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 - ...)
Tobbaco Road
Eric Burdon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My mother died and my daddy got drunk
Left me here to die or grow
In the middle of Tobacco Road
Tobacco Road
Tobacco Road
I grew up in a rusty shack
Lord above knows how much I loathe
This mean old place called Tobacco Road
Tobacco Road
Tobacco Road
Tobacco Road
Tobacco Road
But it's home, yes
The only life I've ever known
And the Lord knows how much I loathe
Tobacco Road
Tobacco Road, yeah
Tobacco Road, yeah
I'm talking 'bout road
I'm talking 'bout that road
Tobacco Road, yeah
Everybody's got some
Everybody's got some
Everybody be some
Everybody remember some
Tobacco Road, yeah
Road, yeah, road yeah, road yeah, road yeah, road yeah
But it's home, hmm
The only life this boy has ever known, yeah
And the Lord knows how much I loathe
Tobacco Road
Yeah, road
Tobacco Road, yeah
Tobacco Road, hmm
Well I'm gonna leave and get a job
With the help and the grace from above
Bring me some dynamite and I'll give you a crane
And I'll blow it all up, tear it down, tear it down, start all over again
And I'll build me a town, people, I'll be proud to show
And I'll keep the name, and I'll keep the name
And I'll keep the name
Tobacco Road
Tobacco Road
Tobacco Road
Tobacco Road
Oh I despise and disapprove you
But I love you, 'cause you're my home, baby
You are my home
The only life I've ever known
You are my home
You are my home
Yes you're my home
Yes baby you're my home
You're my home
Yes, you're home
Yes
The only life I've ever known
And the Lord knows how much I loathe
Tobacco Road, yeah
Tobacco Road, yeah
Tobacco Road, yeah
Dirty 'n-a-filthy, dirty 'n-a-filthy
But I love you, but I love
'Cause you're my home
You are my home
You are my home
You are my home
Baby, you call me back, cover the lights but you're my home
Hmm, you're my home
Take me home
Take me home
Tobacco Road
Tobacco Road
You're my home
The lyrics to Eric Burdon/Brian Auger Band's "Tobacco Road" tell the story of the singer's difficult upbringing in a poor, rundown area called Tobacco Road. He was born in a dump and left to fend for himself after his mother died and his father turned to alcohol. Despite despising the filth and poverty of his home, he also feels a deep sense of attachment to it, calling it the only life he's ever known. He dreams of leaving to get a better job and make some money, but also has plans to come back to Tobacco Road and make it a better place. The chorus of the song repeats the conflicting emotions he feels towards his home - he hates it because it's dirty and run-down, but he also loves it because it's where he comes from.
The song is a poignant commentary on poverty and class struggle, and the way in which people's surroundings can shape their identities and outlooks on life. Despite his negative feelings towards the place where he grew up, the singer acknowledges that it's a part of who he is and where he comes from. The repetition of the phrase "Tobacco Road" throughout the song emphasizes its importance in his personal history and the way it has shaped his world view.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, I was born in a dump
I was born in a very poor and unpleasant place.
My mama died, daddy got drunk
My mother passed away, and my father struggled with alcoholism.
He left me here to die or grow
He let me stay here with the possibility of surviving or dying.
In the middle of Tobacco Road
In a street named Tobacco Road, which was a poverty-stricken, rundown area.
I grew up in a rusty shack
I spent my childhood in a small, dilapidated house made of metal sheets.
And all I owned was hangin' on my back
I had very few possessions and carried them on my back wherever I went.
The Lord knows how I loathe
I have a deep hatred for this place.
This place called, Tobacco Road
Referring again to the street named Tobacco Road.
But it's home, it's really my home
I may hate it, but I still consider it my home.
The only life I'll ever know
This is the only way of life I've ever experienced.
I'm gonna leave and get a job
I plan on leaving this place and finding employment elsewhere.
With the help and the grace of God
I am relying on God's assistance to achieve my goal.
I save my money, get rich I know
I plan on saving my earnings to become wealthy.
Bring it back to Tobacco Road
Eventually, I plan on returning with my wealth to improve this place.
Well, well, well
An expression indicating that the singer is about to make a powerful statement or decision.
Gonna bring me some dynamite, gonna bring me a crane
I will bring explosives and heavy machinery to destroy the old buildings and start anew.
Got to blow you up, got to tear you down, start all over again
I must completely demolish everything in this place and rebuild from scratch.
I'll rebuild the town, I'll be proud to show
I will rebuild the town to my satisfaction and take pride in the final product.
And keep the name of Tobacco Road
Even though I will rebuild the town, I will keep the name to honor its history.
But it's home, it's home
Despite the destruction, it is still home to me.
I despise you 'cause you're filthy
I hate this place because of how dirty and rundown it is.
But I love you because you're my home
Despite the negative aspects, I still have an attachment and love for this place.
Tobacco Road, Tobacco Road
Repetition of the name of the street and its associated history.
Say you're dirty and filthy
Acknowledging the poor state of this place.
I despise, I despise you 'cause you're filthy
Repeating the line to emphasize the strong negative feelings.
But I love you because you're my home
Repeating the line to emphasize the conflicting emotions.
Tobacco Road, road
Repeating the name of the street to bring the song to a close.
Talkin' about a dirty, funky, filthy low down place
Reiterating how bad this place is.
Tobacco Road, well, you're so dirty and filthy
Concluding the song by repeating the name of the street and its negative qualities.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John D. Loudermilk
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind