When I Was Young (song)

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For other songs with this title, see When I Was Young (disambiguation).

"When I Was Young"
Single by Eric Burdon and The Animals
B-side"A Girl Named Sandoz"
Released8 April 1967
GenrePsychedelic rock, raga rock
Length3:00
LabelMGM
Songwriter(s)Eric Burdon, Vic Briggs, John Weider, Barry Jenkins, Danny McCulloch
Producer(s)Tom Wilson
Eric Burdon and The Animals singles chronology
"Help Me Girl"
(1966) 		"When I Was Young"
(1967) 		"San Franciscan Nights"
(1967)

"When I Was Young" is a song released in early 1967 by Eric Burdon and The Animals; it 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) – and was the first release to feature this lineup. It charted in Australia, peaking at No. 2 and staying 4 weeks there. Later, it hit No. 10 on the Canadian RPM chart, No. 15 in the United States, and No. 9 in the Netherlands.

Background[edit]

This somewhat autobiographical song tells about Burdon's father, who was a soldier during tough times, as well as young Eric's adventures - including his first cigarette at 10, to his meeting his first love at 13. The final verse shows his disillusionment with society:

"My faith was so much stronger then,
I believed in fellow men,
And I was so much older then.

When I was Young".

This song is noted for its Indian riff, played by an electric guitar and a violin. It is also distinctive for its introduction, which featured a heavily distorted guitar's whammy bar descent from E to D. This song begins in E Minor, and ends in G Minor. The B-Side "A Girl Named Sandoz" is named after the drug company that invented LSD.

In time, it was utilized in a German TV commercial. In the early 1980s Burdon began to mention, at the end of the song, many stars who had died.

Reception[edit]

Billboard described the single as containing "blockbuster biting material" and an "intriguing dance arrangement."[1] Cash Box called the single a "strong, gutsy, reflective Blues effort with a particularly interesting instrumental backing."[2]

Charts[edit]

Chart (1967) Peak
position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[3] 10
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[4] 9
US Billboard Hot 100[5] 15
West Germany (Official German Charts)[6] 31

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. 25 March 1967. p. 16. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  2. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 25 March 1967. p. 14. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  3. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 10065." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  4. ^ "Eric Burdon & the Animals – When I Was Young" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  5. ^ "Eric Burdon Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  6. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Eric Burdon & the Animals – When I Was Young" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see peak chart position, click "TITEL VON Eric Burdon & the Animals"
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