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 - ...)
Wall of Silence
Eric Burdon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't hear nothing but there are people dying
I must say something so I keep on trying
To break this wall of silence
Man on the news used to say we was insecure
But he can't tell those lies no more
We kill ourselves daily
My way is paved with corpses
I was told there'll never be a world war three
What's all this terror coming down 'round poor me
Gun in every pocket
Gun in every street
Can't beat the wall of silence
Like powder and steel can make you feel free
You wake up and find it's just a bad dream
Like coke up the nose
And you must face reality
If these walls could speak
I wonder what they'd say
Would they whisper a curse
Or recite a phrase
They promise you love
But brother you ain't going nowhere
Inside the wall of silence
They promise you the earth
But buddy you ain't going nowhere
Inside the wall of silence
Inside the wall of silence
Don't say a word
You've got to cover these walls
Bring down the wall
Fly over the wall
Tear it down
In Eric Burdon's song Wall of Silence, the lyrics speak about the atrocities happening in the world that people are ignoring or staying silent about. Burdon describes the cries of suffering children and the sound of people dying. He feels the need to speak out against these atrocities and break the wall of silence that surrounds them.
The second verse of the song talks about how the media used to report on the insecurity of the world, but can no longer do so. Burdon describes how people are killing themselves daily and that this is becoming the norm. The chorus repeats the phrase "can't beat the wall of silence" as a reminder that unless people speak up, nothing will change.
The song also speaks about the false promises that society has made to individuals. Burdon suggests that these promises, including love and success, are never fulfilled, and that people are stuck inside a wall of silence where their voices are no longer heard. The song encourages people to break down the walls of silence and to fight for change.
Overall, Wall of Silence is a song that speaks to societal issues that people too often ignore. The lyrics encourage people to speak up and break down the walls of silence that prevent change.
Line by Line Meaning
I hate to say it but I hear children crying
It pains me to admit, but I can hear the sounds of innocent children crying out in agony.
I can't hear nothing but there are people dying
Everything else fades away when I'm confronted with the harsh reality that lives are being lost.
I must say something so I keep on trying
I feel compelled to speak out against these atrocities, so I continue fighting to make my message heard.
To break this wall of silence
My goal is to shatter the veil of secrecy and get people to start paying attention to what's really going on.
Man on the news used to say we was insecure
The media once talked about our nation's sense of vulnerability and instability.
But he can't tell those lies no more
However, those falsehoods are no longer believable or acceptable.
We kill ourselves daily
We continue to harm ourselves and others on a regular basis.
Just can't keep score
It's impossible to keep track of all the violence and destruction we inflict upon each other.
My way is paved with corpses
The path I walk is littered with the remains of those who have been lost due to our society's lack of concern or action.
I was told there'll never be a world war three
I was once assured that there would never be another global conflict like the ones before.
What's all this terror coming down 'round poor me
But now I'm faced with the harsh reality of widespread fear and senseless acts of violence all around me.
Gun in every pocket
It seems like everyone is armed and ready to strike at any moment.
Gun in every street
The streets are dangerous, with weapons and tension ever-present.
Can't beat the wall of silence
Despite my best efforts, I can't break through the wall of indifference or apathy that separates us from positive change.
Like powder and steel can make you feel free
It's easy to believe that drugs or weapons can provide a sense of liberation and power.
You wake up and find it's just a bad dream
But that rush of adrenaline and euphoria quickly fades, leaving you feeling empty and disillusioned.
Like coke up the nose
Using drugs as a means of escape is a temporary fix, but it only leads to greater problems later on.
And you must face reality
Eventually, we all have to confront the truth and figure out how to overcome our problems without resorting to destructive behaviors.
If these walls could speak
I wonder what secrets and stories these walls have witnessed over the years.
I wonder what they'd say
Perhaps those walls could finally reveal the truth that we've all been ignoring for too long.
Would they whisper a curse
Or perhaps they would condemn us for our actions and lack of respect for life.
Or recite a phrase
Maybe there are wise words or a message hidden within those walls, waiting to be uncovered.
They promise you love
We're told that love will conquer all and unite us as a people.
But brother you ain't going nowhere
But we can't move forward as a society until we learn to acknowledge and address the root causes of our problems.
They promise you the earth
We're led to believe that if we just work hard enough, we'll achieve great success and prosperity.
But buddy you ain't going nowhere
But the reality is often much harsher, and we're stuck in the same destructive patterns, unable to break free from the wall of silence.
Don't say a word
We're taught to stay silent and not make waves, even when faced with injustice or cruelty.
You've got to cover these walls
We work hard to conceal our suffering and pain from the world, building up walls to protect ourselves from further harm.
Bring down the wall
But to truly overcome our problems, we need to tear down these walls and start communicating with each other more openly and honestly.
Fly over the wall
We need to look past our own immediate concerns and try to understand the perspectives of others, in order to build a more compassionate world.
Tear it down
Only by breaking down these barriers and working together can we hope to make real progress and effect positive change.
Contributed by Hannah M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.