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.
Sky Pilot
The Animals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The smell of gun grease
and the bayonets they shine
He's there to help them all that he can
To make them feel wanted he's a good holy man
Sky pilot,
Sky pilot,
How high can you fly?
He smiles at the young soldiers
Tells them it's all right
He knows of their fear in the forthcoming fight
Soon there'll be blood and many will die
Mothers and fathers back home they will cry
Sky pilot,
Sky pilot,
How high can you fly?
You'll never, never, never reach the sky.
He mumbles a prayer and it ends with a smile
The order is given
They move down the line
But he'll stay behind and he'll meditate
But it won't stop the bleeding or ease the hate
As the young men move out into the battle zone
He feels good, with God you're never alone
He feels tired and he lays on his bed
Hopes the men will find courage
in the words that he said
Sky pilot,
Sky pilot,
How high can you fly?
You'll never, never, never reach the sky.
You're soldiers of God, you must understand
The fate of your country is in your young hands
May God give you strength
Do your job real well
If it all was worth it
Only time it will tell
In the morning they return
With tears in their eyes
The stench of death drifts up to the skies
A soldier so ill looks at the sky pilot
Remembers the words
"Thou shalt not kill."
Sky pilot,
Sky pilot,
How high can you fly?
You'll never, never, never reach the sky.
The Animals' song Sky Pilot, released in 1968, deals with the subject of war and the role of a chaplain, also known as a sky pilot, in offering support and comfort to soldiers who are about to go to battle. The opening lines describe the chaplain blessing the young soldiers as they stand in line, with the smell of gun grease and the shine of bayonets in the air. The chaplain is there to offer whatever help he can, to make the soldiers feel wanted, and to provide some measure of spiritual solace. The chorus of the song questions the chaplain's own sense of purpose and the limits of what he can achieve. How high can you fly? You'll never, never, never reach the sky.
As the song continues, the chaplain mumbles a prayer before the soldiers move into the battle zone, hoping to find the courage in the words he said. The final stanza sees the soldiers returning from the field of battle with tears in their eyes, some overcome with sickness, others with a sense of the futility of the violence they have witnessed. One soldier, in particular, remembers the chaplain's message, Thou shalt not kill, and looks up to the sky, wondering at the cost of all that has transpired.
Line by Line Meaning
He blesses the boys as they stand in line
The preacher offers a blessing to the young soldiers lined up before him
The smell of gun grease
and the bayonets they shine
The weapons are oiled and gleaming in the light
He's there to help them all that he can
To make them feel wanted he's a good holy man
The preacher is doing his best to support and console the soldiers, wanting them to feel valued and appreciated
Sky pilot,
Sky pilot,
How high can you fly?
You'll never, never, never reach the sky.
The chorus repeats the question of whether the preacher can reach the heavens, suggesting that despite his efforts he cannot change the reality of war and its toll on human life
He smiles at the young soldiers
Tells them it's all right
He knows of their fear in the forthcoming fight
Soon there'll be blood and many will die
Mothers and fathers back home they will cry
The preacher comforts the soldiers but acknowledges the inevitable violence and tragedy of war, with families on both sides affected by the losses
He mumbles a prayer and it ends with a smile
The order is given
They move down the line
But he'll stay behind and he'll meditate
But it won't stop the bleeding or ease the hate
The preacher prays for the soldiers' safety but remains powerless to protect them from the realities of war
As the young men move out into the battle zone
He feels good, with God you're never alone
He feels tired and he lays on his bed
Hopes the men will find courage
in the words that he said
The preacher takes comfort in his faith but is still exhausted from the emotional burden of helping the soldiers, and hopes his words will provide strength and inspiration to them in battle
You're soldiers of God, you must understand
The fate of your country is in your young hands
May God give you strength
Do your job real well
If it all was worth it
Only time it will tell
The preacher reminds the soldiers of the importance of their mission and the responsibility and gravity of their actions, hoping that their efforts will ultimately be worthwhile
In the morning they return
With tears in their eyes
The stench of death drifts up to the skies
A soldier so ill looks at the sky pilot
Remembers the words
"Thou shalt not kill."
The soldiers return from the battle with emotional scars and reminders of the loss of life, and one is haunted by the preacher's message about the sanctity of human life
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BARRIE ERNEST JENKINS, BARRY JENKINS, DANNY MCCULLOCH, ERIC VICTOR BURDON, JOHNNY WEIDER, VIC BRIGGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@felipegarcialicona
Muy raro raro
El grupo se llama burdon y los animales
Y dire algo que muchos muchisimos no saben
Los que siempre han conspirado atraves de la guerra
La milicia soldados de guerra
Son llamados animales perros al servicio de la élite
Descancen en paz aquellos que sirvieron a la elite.
Se tenia que decir
La verdad
Esto lo saben pocos y ahora lo saben muchos
@user-xt1zt2cu4f
My husband and I take care of my Dad, who's 87 yrs.old. He was in the navy during Vietnam.He worked on helicopters, etc... He was with the Seawolves! They flew missions that nobody else would. Not even the Seals.They were fearless warriors! And I am so very proud of him & them.I look back to that time, and know that he & the Seawolves were and are HEROES!!!! Thank you All for your service! Blessed Be.
.
@drivinsouth651
Why was he there, what did he do there? Why did he do it? What did North, South East or West Viet Nam ever do to us? When did Viet Nam attack or kill us? I understand our predicament, but I don`t think you do. War, killing and murder are nothing to be proud of unless they`re Nazis or other fascist pigs! I apologize, but I felt you needed an education. Peace & love, darling!
@adriansedillo3426
I was a door gunner in Viet Nam(66-68).When I got back to the world,the first time I heard this song I broke down and cried especially at the sound of battle.
@lindabisignani7325
I have never been military but I understand how this song must have effected you. It does me also. God Bless You
@carolking6772
Thanks. Helicopter pilots and gunners paid lots. glad you came home.
@steveturner7911
In 1964 everyone was saying that they liked the Stones or Beatles except me and my crew. BURDEN'S LENGTHY list of memorable hits continues from Palm SPrings these days.
@DaBear1950
69-70 Welcome home brother
@madeleinebaier5347
Thank you for your service, from a grateful American.
@traceybader4302
My Dad is a Vietnam Vet and growing up this song was one he often played over and over on record.
When CD’s became a thing he bought one that had this song on it, and then played it over and over.
I still to this day get chills hearing this and watching Dad go thru whatever he was struggling with due to his tours in Nam.
Thank you Dad for giving up your boyhood to become a man. I just wish we all could’ve met the man you were intended to be.
@nugsymalone1247
You will one day :)