History
First incarnation
Formed in Newcastle-upon-Tyne during 1962 and 1963 when Burdon joined the existing Alan Price Rhythm and Blues Combo, the original line-up comprised Eric Burdon (vocals), Alan Price (organ and keyboards), Hilton Valentine (guitar), John Steel (drums), and Bryan "Chas" Chandler (bass). The Animals' moderate success in their hometown and a connection with The Yardbirds manager Giorgio Gomelsky motivated them to move to London in 1964, in time to be grouped with the British Invasion. They performed fiery versions of the staple rhythm and blues repertoire (Jimmy Reed, John Lee Hooker, Nina Simone, etc). Signed to the Columbia Graphophone subsidiary of EMI, a rocking version of the standard "Baby Let Me Follow You Down" (retitled Baby Let Me Take You Home) was their first UK hit single.
It was followed in June 1964 by the huge transatlantic hit "House of the Rising Sun". Burdon's howling vocals and the dramatic arrangement created arguably the first folk rock hit. Whether the arrangement was inspired by Bob Dylan's version of the song (which in turn was inspired by folk singer Dave Van Ronk) or by blues singer Josh White's (who recorded it twice in 1944 and 1949) or by singer/pianist Nina Simone (who recorded it in 1962 on At The Village Gate, predating Dylan's interpretation) remains a subject of dispute, as does whether all five Animals deserved credit for the arrangement and not just Price.
The Animals' two-year chart career, masterminded by producer Mickie Most, featured singles that were intense, gritty pop covers such as Sam Cooke's Bring It On Home To Me and the Nina Simone number Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood. In contrast their album tracks stayed with rhythm and blues, with Hooker's Boom Boom and Ray Charles' I Believe to My Soul being notable examples. Burdon's powerful, deep voice and the use of keyboards as much or more than guitars were two elements that made the Animals' sound stand out.
By May 1965 the group was starting to feel internal pressures. Price left due to personal and musical differences as well as a fear of flying on tour; he went on to a successful career as a solo artist and with the Alan Price Set. Mickey Gallagher filled in for him on keyboards for a spell, until Dave Rowberry replaced him and was on hand for the hit working-class anthems We Gotta Get Out of this Place and It's My Life. Around that time, an Animals Big Band even made a one-time appearance.
Many of The Animals' hits had come from Brill Building songwriters recruited by Most; the group, and Burdon in particular, felt this was too restrictive. As 1965 ended the group switched to Decca Records and producer Tom Wilson, who gave them more artistic freedom. In early 1966 MGM Records, their American label, collected their hits onto The Best of The Animals; it became their best-selling album in the U.S. In February 1966 Steel left and was replaced by Barry Jenkins; a leftover cover of Goffin-King's Don't Bring Me Down and the powerful hard rock tune See See Rider were the last hits as The Animals.
By this time their business affairs "were in a total shambles," according to Chandler (who would go on to manage Jimi Hendrix), and the group disbanded. Even by the standards of the day, when artists tended to be financially naïve, the Animals made very little money from their successes, eventually claiming mismanagement and theft on the part of their manager Mike Jeffery.
Second incarnation
A group with Burdon, Jenkins, and new sidemen John Weider (guitar/violin/bass), Vic Briggs alias Antion (guitar/piano), and Danny McCulloch (bass) was formed under the name Eric Burdon and the New Animals (or sometimes just Eric Burdon & the Animals) in October 1966, and changed direction. The hard-driving blues was transformed into Burdon's version of psychedelia, as the former heavy-drinking Geordie (who later said he could never get used to Newcastle, "where the rain comes at you sideways") relocated to California and became a spokesman for the Love Generation, but also a former heavy metal act and one of the upcoming stars of the genre such as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple..
Some of this group's hits included "San Franciscan Nights", "Monterey" (a tribute to the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival), and the anti-war "Sky Pilot". There were further changes to this line-up: George Bruno (a/k/a Zoot Money, keyboards) was added in April 1968, and in July 1968 Andy Summers [sic] (guitar)—later of The Police—replaced Briggs and McCulloch.
By 1969 these Animals had dissolved, and Eric Burdon joined forces with a Latin group from Long Beach, California called War.
The first hit under Eric Burdon & War was the funky/chill-out song Spill the Wine. The Group with 8 members disbanded in July 1971.
