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It's My Life Lyrics
It's a hard world to get a break in
All the good things have been taken
But girl there are ways to make certain things pay
Though I'm dressed in these rags, I'll wear sable some day
Hear what I say
I'm gonna ride the serpent
No more time spent sweatin' rent
Hear my command
I'll break loose, it ain't no use
Holdin' me down, stick around
But baby (baby)
Remember (remember)
It's my life and I'll do what I want
It's my mind and I'll think what I want
Show me I'm wrong, hurt me sometime
But some day I'll treat you real fine
There'll be women and their fortunes
Who just want to mother orphans
Are you gonna cry, when I'm squeezin' ‘em dry
Takin' all I can get, no regrets
When I, openly lie
And live on their money
Believe me honey, that money
Can you believe, I ain't no saint
No complaints
So girl go out
Hand it out
And baby (baby)
Remember (remember)
It's my life and I'll do what I want
It's my mind and I'll think what I want
Show me I'm wrong, hurt me sometime
But some day I'll treat you real fine
(It's my life and I'll do what I want) Don't push me
(It's my mind and I'll think what I want) It's my life
(It's my life and I'll do what I want) And I can do what I want
(It's my mind and I'll think what I want) You can't tell me
(It's my life and I'll do what I want) I'll do what I want
All the good things have been taken
But girl there are ways to make certain things pay
Though I'm dressed in these rags, I'll wear sable some day
I'm gonna ride the serpent
No more time spent sweatin' rent
Hear my command
I'll break loose, it ain't no use
Holdin' me down, stick around
Remember (remember)
It's my life and I'll do what I want
It's my mind and I'll think what I want
Show me I'm wrong, hurt me sometime
But some day I'll treat you real fine
Who just want to mother orphans
Are you gonna cry, when I'm squeezin' ‘em dry
Takin' all I can get, no regrets
When I, openly lie
And live on their money
Believe me honey, that money
Can you believe, I ain't no saint
No complaints
So girl go out
Hand it out
Remember (remember)
It's my life and I'll do what I want
It's my mind and I'll think what I want
Show me I'm wrong, hurt me sometime
But some day I'll treat you real fine
(It's my mind and I'll think what I want) It's my life
(It's my life and I'll do what I want) And I can do what I want
(It's my mind and I'll think what I want) You can't tell me
(It's my life and I'll do what I want) I'll do what I want
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I put in for the changes, but in case they don’t go thru, I have a couple corrections:
“Squeezin’ the rye” should be “squeezin’ ‘em dry” - I myself thought it was the former for years so, easy mistake to make.
“And leave only money” should be “and live on their money”
WHAAAAAA? I LOVE THIS SONG
The live performance of this song, found it on YouTube.
Creepy vibe. Great song. Perfect eff you to the one you once loved but now you despise utterly.
Love it immensely.
The Animals Rule.
@OpinionHead This is not an "eff you song." The singer is not telling his girlfriend that he's ditching her for other women. Rather he is telling her that he is willingly pimping himself out to rich women (i.e., become a "kept man") so that he can enrich himself and, eventually, return to the (equally impoverished) girl he's addressing in the song (and who tearfully begs him not to do it: "Are you gonna cry while I'm squeezin' them dry...," "someday I'll treat you real kind.") The Rolling Stones' "Play With Fire" or Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone," both also...
@OpinionHead This is not an "eff you song." The singer is not telling his girlfriend that he's ditching her for other women. Rather he is telling her that he is willingly pimping himself out to rich women (i.e., become a "kept man") so that he can enrich himself and, eventually, return to the (equally impoverished) girl he's addressing in the song (and who tearfully begs him not to do it: "Are you gonna cry while I'm squeezin' them dry...," "someday I'll treat you real kind.") The Rolling Stones' "Play With Fire" or Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone," both also from '65, are "eff you songs": addressed to rich, snotty girls, taking them down a peg.
I think it's cool how he says "orphans"
Yes, this song as a timeless masterpiece, the vocals are not from this world and the guitar riff is simply one of the best I ever heard in my life!
Even saying that every singe tone in this song is simply amazing and could never be done better, there are indeed some parts, where Eric Burdon expresses his outstanding voice and his expression in a very special way. For example, when he sings:
No other words necessary!
Eric Burdon = 20th century version of Robin Hood.
Instead of robbing travelers passing thru Sherwood Forest, he’s a gigolo, fucking rich old ladies and relieving them of portions of their treasure. Then he gives the money to the chick he actually has “feelings” for, and, hey, If she doesn’t approve, thinks he’s an asshole for leading them on, that’s ok with him, it still won’t stop him from living HIS life…and anyway, she’ll still take the money to help the poor or buy clothes or whatever the fuck she feels like doing…and that’s cool, man, it’s all good…You can use me, baby, and NEVER any hard feelings, cuz that’s just the way the world works, and anyway, what would even be the point?
> It's My Life is interpretable as a song about conservative fraternal white collar corrupt privateer values
Ridiculous interpretation. Stretched so thin you can see through it.
This song can be interpreted as about a gigolo, or with even more correlations - about an unethical slum lord resident manager.
The band, The Animals, resemble a group of fraternity brothers, and it is possible that this song refers to the leader of the fraternity house becoming a resident manager and taking advantage of poor apartment renters.
"It's a hard world to get a break in, All the good things have been taken" alludes to the urban poverty mentioned in other Animals songs. Also, "All the good things have been taken" refers to the conservative belief, possibly within fraternities, that things are getting worse.
"But girl there are ways to make certain things pay, Though I'm dressed in these rags, I'll wear sable someday" possibly refers to a philosophy of not being poor via taking advantage of the poor. Also, wearing sable might refer to the fraternal/mod era values of wearing expensive suits and overcoats.
"Hear what I say, I'm gonna ride the serpent, No more time spent sweatin' rent" might refer to the conservative belief in ethics and morals being relative, as in Machiavelli's The Prince. Also, once again a possible reference to not being poor and "sweatin' rent" via unethical collecting rent from impoverished slum residents.
"Hear my command, I'm breakin' loose, it ain't no use, Holdin' me down, stick around" is possibly the corrupt conservative fraternity leader telling a sonority woman that he deserves her devotion because he will get rich by taking advantage of the poor and having no morals or ethics pays.
"But baby (baby), Remember (remember), It's my life and I'll do what I want, It's my mind and I'll think what I want, Show me I'm wrong, hurt me sometime, But some day I'll treat you real fine" refers to conservative misanthropic beliefs construed as individualism, like in the Frank Sinatra song "I did It my way" .
"There'll be women and their fortunes, Who just want to mother orphans, Are you gonna cry, when I'm squeezin' them dry, Takin' all I can get, no regrets" refers to Welfare Queen mythos among conservatives and not regretting making money from the slum conditions they live in.
"When I, openly lie, And live off their money, Believe me honey, that money, Can you believe, I ain't no saint, No complaints" refers to profiting off of unethical lying, having the opposite of Christian values, and evicting poor persons that are late with rent or in some way violating rent agreements.
Therefore, instead of a song about being a gigolo, It's My Life is interpretable as a song about conservative fraternal white collar corrupt privateer values.