most amazing coinidences in history. Anyway, the video posted by Brother Guillen proves that someone involved with Steppenwolf knew our ritual. If you haven’t watched it, here’s the link again: http://youtube.com/watch?v=WwLdyIdY6U8.
Dale A. Berryhill
Zeta-Theta 667
University of Memphis
Dale A. Berryhill Says:
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:08 pmLink doesn’t work. Here it is again:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=WwLdyIdY6U8