Later incarnations
The original Animals line-up of Burdon, Price, Valentine, Chandler, and Steel briefly reunited for a benefit concert in Newcastle in 1968, for an album in 1977 and again for an album and tour (supplemented by Zoot Money on keyboards and Steve Grant on guitar) in 1983. Chandler died in 1996.
In the 2000s Burdon has toured with a new set of musicians under the name "Eric Burdon and the Animals". Periodically during the 1990s and 2000s Valentine, Steel, and Dave Rowberry toured under the name "(Hilton Valentine's) The Animals" and Valentine and Steel under the name "Animals II". Rowberry died in 2003. As of 2005 "Animals & Friends" was also active, consisting of Steel and Mickey Gallagher; this group frequently play gigs on a Color Line ship that travels between Scandinavia and Germany.
Legacy
The original Animals were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Their influence can be heard in artists as varied as The Doors, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Canned Heat, David Johansen, Joe Cocker, Fine Young Cannibals, Iggy Pop, Mando Diao and many, many more.
Baby Let Me Take You Home
The Animals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby let me take you home
I'll love you all my life
You can bet I'll treat you right
If you'll just let me take you home
Baby can I dance with you
Baby can I dance with you
I'll do anything
In this God-Almighty world
If you'll just let me dance with you
Baby let I take you home
Baby let me take you home
I'll love you all my life
You bet I'll treat you right
If you'll just let me take you home
When I saw you baby
I couldn't ignore you
And I wanted you
For my girl
And when you said 'yeah'
I just couldn't care about
Anybody else in this world alone
You smiled at me baby
And I could see my life
Planned out ahead
You took my hand and it felt so good
And this is what you said
Baby won't you be my man
Baby won't you be my man'
Yes, I'll be your man
And I'll do the best I can
I want to be you man
That's all baby
Oh, see man see man baby
Baby, feel alright
Hey baby, its alright
So good
It's all right
The Animals' Baby Let Me Take You Home expresses a man's heartfelt desire to be with his love interest. The song begins with the singer seeking the permission of the woman he desires to take her home, promising to love her for the rest of his life and treat her right. He pleads with her to let him dance with her and assures her that he'll do anything in his power to make her happy. The lyrics express his intense infatuation with her as he declares that he just can't think about anybody else in the world now that he has her in his sights. When the woman agrees to be with him, the singer feels immense joy as all he ever wanted was to be her man and devote his life to her.
The song expresses the hope and passion of young love, and the lyrics capture the rushes of emotion and energy that come with it. The singer's single-minded devotion to the woman he wants is intense and unwavering, expressing the excitement and fear that often accompany new love. The lyrics reflect the rawness and intensity of the era in which the song was written, a time of social and political upheaval, where the youth were experimenting with drugs and pursuing sexual liberation.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby can I take you home
May I have the privilege of escorting you home?
Baby let me take you home
Please allow me to accompany you back to your dwelling.
I'll love you all my life
I will maintain my strong affections for you for the entirety of my existence.
You can bet I'll treat you right
You have my word that I will act in a respectful and considerate manner towards you.
If you'll just let me take you home
If you grant me permission to transport you to your abode.
Baby can I dance with you
Would you allow me to have the pleasure of dancing with you?
I'll do anything
I am willing to perform any task necessary.
In this God-Almighty world
In this vast and wondrous world.
If you'll just let me dance with you
Provided you allow me to partake in a dance with you.
When I saw you baby
Upon my view of you, my dear.
I couldn't ignore you
I was incapable of disregarding your presence.
And I wanted you For my girl
I desired to make you my romantic partner.
And when you said 'yeah'
Upon hearing your affirmative reply.
I just couldn't care about Anybody else in this world alone
My focus and attention was solely upon you and no other individual in existence.
You smiled at me baby
Your facial expression conveyed a positive and joyous emotion towards me, my dear.
And I could see my life Planned out ahead
My future, to my perception, became clear and predetermined.
You took my hand and it felt so good
The sensation of you grasping my hand was incredibly pleasing.
And this is what you said Baby won't you be my man
Your words were: 'Will you assume the role of my romantic partner, my dear?'
Yes, I'll be your man And I'll do the best I can I want to be you man That's all baby
Certainly, I accept your request and vow to provide the greatest effort possible. I aspire to be your partner in life, my dear.
Oh, see man see man baby Baby, feel alright Hey baby, its alright So good It's all right
Expressions of joy and contentment regarding our present circumstances, my dear.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, MORRIS MUSIC, INC.
Written by: BERT RUSSELL, WES FARRELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind