History
First incarnation
Formed in Newcastle-upon-Tyne during 1962 and 1963 when Burdon joined the existing Alan Price Rhythm and Blues Combo, the original line-up comprised Eric Burdon (vocals), Alan Price (organ and keyboards), Hilton Valentine (guitar), John Steel (drums), and Bryan "Chas" Chandler (bass). The Animals' moderate success in their hometown and a connection with The Yardbirds manager Giorgio Gomelsky motivated them to move to London in 1964, in time to be grouped with the British Invasion. They performed fiery versions of the staple rhythm and blues repertoire (Jimmy Reed, John Lee Hooker, Nina Simone, etc). Signed to the Columbia Graphophone subsidiary of EMI, a rocking version of the standard "Baby Let Me Follow You Down" (retitled Baby Let Me Take You Home) was their first UK hit single.
It was followed in June 1964 by the huge transatlantic hit "House of the Rising Sun". Burdon's howling vocals and the dramatic arrangement created arguably the first folk rock hit. Whether the arrangement was inspired by Bob Dylan's version of the song (which in turn was inspired by folk singer Dave Van Ronk) or by blues singer Josh White's (who recorded it twice in 1944 and 1949) or by singer/pianist Nina Simone (who recorded it in 1962 on At The Village Gate, predating Dylan's interpretation) remains a subject of dispute, as does whether all five Animals deserved credit for the arrangement and not just Price.
The Animals' two-year chart career, masterminded by producer Mickie Most, featured singles that were intense, gritty pop covers such as Sam Cooke's Bring It On Home To Me and the Nina Simone number Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood. In contrast their album tracks stayed with rhythm and blues, with Hooker's Boom Boom and Ray Charles' I Believe to My Soul being notable examples. Burdon's powerful, deep voice and the use of keyboards as much or more than guitars were two elements that made the Animals' sound stand out.
By May 1965 the group was starting to feel internal pressures. Price left due to personal and musical differences as well as a fear of flying on tour; he went on to a successful career as a solo artist and with the Alan Price Set. Mickey Gallagher filled in for him on keyboards for a spell, until Dave Rowberry replaced him and was on hand for the hit working-class anthems We Gotta Get Out of this Place and It's My Life. Around that time, an Animals Big Band even made a one-time appearance.
Many of The Animals' hits had come from Brill Building songwriters recruited by Most; the group, and Burdon in particular, felt this was too restrictive. As 1965 ended the group switched to Decca Records and producer Tom Wilson, who gave them more artistic freedom. In early 1966 MGM Records, their American label, collected their hits onto The Best of The Animals; it became their best-selling album in the U.S. In February 1966 Steel left and was replaced by Barry Jenkins; a leftover cover of Goffin-King's Don't Bring Me Down and the powerful hard rock tune See See Rider were the last hits as The Animals.
By this time their business affairs "were in a total shambles," according to Chandler (who would go on to manage Jimi Hendrix), and the group disbanded. Even by the standards of the day, when artists tended to be financially naïve, the Animals made very little money from their successes, eventually claiming mismanagement and theft on the part of their manager Mike Jeffery.
Second incarnation
A group with Burdon, Jenkins, and new sidemen John Weider (guitar/violin/bass), Vic Briggs alias Antion (guitar/piano), and Danny McCulloch (bass) was formed under the name Eric Burdon and the New Animals (or sometimes just Eric Burdon & the Animals) in October 1966, and changed direction. The hard-driving blues was transformed into Burdon's version of psychedelia, as the former heavy-drinking Geordie (who later said he could never get used to Newcastle, "where the rain comes at you sideways") relocated to California and became a spokesman for the Love Generation, but also a former heavy metal act and one of the upcoming stars of the genre such as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple..
Some of this group's hits included "San Franciscan Nights", "Monterey" (a tribute to the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival), and the anti-war "Sky Pilot". There were further changes to this line-up: George Bruno (a/k/a Zoot Money, keyboards) was added in April 1968, and in July 1968 Andy Summers [sic] (guitar)—later of The Police—replaced Briggs and McCulloch.
By 1969 these Animals had dissolved, and Eric Burdon joined forces with a Latin group from Long Beach, California called War.
The first hit under Eric Burdon & War was the funky/chill-out song Spill the Wine. The Group with 8 members disbanded in July 1971.
Later incarnations
The original Animals line-up of Burdon, Price, Valentine, Chandler, and Steel briefly reunited for a benefit concert in Newcastle in 1968, for an album in 1977 and again for an album and tour (supplemented by Zoot Money on keyboards and Steve Grant on guitar) in 1983. Chandler died in 1996.
