When I Was Young

Eric Burdon

About When I Was Young

"When I Was Young" is a song with a countercultural theme released in early 1967 by Eric Burdon, with The Animals and was written by five of the band members Eric Burdon (vocals), Barry Jenkins (drums), John Weider (guitar/violin), Vic Briggs (guitar), and Danny McCulloch (bass). It charted in Australia peaking No. 2 and stayed 4 weeks there. Later it was a hit charting No. 10 on the Canadian RPM chart, No. 15 in the United States and No. 9 in the Netherlands. The song has been covered by many punk rock and heavy metal bands.  


Year:
1999
3:15
71 

 The easy, fast & fun way to learn how to sing: 30DaySinger.com

The rooms were so much colder then
My father was a soldier then
And times were very hard
When I was young

I smoked my first cigarette at ten
And for girls, I had a bad yen
And I had quite a ball
When I was young

When I was young, it was more important
Pain more painful
Laughter much louder
Yeah, when I was young
When I was young

I met my first love at thirteen 
She was brown and I was pretty green 
And I learned quite a lot when I was young
When I was young

When I was young
It was more important
Pain more painful
Laughter much louder
Yeah, when I was young
When I was young

My faith was so much stronger then
I believed in fellow men
And I was so much older then
When I was young
When I was young
When I was young

 Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer


Eric Burdon

Eric Victor Burdon (born 11 May 1941) is an English singer-songwriter best known as a member and vocalist of R&B band The Animals, and the funk band War and for his aggressive stage performance. He was ranked 57th in Rolling Stone's list - The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. more »

3 fans

Written by: Eric Victor Burdon

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


12 facts about this song

Release Details
"When I Was Young" was released by the British rock band Eric Burdon and The Animals in 1967.
Song Length
The duration of the song is approximately 3:10 minutes.
Songwriters
The song was written by a group of five people - Eric Burdon, Vic Briggs, John Weider, Barry Jenkins, and Danny McCulloch.
Chart Performance
"When I Was Young" peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.
Genre
The track is classified as a rock song with distinct psychedelic and hard rock influences.
Album
The song appeared on the album "Eric Is Here" by Eric Burdon and The Animals.
Cover Versions
A number of artists have covered the song, including Golden Earring, Ride, Tina Turner, and Ramón Ayala.
Music Video
Unlike many releases from that era, "When I Was Young" also had a promotional video.
Cultural Impact
The song is often regarded as an anthem of the Baby Boomer generation.
Emotional Content
In the song, Eric Burdon reflects on the loss of innocence and the hard realities of growing up.
Unique Instrumentation
One of the unique features of the song is the use of a violin played through a distortion pedal.
Legacy
"When I Was Young" has been featured in various films and TV series, cementing its place in popular culture.

Discuss the When I Was Young Lyrics with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add these lyrics to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "When I Was Young Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/2884699/Eric+Burdon/When+I+Was+Young>.

    Missing lyrics by Eric Burdon?

    Know any other songs by Eric Burdon? Don't keep it to yourself!

    Watch the song video

    When I Was Young

    6.6M
    36,191     855

    Top Hot 100 Songs 1967

    Billboard #15


    Browse Lyrics.com

    Quiz

    Are you a music master?

    »
    Which famous rapper married reality TV star Kim Kardashian in 2014?
    A Kanye West
    B Drake
    C 50 Cents
    D Jay Z

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant explanation for any lyrics that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant explanation for any acronym or abbreviation that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Eric Burdon tracks

    On Radio Right Now

    Loading...

    Powered by OnRad.io


    Think you know music? Test your MusicIQ here!

    Movies soundtrack

    When I Was Young

    »