Burdon left also this band and run back to stardome in the mid-70s with The Eric Burdon Band producing heavy rocking songs. He went on forming short-living groups such as Eric Burdon's Fire Dept. in 1980, another Eric Burdon Band in 1981, especially for a motion picture-starring role in Comeback for which he made the soundtrack and a reunion band with The Animals in 1983 to get back to the Mainstream Charts. The 1980s saw Burdon in genres such as heavy metal, new wave, pop, reggae, disco, blues, rock and roll, punk, funk and rap. He also published his album "I Used To Be An Animal" as well as his autobiography with the same title. He went on touring in stadiums as well as in small clubs around the world.
In 1990 he formed the Eric Burdon & Robby Krieger Band who toured mainly in America. They recorded some demo tapes, but never released them. In 1991 he toured the world again as Eric Burdon & Brian Auger Band. They released a double-live album, "Access All Areas" in 1993, showing versions of Burdon's old hits in new musical outfits, once again as a blues, metal, reggae and fusion performer.
In 1994 they got disbanded, Burdon got introduced into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where he performed 1995 with Bon Jovi and created a new group of high-professional musicians, Eric Burdon's i Band. They disbanded in 1998 and he formed Eric Burdon & The New Animals. In 2003 they changed their name in Eric Burdon & The Animals, after some band changes. In 2004 the long awaited studio-album "My Secret Life" was released and brought him back into the mainstream charts and in late 2005 the live album "Athens Traffic Live" was released.
Burdon formed a new band-line-up, also touring as Eric Burdon & The Animals. In January 2006 he released "Soul of a Man", with good critics worldwide. He wanted to create an album who is dedicated to the blues and rnb. Since then he toured the world without a break, always looking for new material, performing with other famous musicians.
Recently, Burdon wrote a screenplay called "Twisted Oliver" and is working on a new studio album. He turned down tours with War and Linkin Park in the last year, but it seems that the new year is bringing many surprises.
Many of his bands also used elements of speed metal, thrash metal, grindcore and death metal.
He's definitely one of the most important people in music history, while recording the first #1 hit with a length more than four minutes, "House of the Rising Sun", the most popular anti-vietnam song "We Gotta Get out of this Place", the first song recorded in stereo, "Sky Pilot" and the first latin rap in pop music, "Spill the Wine". His self-written rock song "Year of the Guru" (1968) proves that he created the first rap rock-song. His political environment can be seen in his multi-racial project with the band War from late 1969 to early 1971. In 2008 he reunited with the band at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Without his experimental vocals, hip hop, rap, heavy metal, rock, pop and rnb would have a completely different face.
His singing style and music also influenced artists such as Joe Cocker, The Doors, Deep Purple, The Brute Chorus, Ted Nugent, Janis Joplin, The Sonics, Steppenwolf, Chester Bennington, Bruce Springsteen, The Black Crowes, Tom Petty, The White Stripes, Ryan Adams, John Mellencamp, The Compulsive Gamblers, The Vines, Julian Thome, The Hives, MC5 and many more.
In November 2008 the magazine Rolling Stone ranked him #57 on their list of the Best Singers of all Times.
Formations:
The Animals & Sonny Boy Williamson (December 30, 1963)
The Animals (1964 - September 1966, 1976, 1983/84)
Eric Burdon & The Animals (1967 - 1968)
Eric Burdon & War (1969 - 1971)
Eric Burdon & Jimmy Witherspoon (1971)
The Eric Burdon Band (1973 - 1975)
Eric Burdon's Fire Department (1980)
Eric Burdon, Robbie Krieger & Friends (1990)
Eric Burdon & Brian Auger Band (1991 - 1993)
Eric Burdon's I Band (1995 - 1998)
Eric Burdon & The New Animals (1999 - 2002)
Eric Burdon (1976 - ...)
