I Wanna Be Like Steve

The summer of 1988 I was a member of the grounds staff of a campground. Everyone on staff was in their late teens to mid 20s, but it wasn't like an 80s film about summer camps as it was a church owned campground. The craziest thing we ever did was drive golf carts a bit recklessly and once we ate a chocolate cake with chopsticks.

One of the staff members was a guy named Steve. He was just out of high school, tall, athletic, and slightly goofy looking...He had a face that looked like someone from the 40s or 50s. He was good-natured , earnest, and socially inept having been raised in a very conservative religious background by parents who were grandparent age.

Steve had that particular surety about his faith and world views that a lot of 18 year old guys have, but when he made a statement it sounded like it was coming from someone much older and set in his ways. I liked to talk politics and faith with him just to hear him fluster at my more left leaning views.

Probably because of his lack of self doubt when it came to his world view I developed a song about Steve, I wanna Be Like Steve, and sang sometimes when he was being obstinate or did something right or was the first to jump in when some muscle was needed.

Steve got a kick out of the song, he even taught it to the boys in his cabin when he worked as a counselor for a week. They sort of turned it on him, when he had to be tough about lights out or goofing around they'd start singing I Wanna Be Like Steve and he'd fold.

Incidentally, I wanna Be Like Steve was written several years before the "I want to be like Mike" TV ad campaign and has nothing to do with that. 


I Wanna Be Like Steve

I wanna be like Steve
6 foot 4 and slightly green
fairly smart and seldom mean
to anyone
full of youth and full of fun
knows how to get the job done...

I wanna be like Steve

I wanna be like Steve
With infrared light eyes to see
Rocks and hills, mountains and trees
for Steve to climb
with legs like trunks and arms like vines
he leaves the normal world behind

I wanna be like Steve

I wanna be like Steve
it's the only way to be
fight for truth, justice, liberty
across this land
Steve's a man's man's man's man's man
and God's gift to all women

I wanna be like Steve