Eric Victor Burdon (May 11, 1941 in Newcastle, England) is a singer. He for… Read Full Bio ↴Eric Victor Burdon (May 11, 1941 in Newcastle, England) is a singer. He formed The Animals in 1963, a blues rock group who were one of the early influences of punk rock. They were known for their organ-guitar sound and Burdon's aggressive show performance, screaming, growling and howling. In September 1966 he formed Eric Burdon & The Animals, a psychedelic/progressive/hard rock group, who influenced grunge, heavy metal and the modern alternative rock genre. When they disbanded in late 1968, Burdon formed War, an experimental funk/soul/jazz/blues/latin rock-outfit.

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 - ...)

Freedom
Eric Burdon Lyrics

Jump to: Line by Line Meaning ↴

How delicious is the winning of her kiss
Bind her love to eternal bliss
She's the greatest power in the universe
Freedom

Her touch will feed your real hope
In the darkest days, on the steepest slope
Let your good heart and kindness fill her temple

Freedom

Nobody's free until everybody's free
We walk the winding road, sail the raging seas
No prison cell, no censorship hell
Can claim our obedience and love

Here's our toast to freedom
To human rights and dignity
Love, respect and forgiveness
United in the dream for victory
Here's to the battlefields for justice
Of the banished, tortured and enslaved
To the selfless spirit and commitment
To our brothers and sisters in their graves

She hurts when sovereigns and parliaments meet
To shackle more chains about Liberty's feet
When the rulers cast the votes (when the rulers cast the votes)
They cannot spell (they cannot spell) I'm talking 'bout freedom

Her wide open eyes desire nothing but the truth
The soul of mankind and untainted youth
Yes, for this I will stand up and fight
Oh, freedom (freedom)

Nobody's free till everybody's free
We walk a long winding road, sail the raging seas
No prison cell, no censorship hell
Can claim our obedience and love

Here's our toast to freedom
To human rights and dignity
Love, respect and forgiveness
United in the dream for victory
Here's to the battlefields for justice
Of the banished, tortured and enslaved
To the selfless spirit and commitment
To our brothers and sisters in the grave

Nobody's free till everybody's free
Together we walk a hard road, sail the raging seas
No prison cell, no censorship hell
Can claim our obedience and love (oh no)

Here's our toast to freedom
To human rights and dignity
Love, respect and forgiveness
United in the dream for victory

Here's our toast to freedom (toast to freedom)
To human rights and dignity (human rights and dignity)
Love, respect and forgiveness (love, respect and forgiveness)
United in the dream for victory (freedom)

Here's our toast to freedom (to everyone who is silenced, yeah)
To human rights and dignity
Love, respect and forgiveness
United in the dream for victory (we walk a hard road)

Here's our toast to freedom (take us on)
To human rights and dignity (stand up, fight for freedom)
Love, respect and forgiveness
United in the dream for victory (oh, freedom)

Yes, our toast to freedom (here's our toast to freedom)
To human rights and dignity (here's our toast to freedom)
Love, respect and forgiveness (here's our toast to freedom)
United in the dream for victory

Here's our toast to freedom (here's our toast to freedom)
To human rights and dignity (here's our toast to freedom)

Our toast to freedom

Freedom

Line by Line Meaning

How delicious is the winning of her kiss
The joy and pleasure of experiencing love and affection

Bind her love to eternal bliss
Keep the love and happiness in a relationship forever

She's the greatest power in the universe
Love is the strongest force in existence

Freedom
The desire and right to be free

Her touch will feed your real hope
Love and affection bring hope and optimism

In the darkest days, on the steepest slope
Even in difficult times, love can provide strength and support

Let your good heart and kindness fill her temple
Show love and compassion to nurture a relationship

Nobody's free until everybody's free
True freedom can only exist when everyone is liberated

We walk the winding road, sail the raging seas
The journey towards freedom is challenging and unpredictable

No prison cell, no censorship hell
No physical confinement or suppression can suppress the desire for freedom

Can claim our obedience and love
No authority can control our obedience and love for freedom

Here's our toast to freedom
A celebration and tribute to the value of freedom

To human rights and dignity
Acknowledging the importance of rights and respect for all individuals

Love, respect and forgiveness
The essential qualities for a harmonious society

United in the dream for victory
Coming together to achieve the triumph of freedom

Here's to the battlefields for justice
Acknowledging the struggles fought for justice and equality

Of the banished, tortured and enslaved
Recognizing the sufferings of those who have been oppressed

To the selfless spirit and commitment
Appreciating the dedication and sacrifice of those fighting for freedom

To our brothers and sisters in their graves
Honoring the memory of those who have lost their lives in the pursuit of freedom

She hurts when sovereigns and parliaments meet
Freedom suffers when those in power gather to make decisions

To shackle more chains about Liberty's feet
Imposing further restrictions on freedom and liberty

When the rulers cast the votes (when the rulers cast the votes)
When those in authority make decisions

They cannot spell (they cannot spell) I'm talking 'bout freedom
They lack understanding and appreciation for true freedom

Her wide open eyes desire nothing but the truth
The pursuit of justice and honesty is essential for freedom

The soul of mankind and untainted youth
Preserving the innocence and purity of humanity

Yes, for this I will stand up and fight
A determination to defend and fight for freedom

Nobody's free till everybody's free
Freedom cannot be fully realized until everyone is liberated

Together we walk a hard road, sail the raging seas
Facing challenges and difficulties together in the pursuit of freedom

No prison cell, no censorship hell
No confinement or suppression can erase the desire for freedom

Can claim our obedience and love (oh no)
No authority has control over our commitment and love for freedom

Here's our toast to freedom (toast to freedom)
A tribute and celebration of freedom

Our toast to freedom
A collective celebration and acknowledgement of the value of freedom

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Allen Irwin, Carl Carlton, Christopher Lee Barker, Christopher Mark Head, Justin Cathal Geever, Lawrence T. Campbell, Patrick C. Bollinger

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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