In the 2000s Burdon has toured with a new set of musicians under the name "Eric Burdon and the Animals". Periodically during the 1990s and 2000s Valentine, Steel, and Dave Rowberry toured under the name "(Hilton Valentine's) The Animals" and Valentine and Steel under the name "Animals II". Rowberry died in 2003. As of 2005 "Animals & Friends" was also active, consisting of Steel and Mickey Gallagher; this group frequently play gigs on a Color Line ship that travels between Scandinavia and Germany.
Legacy
The original Animals were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Their influence can be heard in artists as varied as The Doors, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Canned Heat, David Johansen, Joe Cocker, Fine Young Cannibals, Iggy Pop, Mando Diao and many, many more.
Bright Lights Big City
The Animals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bright lights, big city gone to my baby's head
I tried to tell you woman, you won't believe a thing that I said
It's alright, pretty baby yeah, you'll need my help someday
It's alright, pretty baby, you'll need my help someday
You're gonna wish you had listened to some of these things that I said
You know I told you baby
Bright lights, big city gone to my baby's head
Tried to tell you woman, you won't believe a thing that I said
Owh baby! Oh yes now!
Oowh it's alright baby, you'll need my help someday
It's alright baby, you should have listened to what I said
You know I warned you baby
About the long Cadillacs with the big shiny pims (wheels)
Rolls Royce Silver Cloud wings (baby)
Men with money, cigarettes, flamingo, scotch, bourbon
Yeah bright lights, big city gone to my baby's head
Awh! Bright lights, big city, yeah gone to my baby's head
I tried to tell you woman, you won't believe a thing that I said
The Animals' song "Bright Lights Big City" is a grim portrayal of the bright lights of the city that can erode away a person's values and cause them to become lost in a haze of materialism and excess. The lyrics describe the singer's desperate attempt to warn his lover about the dangers of the hedonistic lifestyle of the city, warning her that the bright lights and glamour would eventually consume her. Despite all his warnings, however, the woman refuses to listen, and the singer resigns himself to the fact that she will need his help someday.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Bright Lights Big City gone to my baby's head" to reinforce the idea that the city has a powerful hold over people's minds and will ultimately change them for the worse. The singer's anger and frustration are clear in the verses, as he implores his lover to listen to him and take his warnings seriously. The final lines "Men with money, cigarettes, flamingo, scotch, bourbon" seem to suggest that even those with wealth and power are not immune to the corrupting influence of the city.
Line by Line Meaning
Bright lights, big city they've gone to my baby's head
The dazzling popularity and glamour of the city have captivated my partner's attention and influenced their behavior.
I tried to tell you woman, you won't believe a thing that I said
I attempted to warn and advise my significant other, but they refused to heed my words.
It's alright, pretty baby yeah, you'll need my help someday
It's okay, my dear, eventually, you will come to appreciate and require my support and guidance.
You're gonna wish you had listened to some of these things that I said
At some point, you will regret ignoring my wise counsel and recognizing its importance.
About the long Cadillacs with the big shiny pims (wheels)
Rolls Royce Silver Cloud wings (baby)
Men with money, cigarettes, flamingo, scotch, bourbon
I suggested that the city's excessive wealth and lavish luxury, symbolized by grand cars, prestigious drinks, and affluent men, are overwhelming my partner's values and principles.
Owh baby! Oh yes now!
A passionate exclamation expressing intense feelings and emotions, possibly in response to the situation at hand.
Oowh it's alright baby, you'll need my help someday
Another reassurance that despite everything, I will stand by my partner and lend them assistance if and when needed.
You know I warned you baby
I have previously delivered cautionary statements to my significant other, likely multiple times, about the consequences of buying into the alluring city life.
Yeah bright lights, big city gone to my baby's head
I am emphasizing the idea that the flashy and superficial aspects of the metropolis have distracted my partner from more important values and blinded them to reality.
Awh! Bright lights, big city, yeah gone to my baby's head
Reiterating the central point that the overwhelming grandeur and opulence of the city have consumed my partner's thoughts and behavior.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jimmy Reed
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kaylaearley1742
He is so adorable 🥰 I can’t be the only one thinking this
@r.e.ritchard6901
Trust me, you're NOT alone! LOL
@cassandra_bonnet
Don't worry you're not the only one 💞 (And they're all adorable !)
@elianaalegre5045
Es genial, lo mejor de lo mejor😊
@johnsullivan7502
Steeped in R & B. They were under the radar most of the time. Terrific musicians and Eric was/is in a class by himself.
@johnsullivan7502
ERJZ7, right back atcha!
@karenmiller2042
Eric and the Animals doing what they do best, the blues, what a voice, what a looker 😍❤️
@oldrvr
🥰
@douglasmillar2169
Top banana
@elisabethaxelsson4736
So True