Charting the Road Ahead, With a Dose of Steppenwolf in the Arabian Desert

Anyone who has watched Supernatural will probably be familiar with its association with rock ‘n’ roll. From Led Zeppelin and Blue Oyster Cult, to REO Speedwagon, Van Halen and AC/DC, the genre – in addition to the timeless 1967 Chevrolet Impala – is an indelible trait of the hit CW show, which has not only paid homage to the great musical acts of yesteryear, but has also introduced them to scores of young listeners from a new generation as well.

Who knew that all these years later, more than a decade after I first started watching it, that the music from the show would continue to resonate with me?

Since the start of my first university semester in September 2008, the music of Supernatural has played a formative role on me. I still recall humming Kansas’s Carry On Wayward Son on the long walk to my dormitory after a late and exhausting three-hour class, taking in the crooning of REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin on repeat (yes, I know) as I tried to wrap up a paper on the Russian Revolution, and listening to Blue Oyster Cult’s Don’t Fear The Reaper while working out at the gym.

It was around this time that I was also introduced to Canadian-American rock act Steppenwolf and their 1969 hit single, It’s Never Too Late, through the show. However, little did I know that I would fall for the psychedelia-soaked track all these years later, in February 2021.

On a recent vacation in Dubai, for a long overdue trip to see my parents, I had the chance to catch up with the last few seasons of the cult show – and it was there that the song resurfaced in one of the episodes, after a gap of several seasons. I’m still trying to fathom why, but it became very evident that this was probably one of the catchiest songs I’d come across (or more accurately, revisited) in a couple of years or so.

With this also being my first official break from work in over two years, I intended to use some of this time for a bit of personal writing and reorganizing for the year ahead. Whenever I could. Perhaps an hour here and there, nestled between everything else that was going on. Now, if someone had told me, even a few days before, that a band that had its heyday in the 1960s and 70s, and whom I had barely registered thus far – consumed as I was by Led Zeppelin – would have the most propulsive effect on my ideation and planning process during this break, I’d have called them crazy. By the time I boarded the fifteen-hour flight back home to Toronto in late-February, the results were, quite literally, beyond anything I could have possibly envisioned.

A few days into my sojourn in the Arabian Gulf city, regardless of what I may have been engaged in, or where, I felt my natural pace quicken. Day after day, the lyrics, with the accompanying bluesy guitar and drum notes, played over and over in my head, with every word that I put to paper.

With every line of reading I got through during those two weeks.

With our very first family dinner since 2019.

With every moment I spent helping my mom prepare meals in the kitchen.

The time I forded the Dubai Creek on a boat to visit the city’s heritage quarter.

As I walked through the vibrant and aromatic alleyways of the storied Spice Souk.

With every industry report and row of Excel data I dissected into the late hours of the night, for research.

When my dad and I replaced the mud flaps on his trusty and venerable FJ Cruiser.

At the family reunion, celebrating my dad’s 60th birthday.

As I took in the vast expanses of the Rub Al-Khali on the flight back home.

As I glimpsed the first patches of fresh snow from an altitude of 30,000 feet, en route to Toronto.

No matter the prevailing circumstances, the words belted out by frontman John Kay kept floating to the forefront of my mind:

“Tell me who's to say after all is done

And you're finally gone, you won't be back again

You can find a way to change today

You don't have to wait 'til then.”

Going into 2021, my girlfriend and I had a truckload’s worth of project ideas swirling in our head, with the hope of bringing them to life (in progress, stay tuned). There’s no doubt that the two weeks of downtime afforded me the opportunity to refresh, regroup and reprioritize – and it was undeniable that It’s Never Too Late helped me push through a ceiling I wasn’t sure I’d be capable of breaking through anytime soon.

And it was only weeks later that I found out that Steppenwolf had its roots in Toronto. Will wonders never cease.

Supernatural is known for kicking off every season premiere by recapping the protagonists’ personal journey with the words “The Road So Far”. I’m glad the show introduced me to a stellar piece of music that helped me chart the road ahead.

I’m literally listening to the song as I write this.

Now all that’s left is looking up the guitar tab online.

I should probably dust off my guitar first. A little daily practice probably wouldn’t hurt either. Working from home can sometimes make you forget the little things.

So much to do, so little time.

NOTE: I’ll point out that the air corridor between Toronto and Dubai is relatively safe, with some of the world’s most stringent pre-entry testing requirements for all travellers, in both countries. Wherever you are in the world, make sure that you are aware of all requirements in both your city of departure and city of arrival, and be cognizant of news updates in real-time, as rules and regulations are always subject to change with little to no notice.