“Scroll down to the end of the article to listen to music.”
Introduction
Ever felt like society just doesn’t get you? That’s exactly what Status Quo captured in their powerful track “The Wild Ones.” Released on their 1980 album “Just Supposin’,” this song speaks to anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider, and trust me, it hits home in ways that still feel relevant today.
The song opens with those evocative lines about “easy riders in the morning sun,” immediately painting a picture of free spirits on the open road. What I love about this track is how Alan Lancaster (who wrote it) perfectly captures that tension between living life on your own terms and facing constant judgment from a society that wants to box you in.
When Francis Rossi sings “everybody wants to know your game, how could you ever explain, when everybody’s given you the name of the wild ones,” you can feel the frustration of being labeled and misunderstood. It’s that universal feeling of being judged for your appearance, your choices, or simply for being different.
The nostalgic middle section hits me right in the heart every time: “I remember the summertime, and the riding out into the breeze, and I remember the apple wine, filling my head up with dreams.” There’s something bittersweet about those memories of freedom and possibility, especially when contrasted with the song’s acknowledgment that this lifestyle comes with a price.
What makes “The Wild Ones” special is how it sits within Status Quo’s evolution. By 1980, the band was blending their signature boogie rock sound with more modern production techniques, creating something that honored their roots while pushing forward. This track showcases their ability to deliver thoughtful lyrics wrapped in infectious melodies and driving rhythms.
Whether you’re a longtime Quo fan or discovering them for the first time, “The Wild Ones” reminds us that the struggle between individual freedom and social conformity is timeless. And sometimes, embracing your wild side is the only honest way to live.
Video
Lyrics
Easy riders in the morning sun
Are you coming here to have your fun
Everybody wants to know your game
How could you ever explain
When everybody’s given you the name
Of the wild ones
And I can see the road ahead
Winding into the sun
It only feels like yesterday
Remember me, remember me
Easy riders don’t you know you’re done
Everybody wants to point the gun
No one likes the kind of clothes you wear
Or even the look of your hair
It doesn’t matter if you’re right or wrong
You’re the wild ones
And no one wants to understand
The only way it can be
Living on the wild side
The only way could never be
I remember the summertime
And the riding out into the breeze
And I remember the apple wine
Filling my head up with dreams
If only I could walk away
I’d do it all over again
But riding high on apple wine
It never mixed well in the end
Easy riders are coming
but now there’s somebody gone
I’m sitting here all alone
And looking away, just looking away
Easy riders in the morning sun
Are you coming here to have your fun
Everybody wants to know your game
How could you ever explain
When everybody’s given you the name
Of the wild ones
Easy rider, easy rider, you’re the wild ones
Easy rider, easy rider, you’re the wild ones
Easy rider, easy rider, you’re the wild ones