Black And White World
Eric Burdon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sunlight burns my eyes so I pray for the night to come
In the back row darkness I burst my bubble
Because it's there that misfits like me can stay out of trouble
I live in a black and white world
I love those black and white movies
You see when you're not of this earth
Me Mike and Mickey were hiding from the daylight
Salivating at the femme fatale her dress is so tight
She whispers in my ear as we dance to white jazz
You got a light baby when she knows that's all I've ever had
I live in a black and white world
I love those black and white movies
You see when you're not of this earth
It's not so easy to move me
Precious white milk skin black and blue bruises
In the backseat of a cab full of rhythem and blueses
We go uptown downtown looking for Louis Galanka
He's going to get us false passports man and we can
Sail off to Casa Blanca
I live in a black and white world
I love those black and white movies
You see when you're not of this earth
It's not so easy to move me
I'm not afraid of dying anymore
Because it's the only chance I've got to meet my maker
And it's the opportunity I've been waiting for
To say hello and hats off to Josephine Baker
That girl is living in a black and white world
I love those black and white movies
You see when you're not of this earth
It's not so easy to move me
Black white world black white movies
You see when you're not of this earth
It's not so easy to move me
Late at night, black and white
Black white black white
Black and white
The song "Black And White World" by Eric Burdon talks about living in a world that is constantly divided into opposing forces. The first verse portrays the mindset of a "war child" who has grown up in a world that has been destroyed by war and violence. The phrase "raised from the ashes radium" suggests the aftermath of a nuclear war, a time where life is characterized by desperation and destruction. In this bleak world, the character finds solace in the darkness of black and white movies.
The second verse takes us to a scene where the chorus is hiding from the daylight and seeking refuge in the backseat of a cab while listening to "rhythem and blueses." The mention of "white jazz" and "femme fatale" suffuses the scene with a sense of danger, seduction, and intrigue. The chorus is also obsessed with finding a way out of this world by getting false passports from Louis Galanka, so they can sail off to Casa Blanca - a place that symbolizes a new beginning.
The third verse makes direct references to the physical scars of living in a war-torn world, such as "black and blue bruises." It also shows the chorus as an iconoclastic figure who is not afraid of dying and is eagerly awaiting the opportunity to meet their maker. This verse ends with a reference to Josephine Baker, an iconic figure of the 1920s who was the first black woman to star in a major motion picture.
Overall, the song is a lament for a world in which the lines between good and evil are sharply defined. It is also a celebration of those who find beauty and solace in the art that is created in the midst of such chaos.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a war child raised from the ashes radium
I am a child of war who has grown up amidst destruction and radiation.
The sunlight burns my eyes so I pray for the night to come
Because the harshness of daylight physically pains me, I long for the solace of the darkness.
In the back row darkness I burst my bubble
I feel free in the shadows of the back rows, where I can break free from my isolation and connect with others like myself.
Because it's there that misfits like me can stay out of trouble
The darkness offers refuge for individuals like myself, who might otherwise be ostracized or punished by society.
Me Mike and Mickey were hiding from the daylight
Mike, Mickey and I feel more comfortable hiding from the world during daylight hours.
Salivating at the femme fatale her dress is so tight
We are entranced by the beauty of a woman who epitomizes a fatal kind of seduction.
She whispers in my ear as we dance to white jazz
As we sway to the sound of white jazz, she whispers into my ear, arousing me with her words.
You got a light baby when she knows that's all I've ever had
She asks me for a lighter, despite knowing that the only possession I have is this very item, which I gladly give her.
Precious white milk skin black and blue bruises
She has beautiful white skin, but it is marred by bruises and signs of abuse.
In the backseat of a cab full of rhythem and blueses
We are in the back of a cab with music full of rhythm and blues, which matches the intensity of our desire for each other.
We go uptown downtown looking for Louis Galanka
We search high and low for Louis Galanka who can provide us with false passports and help us escape to Casablanca.
That girl is living in a black and white world
The girl I am with also sees the world in terms of black and white, limiting the scope of her experiences to the extremes of life.
I'm not afraid of dying anymore
I am no longer afraid of death, as it means I will have the chance to meet my creator.
Because it's the only chance I've got to meet my maker
Death represents the only opportunity for me to connect with God.
And it's the opportunity I've been waiting for
Death offers the long awaited chance to reach the ultimate goal and realize my destiny.
To say hello and hats off to Josephine Baker
My ultimate aspiration is to one day greet Josephine Baker in the afterlife.
Black white world black white movies
It's a world that only offers two options for me, black or white; movies that lack the complexity of color.
You see when you're not of this earth
When you feel disconnected and alienated from society, you have a different perspective.
It's not so easy to move me
I am not easily swayed from my beliefs or my worldview, which is often at odds with the rest of the world.
Late at night, black and white
The darkness that envelopes me late at night further reinforces my limited view of the world in terms of black and white.
Black white black white
A repetition of my fixation with these two colors, which pervades my life and my world.
Black and white
The refrain that summarizes my whole perspective of life and the world - they are starkly defined, either black or white.
Contributed by Emma V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.