The Animals’ Eric Burdon Is The King Of Cool In “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place” Performance

The Animals’ Eric Burdon Is The King Of Cool In “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place” Performance | Society Of Rock Videos

YouTube, via magusmagic10

Lock Up Your Daughters – Here Come The Animals!

If The Beatles represented all things clean and wholesome when the British Invasion hit American soil in the early 60s, then The Animals were definitely the boys your mother warned you about – and judging by the screams of the girls in the crowd during this 1965 performance, I don’t think anyone minded one bit! ‘We Gotta Get Out Of This Place’ is widely regarded as one of the predecessors of punk rock, which would make an appearance roughly a decade later; Animals singer Eric Burdon, clad in dark sunglasses and looking delightfully disheveled, looks more like he belongs in the likes of CBGBs than a venue full of screaming teenagers – that is, until he opens his mouth and unleashes one of the most soulful voices of the decade.

Fun Fact: ‘We Gotta Get Out Of This Place’ became the unofficial anthem for the troops stationed in Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

After watching this performance, I’m pretty convinced that Eric Burdon can do no wrong – honestly, he’s got way too much soul for one person, and this 1965 performance is without a doubt the coolest moment of his career!

+ We Gotta Get Out Of This Place lyrics +

In this dirty old part of the city
Where the sun refused to shine
People tell me there ain’t no use in tryin’

Now my girl you’re so young and pretty
And one thing I know is true
You’ll be dead before your time is due, I know

Watch my daddy in bed a-dyin’
Watched his hair been turnin’ grey
He’s been workin’ and slavin’ his life away
Oh yes I know it

He’s been workin’ so hard
(Yeah!) I’ve been workin’ too, baby
(Yeah!) Every night and day
(Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!)

We gotta get out of this place
If it’s the last thing we ever do
We gotta get out of this place
’cause girl, there’s a better life for me and you

Now my girl you’re so young and pretty
And one thing I know is true, yeah
You’ll be dead before your time is due, I know it

Watch my daddy in bed a-dyin’
Watched his hair been turnin’ grey, yeah
He’s been workin’ and slavin’ his life away
I know he’s been workin’ so hard

I’ve been workin’ too, baby
(Yeah!) Every day baby
(Yeah!) Whoa!
(Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!)

We gotta get out of this place
If it’s the last thing we ever do
We gotta get out of this place
Girl, there’s a better life for me and you
Somewhere baby, somehow I know it

We gotta get out of this place
If it’s the last thing we ever do
We gotta get out of this place
Girl, there’s a better life for me and you
Believe me baby
I know it baby
You know it too

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