"Born to Be Wild" is a song first performed by the bandSteppenwolf, written byMars Bonfire. The song is often invoked in bothpopularandcounterculture to denote abikerappearance or attitude. It is sometimes described as the firstheavy metalsong, and the second verse lyric "heavy metal thunder" marks the first use of this term in rock music (although not as a description of a musical style).