The real origins of ‘Real Wild Child’
While Iggy Pop‘s 1986 rendition is widely recognised, ‘Real Wild Child’ originated from the creative prowess of Australian rocker Johnny O’Keefe and The Deejays in 1958. Initially titled ‘Wild One’, the genesis of the song can be traced back to a spirited night, fuelled by a few drinks and an exceptionally lively concert.
Crafted by O’Keefe in collaboration with Johnny Greenan and Dave Owens, both integral members of The Deejays, the inspiration for ‘Wild One’ struck after witnessing a brawl at one of their Sydney gigs. Released in July 1958, the song rapidly soared to success, establishing O’Keefe as the first Australian rock ‘n’ roller to conquer the national charts.
According to O’Keefe’s guitarist, Lou Casch, while O’Keefe and the Deejays were performing at an upstairs venue, a downstairs reception resembling a wedding was underway. A confrontation erupted in the men’s toilets between some dance patrons and wedding guests, quickly escalating into a full-scale riot that spilt into the street.
While the altercation itself didn’t leave a lasting impact, accounts suggest that shortly after the brawl, the group began crafting ‘Wild One’, drawing inspiration from the tumultuous events of that night. All of the lyrics centre around this idea of appearing like a “wild one” and the life of the party. This is evident from the very first verse: “Well, I’m just outta school, like I’m real, real cool / Gotta dance like a fool, got the message that I gotta be a wild one / Ooh, yeah, I’m a wild one.”
During this cycle, Jerry Allison joined Buddy Holly for a brief tour in Australia, consisting of five dates and six concerts across January and February 1958. Sharing the stage with acts like Paul Anka and Jerry Lee Lewis, the shows were kicked off by the local talent, O’Keefe and The Deejays. The song’s lyrics play into the idea of young people wanting to appear cool.
“We did a tour in Australia in the early part of ’58, the early part,” Allison, who covered the song under the moniker Ivan, recalled. “There was a fellow there named Johnny O’Keefe, and he had a number one record at the time, which was ‘Wild Child’. I think he called it ‘Wild One’. So we learned it during that period. We got to be good friends.”
After Pop’s re-imagination of the iconic rock tune in 1986, the track’s popularity further soared, propelling its usage in films and television shows like Problem Child, Crocodile Dundee II, and more recently, Five Nights At Freddy’s. It’s also had an influence on subsequent generations of musicians, like Kesha, who plays the song as she walks on stage during live shows and then again when she leaves the stage, as “it always gets me going”.
