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.
Gonna Send You Back To Walker
The Animals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know that you had nothin' when I met you, baby
But look what you got now
Sometimes I wonder, did I make a mistake
When I brought you to the South?
Gonna send you back to Walker
Since you been got in the big city
Well, you been started treatin' me wrong (oh-oh-oh-oh)
Your mama and your daddy done told me, baby
Not to bring you to the South
I brought you to the city
And the bright lights knocked you out
I'm gonna send you back to Walker
Girl, that's where you belong, I know
Since you been got in the big city
Well, you been started treatin' me wrong (oh-oh-oh-oh)
Get outta here, baby
All right
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Your mama and your daddy done told me, baby
Not to bring you to the South
I brought you from the city
And the bright lights knocked you out
I'm gonna send you back to Walker
Girl, that's where you belong, I know, baby
Since you been got in the big city
Well, you been started treatin' me wrong (oh-oh-oh-oh)
I know you been treatin' me wrong
Ah, so long
I'm gonna send you back where you belong
All right, all right
Put you down
Send you back home
Goodbye, baby
Oh, so long
Hey, hey, bye
The Animals' song "Gonna Send You Back to Walker" tells the story of a Southern man who feels that he made a mistake when he brought his girlfriend to the city. He is frustrated with her behavior, and her family had warned him not to bring her to the South. He sees her as being out of place in the big city, where the bright lights have "knocked her out." Nonetheless, he has had enough of her and decides to send her back home to Walker, where she belongs.
The lyrics show a sense of regret from the singer, who feels that he has made a mistake by bringing his girlfriend to the city. He is disappointed with her behavior and sees her as being out of place. He also feels a sense of obligation to her family and the place she comes from, and ultimately decides to send her back to where she belongs. The lyrics are a commentary on the clash between rural and urban cultures and a reminder that we must appreciate the people and places that we come from.
Line by Line Meaning
You know that you had nothin' when I met you, baby
When we first met, you didn't have much going for you.
But look what you got now
Now, you've gained something from being with me.
Sometimes I wonder, did I make a mistake
I have doubts about whether I should have brought you with me.
When I brought you to the South?
When you moved with me to the southern part of the country.
Gonna send you back to Walker
I'm going to send you back to your hometown of Walker.
Girl, that's where you belong
That's where you should be living.
Since you been got in the big city
Since you've been living in the city with me.
Well, you been started treatin' me wrong (oh-oh-oh-oh)
You've been mistreating me lately.
Your mama and your daddy done told me, baby
Your parents warned me about bringing you to the South.
Not to bring you to the South
They didn't want you to move here.
And the bright lights knocked you out
The excitement of the city had an overwhelming effect on you.
All right
Okay.
I know
I'm aware.
Ah, so long
Goodbye.
Put you down
I'm going to end things with you.
Send you back home
I'm going to send you back to where you're from.
Hey, hey, bye
An informal farewell.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: Jake Hammond, Johnnie Mae Mathews
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Eugene Cotes
You had nothin' when I met you, baby
But look what you got now
Sometimes I wonder, did I make a mistake
When I brought you to the South?
Gonna send you back to Walker
Girl, that's where you belong
Since you been got in the big city
Well, you been startin' treatin' me wrong
Your mama and your daddy done told me, baby
Not to bring you to the South
I brought you to the city
And the bright lights knocked you out
I'm gonna send you back to Walker
Girl, that's where you belong, I know
Since you been got in the big city
Well, you been startin' treatin' me wrong
Your mama and your daddy done told me, baby
Not to bring you to the South
I brought you from the city
And the bright lights knocked you out
I'm gonna send you back to Walker
Girl, that's where you belong, I know, baby
Since you been got in the big city
Well, you been startin' treatin' me wrong
I know you been treatin' me wrong
Ah, so long
I'm gonna send you back where you belong
All right, all right
Put you down
Send you back home
Goodbye
MrBoutland
Aye it was maca
East Walker school had nothing going for it.
Tynevale tce. Wasn't the best place to live.
Unless you lived in the side streets
I.e. emmerdale ave.
And a teacher's pet.
You basically fucked
The rest of your life.
Still a good track.
The Triumph of the Thrill
Fantastic song, from the vocals to the music absolutely flawless. The Animals are one of the all-time greats.
James Buckingham.
Another great Jimmy Reed riff. Nearly every British band of the time, Stones, Pretty Things as well used his riffs. Which they acknowledged. When Jimmy Reed died penniless after years of heavy drinking Mick Jagger and Keith Richards paid for his funeral. Saw the Animals in 1965. One of the best live bands there was.
Chaz Hernandez
I still listen to Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall. My grandparents played him when i was five. We played Big Boss Man in my band. 🎶😎
Eugene Cotes
You had nothin' when I met you, baby
But look what you got now
Sometimes I wonder, did I make a mistake
When I brought you to the South?
Gonna send you back to Walker
Girl, that's where you belong
Since you been got in the big city
Well, you been startin' treatin' me wrong
Your mama and your daddy done told me, baby
Not to bring you to the South
I brought you to the city
And the bright lights knocked you out
I'm gonna send you back to Walker
Girl, that's where you belong, I know
Since you been got in the big city
Well, you been startin' treatin' me wrong
Your mama and your daddy done told me, baby
Not to bring you to the South
I brought you from the city
And the bright lights knocked you out
I'm gonna send you back to Walker
Girl, that's where you belong, I know, baby
Since you been got in the big city
Well, you been startin' treatin' me wrong
I know you been treatin' me wrong
Ah, so long
I'm gonna send you back where you belong
All right, all right
Put you down
Send you back home
Goodbye
Tattyshoes Shigure
Love this song... also love how the Animals adapted the original lyrics fo
give a more ‘local’ feel!
Paula Pacente
Love this song!
Önea Barcelona
This sound can not be outdated or lack of flow and rythm.
Ed Halfen
I always liked this one but haven't thought about it in more than a little while. Bluesey band and Eric Burdon's voice is like another instrument.
Brian Matthews
Love this song! Sounds good at 1.25x speed too 😎
dennis gray
Hard to think that these great ,never to be repeated -are in the 50-60 years ago range. Memories are always with us because of media whereas in the 18th centiury it wasn't that prevalent. So always there to remind us (as Sandie Shaw said)