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.
Outcast
The Animals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For you to mistreat me this way
I'm left out of everything
Each and every day
I'm just an outcast
I don´t know how long I'm goin' to last
Lord, when will it be over
Baby, come on and help me discover
But my girl gives me unhappiness
Lord, no matter how hard I try
Tears keep comin' down from my eyes
I'm just an outcast
I don't know how long I´m gonna last
Lord, when will it be over
Baby, come on and help me discover
[Instrumental break: guitar-organ exchanges]
You know, I'm just a young boy
But she treats me like last year's toy
I want her, for myself
I want her and nobody else
I'm just an outcast
Don't know how long I can last
Oh, when will it be over
Baby, come on and help me discover
I'm just an outcast--
Waauuggh!--
An' I don't know how long I can last--
Ow!--
I think I can make it--
I've got to try and make it--
Waauuggh!
The Animals’s song “Outcast” is a pleading cry for a girl to come back to the singer, who is clearly struggling with heartbreak and isolation. The song lyrics are an expression of the singer’s emotional and mental state - he is hurt, confused, and feeling helpless. The song’s overall tone is desperate and downcast; the lyrics express the inner turmoil of the singer as he tries to comprehend why he is being treated so poorly. The song is, therefore, a commentary on the complex emotions that come with heartbreak - desperation, loneliness, and confusion.
The first few lines of the song are a direct plea to the girl, asking her what the singer has done to deserve such mistreatment. The line “I’m left out of everything each and every day” speaks to the sense of exclusion and isolation that the singer feels, and the refrain that he is “just an outcast” underscores this feeling of loneliness. The lines “Lord, when will it be over baby, come on and help me discover” are a cry for help, showing that the singer feels defeated and out of solutions. The song ends on an optimistic note, with the line “I think I can make it, I’ve got to try and make it” - this can be interpreted as a glimmer of hope that life can be better again.
Line by Line Meaning
Girl, what have I done?
The singer wonders what they might have done to merit the mistreatment they are receiving from their partner.
For you to mistreat me this way
The singer's partner has been treating them poorly for an unspecified reason.
I'm left out of everything
The singer feels excluded from their partner's life and experiences.
Each and every day
The feeling of being left out occurs daily and persistently for the artist.
I'm just an outcast
The artist feels like an outsider or an outcast in their relationship with their partner.
I don´t know how long I'm goin' to last
The singer is uncertain about how much longer they can endure being treated poorly by their partner.
Lord, when will it be over
The singer prays for the difficult situation to come to an end.
Baby, come on and help me discover
The artist pleads for their partner to assist in resolving the issues in their relationship.
I guess I've got to do my best
The artist realizes that they must make an effort to improve the situation in their relationship.
But my girl gives me unhappiness
Despite the artist's efforts, their partner is still the source of their unhappiness.
Lord, no matter how hard I try
The singer has tried their best, but their efforts have not resolved the issues in their relationship.
Tears keep comin' down from my eyes
The artist is emotionally overwhelmed and sad, leading them to cry frequently.
You know, I'm just a young boy
The singer is young and inexperienced.
But she treats me like last year's toy
The singer's partner treats them as though they are expendable or disposable.
I want her, for myself
Despite their partner's poor treatment of them, the singer still wants to be with them.
I want her and nobody else
The artist is only interested in being with their current partner and not seeking other romantic interests.
I'm just an outcast-- Waauuggh!--
The artist reiterates their feeling of being an outcast in their relationship.
An' I don't know how long I can last-- Ow!--
The singer does not know how much longer they can endure the difficult situation they are in with their partner.
I think I can make it-- I've got to try and make it-- Waauuggh!
Despite the hardships they are facing, the singer believes they can persevere if they try their best.
Contributed by Adalyn V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.