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 - ...)
GTO
Eric Burdon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At the roadhouse where the highway
Doe's a little number there with a 42
On a chasin' for some lovin'
On a humid afternoon
She's delightedhe's a quitter
He probably never will deliver
So she leaves him with his rock 'n' roll tunes
But he's still got the GTO
And he still loves to drive that road
He's still got a GTO mighty good
It's kind of gold
GTO
On the blue team in Virginia
Another weekend maneuver
On a weekend with per diem
A lot of work there for democracy
There's a governor from assembly
Reciting good poems from his memory
And all of his money in his money jar
He traded for one muscle car
But he's still got the GTO
And he still loves to drive that road
He's still got a GTO mighty good
It's kind of gold
GTO
In Malibu California
There's a surfer do you remember
He used to ride the big kahuna
With Robin and Finesse
They used to call him super hooter
He used to rock there to wooly bully
He's the one you can see him on the beach
They call him old man
Checking out the girls and their cars
But he's still got the GTO
And he still loves to drive that road
He's still got a GTO mighty good
It's kind of gold
GTO
Hahaha
My GTO
...
The lyrics to "GTO" by Eric Burdon portray individuals who are obsessed with their cars, specifically the GTO. The first verse depicts a woman driving a 42 GTO in search of love but ultimately leaving behind her music-loving partner. The second verse describes a governor who trades all his money for a GTO and enjoys driving it on the weekends. Finally, the third verse references a surfer in Malibu who cruises in his GTO and checks out girls on the beach. The repetition of the chorus, "But he's still got a GTO, and he still loves to drive that road," highlights the importance and attachment that these individuals have to their cars.
The lyrics of "GTO" showcase the importance of cars in Americana culture, particularly during the 1960s and 1970s. Cars were not just a mode of transportation but were also a symbol of status, freedom, and individuality. The song's narrative depicts individuals who value their cars as more than just an object but as an extension of themselves. The GTO is a representation of their personalities and desires. It's also important to note that the lyrics suggest that the love for the GTO is universal regardless of gender, social status, or lifestyle.
Overall, "GTO" by Eric Burdon embodies the spirit of the 60s and 70s cultural revolution that revolved around youthful exuberance and the freedom to express oneself. The song reminds us that cars were not just used for practical purposes but were also an essential part of the American Dream.
Line by Line Meaning
In Biloxi Mississippi on a street called Waterloo
The song sets the scene to be in Biloxi, Mississippi, specifically on the street called Waterloo.
At the roadhouse where the highway
The scene is at a roadhouse near the highway.
Doe's a little number there with a 42
There's a woman there who has a car with the number 42 on it.
On a chasin' for some lovin'
The woman is on the lookout for love.
On a humid afternoon
The weather is hot and humid.
She's delightedhe's a quitter
The woman is excited, but the man she's with is a quitter.
He probably never will deliver
The man is unlikely to keep his promises.
So she leaves him with his rock 'n' roll tunes
The woman leaves the man with his music.
But he's still got the GTO
Despite losing the woman, the man still has his GTO.
And he still loves to drive that road
He still enjoys driving his GTO.
He's still got a GTO mighty good
His GTO is still in great condition.
It's kind of gold
The color of the GTO is gold.
On the blue team in Virginia
The song now switches to Virginia and the blue team there.
Another weekend maneuver
They're doing some weekend maneuvers or exercises.
On a weekend with per diem
They have a budget for expenses on the weekend.
A lot of work there for democracy
They're working towards democracy.
There's a governor from assembly
There's a governor present and possibly from the assembly.
Reciting good poems from his memory
The governor is reciting some good poems he remembers.
And all of his money in his money jar
He has all his money saved up in a jar.
He traded for one muscle car
He traded all his saved up money for a muscle car.
In Malibu California
Now the song is in Malibu, California.
There's a surfer do you remember
There's a surfer that the song is asking if you remember.
He used to ride the big kahuna
The surfer used to ride the big kahuna.
With Robin and Finesse
He used to ride waves with Robin and Finesse.
They used to call him super hooter
His nickname was Super Hooter.
He used to rock there to wooly bully
He used to listen to Wooly Bully there.
He's the one you can see him on the beach
He's a regular at the beach and you can easily see him there.
They call him old man
Despite his history as a surfer, he's now referred to as old man.
Checking out the girls and their cars
The old man now spends his time checking out girls and their cars.
Hahaha
An expression of laughter or amusement.
My GTO
The man is once again referring to his beloved GTO.
Contributed by Mackenzie W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.