Featured Unknown/Underrated Song of the Rock Era: "It's My Life" by the Animals

This song is not only one of The Top Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*, but the group which did it has to be one of the most underrated artists as well.  They only had three Top 10 songs in their career--"See See Rider", "San Franciscan Nights" and their classic "The House of the Rising Sun".  But the Animals had a lot of other great songs.  This one from 1966 only reached #23:

It's My Life

Animals

 



Lyrics by Roger Atkins, Music by Carl D'Errico

 

 

It's a hard world to get a break in

All the good things long gone been taken

But girl there are ways to make certain things pay

Dressed in these rags I'll wear sable some day

Hear what I say, I'm gonna ride that serpent

No more time spent sweatin' rent

Hear my command, I'm breakin' loose, 'cause I ain't no use

Holdin' me down, girl stick around

And baby, remember

It's my life and I'll do what I want

It's my mind and I'll think like I want

Show me I'm wrong, hurt me sometime

But some day I'll treat you real fine

I'll treat you so fine, dear, you're so real

There'll be women and their fortunes

Who just want to mother little orphans

Are you gonna cry while I'm squeezin' them dry?

Takin' all I can get, no regrets, when I openly lie
And live on their money, believe me honey

You can have so much fun with that money

 

Can you believe, I ain't no saint?

I ain't got no complaints,

so girl throw out, yeah any doubt
And baby, remember

 

It's my life and I'll do what I want

It's my mind and I'll think like I want

You show me I'm wrong, it'll hurt me sometime

But some day I'll treat you real fine

It's my life and I'll do what I want

It's my mind and I'll think like I want

Show me I'm wrong, hurt me sometime

But some day I'll treat you real fine

I'll treat you so fine, babe

I'll give you everything, everything you want

[Inaudible]