“[F]or me, it was The Animals. For some, they were just another one of the really good beat groups that came of the 60s. But to me, The Animals were a revelation. The first records with full blown class consciousness that I had ever heard.” –Bruce Springsteen, SXSW Keynote, March 15, 2012
Bruce Springsteen was and is a serious fan of Eric Burdon and The Animals. There are surviving bootleg recordings of him performing their songs when they were brand new, like “San Franciscan Nights” in 1967. (The song was only a month old.)
And as far as Bruce’s songwriting influences… well, let’s listen to him explain to Little Steven:
When it comes to songs by The Animals, we typically associate Bruce with his ferocious cover of “It’s My Life,” a regular feature during the Born to Run era. Thematically, though, “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” is at least as resonant with his songwriting themes.
“We Gotta Get Out of This Place” went to #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. upon its release in 1965 and all the way to #2 on the U.K. Singles chart, and fun fact: they were two different recordings. You can hear the U.K. version above (I know it says it’s the U.S. version, but it’s not), and the U.S. version below. (The difference is in the second verse–“watch my daddy” vs “see my daddy.”)
The song became an iconic cultural anthem of class consciousness and self-determination and ranks #233 on Rolling Stone’s Greatest Songs of All Time list.
Bruce didn’t waste any time covering it. “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” was released in the U.S. in August 1965, and by December, Bruce and The Castiles were playing it in concert.
It would take more than a decade before the E Street Band took a swing at it, though. That moment came in the autumn of 1976, in a daring and brassy arrangement featuring a wonderful introductory solo by Miami Horns trumpeter Steve Paraczky.
But if their first crack at it gets points for the arrangement, their second takes the prize for the thrill factor.
In 2012 both Springsteen and Burdon were in town for SXSW (Bruce was the keynote speaker), and Bruce took advantage of the opportunity to perform on stage with his idol. Following his keynote, Bruce and the E Street Band put on a Wrecking Ball show at the festival and invited Burdon to join them on stage for his signature song.
The camera is a bit distant from the action below, but the excitement on stage and off is palpable.
A year or so later, Bruce and Eric reprised their team-up–this time in Cardiff–and the energy level was just as high. This time, though, we can clearly see the joy in Bruce’s face as he performs with Burdon.
That was the last time to date Bruce performed “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” in concert, but with a song so influential on rock and on Bruce himself, don’t count it out for good–it’s bound to surface again soon.
Bonus: Bruce played an abbreviated acoustic version of “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” during his SXSW keynote, and it was captured in gorgeous quality. Check it out below.
We Gotta Get Out of This Place
First performed: October 1965 (Marlboro, NJ)
Last performed: July 23, 2013 (Cardiff, Wales)
Had the privilege of seeing this song in Cardiff.it nearly took the stadium roof off!