When I Was Young
Eric Burdon's i Band Lyrics
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My father was a soldier then
And times were very hard
When I was young
I smoked my first cigarette at ten
And for girls, I had a bad yen
And I had quite a ball
When I was young, it was more important
Pain more painful
Laughter much louder
Yeah, when I was young
When I was young
I met my first love at thirteen
She was brown and I was pretty green
And I learned quite a lot when I was young
When I was young
When I was young
It was more important
Pain more painful
Laughter much louder
Yeah, when I was young
When I was young
My faith was so much stronger then
I believed in fellow men
And I was so much older then
When I was young
When I was young
When I was young
Eric Burdon’s song “When I Was Young” is a nostalgic journey back to the singer’s youth, where everything was more intense and meaningful. The lyrics describe the life of a young man growing up in a difficult time; his father was a soldier and times were very hard. The rooms were colder, and life was simpler, but everything seemed more important. The singer reminisces about his teenage years, when he had his first cigarette at ten and developed a crush on girls. Life was a lot of fun back then, and he had quite a lot of experiences.
The reflective lyrics reveal how different life was when the singer was young. Pain and laughter were more meaningful, and his faith in fellow men was much stronger. He met his first love at thirteen and learned a lot from the experience. The chorus repeats the themes of the song; when he was young, every experience was amplified, making the pain more painful and the laughter much louder.
The song's lyrics have been interpreted in different ways, with some suggesting that its message is about lost love or missed opportunities. However, Eric Burdon himself explained that the lyrics capture his longing for a time when life was less complicated and less burdensome. The song's nostalgia is relatable to many listeners who have experienced the same feelings about their youth.
Line by Line Meaning
The rooms were so much colder then
The rooms in my house used to be so much colder than they are now.
My father was a soldier then
My father used to be a soldier when I was young.
And times were very hard
Those were hard times that we had to go through when I was young.
When I was young
I'm referring to my younger days when I was still a child.
I smoked my first cigarette at ten
I had my first cigarette at the age of ten.
And for girls, I had a bad yen
I had a strong desire towards girls when I was growing up.
And I had quite a ball
I really enjoyed my childhood.
When I was young, it was more important
Back then, things used to matter more to me than they do now.
Pain more painful
When I used to experience pain, it used to be much more intense than what it feels like now.
Laughter much louder
When something was funny when I was young, we used to laugh much louder than we do now.
Yeah, when I was young
I'm reminiscing about my younger days.
I met my first love at thirteen
I fell in love for the first time when I was thirteen years old.
She was brown and I was pretty green
She was more experienced in love and I was naive about it.
And I learned quite a lot when I was young
I grew and learned many things from different experiences during my childhood years.
My faith was so much stronger then
My faith in humanity was much stronger back then.
I believed in fellow men
I trusted and had faith in people more than I do now.
And I was so much older then
I felt much more mature than I really was, back then.
When I was young
I'm repeating myself because the next line is the same, it's just an emphasis.
When I was young
I'm emphasizing the fact that I'm referring to my younger days.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ERIC VICTOR BURDON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tiffsaver
Eric Burdon was a total ORIGINAL. Nobody sounded like him—he was so raw and powerful. "Feral," you might call it.
20-years after he recorded this song, when I was still a bartender, he suddenly walked into my bar, and sat down. I was so thrilled I could hardly maintain my composure, so I just pretended not to recognize him. When I asked him his occupation, he just said, "I write songs." Later, he told me that he lived in Palm Springs, "because he loved the solitude of the desert," quite a change from where he was born, in Newcastle, England. When it came time to pay his bill, I said: "This one's on me." When he looked at me with a somewhat puzzled expression, I replied, "Do you know how many times my band played "House of the Rising Sun"?? He smiled, then handed me a ticket to catch a concert right after I got off work, to see the great jazz singer, Mose Allison. Two of my heroes, in the same night!! I'll never forget it:)
@truthmatters-jt5up
awesome beyond words!
and well played!
@aregold
Wow! What a great story! I agree with you 100%, and I've never met EVB, but thank G-d, I did get to see him with my wonderful wife in September at Andiamo's in Warren, Michigan. I am so hooked on him I can't believe it. He is a true treasure.
@samanthahahnke8200
Tip saver how cool is that, you might be the luckiest man on this planet
@freisein6554
👍❤️🙏🏻
@danielmunguia7486
Another wonderful song for the 6-piece Eric berkman oh my God he's fabulous thank you for the memories and keep on singing
@GeorgeVreelandHill
Talent wise, The Animals are a top ten all-time Rock and Roll band. Their songs and lyrics were, are and always will be, in touch with reality. They were great and ahead of their time.
@brianwilson8983
Let go of your youth Georgie boy it’s gone and it’s insignificant
@tonyscott395
In their heyday, The Animals could blow the Stones off the stage. Check out the NME awards for around 1965. Eric Burdon is one of the very best voices in rock.
@davemiller7328
The Beatles were on that bill, and although I don't think they compare to them with song writing and creativity, they blew everyone off the stage that night, including the Fab 4.