It's My Life

Album: The Best Of The Animals (1965)
Charted: 7 23
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  • 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 someday

    Hear what I say
    I'm gonna ride the serpent
    No more time spent sweatin' rent
    Hear my command
    I'm breakin' 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' the rye
    Takin' all I can get, no regrets
    When I, openly lie
    And leave only 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 Writer/s: Carl D'Errico, Roger Atkins
    Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 22

  • Didi D'errico from N.y.c.Nice to see the tributes..I know "IML" almost reached #1 in L.A. I was there then and did not know Carl yet and sang it everyday in 1965. He was a great writer, wrote anything from rock, pop, western and classic music! We were married for 49 years..
    He was a gift from heaven as a husband and a person.
  • Mainflash from ArizonaCorrect lyrics: "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, their money/ Can you believe, I ain't no saint, No complaints/ So girl throw out any doubts..."
    Note that Eric never sang the correct lyrics at the end of the chorus, either. He sings: "Show me I'm wrong/Hurt me sometime" but the correct lyric is: "Sure I'll do wrong/ Hurt you sometime..."
  • Carl D’errico from North CarolinaFor anyone reading, co-songwriter Carl D’Errico passed away on January 3, 2023. He was a great artist, friend, and husband to Didi. He will not be forgotten.
  • Sandra Rousset from 96093Thank you. It was great to see and hear them. They were cool. Awesome. Best time for Rock and Roll! More to come. Thank you again, how fun.
  • Melissa from York,paThe line that always gets me is : I'm gonna ride this serpent", oh yea, Eric!
  • Prim from California"Though I'm dressed in these rags, I'll wear sable some day" should be "Though I'm dressed in these rags, I'll wear SILK some day"
  • Jennifur Sun from Ramonainteresting to know that Eric didn't like the song.
  • Larry from Peoria, IllinoisI was 14 years old when I heard this song being played on WLS radio, Chicago. I loved the song but paid no attention to the lyrics except for the melody. Today I am 67 years old and watching the old grainy Hullabaloo video on Utube and trying to make sense of the words. I read the string of comments and the lyrics interpretation from this website. My question is why would Eric purposely sing incorrect lyrics if the writers had other intentions?
  • Jennifur Sun from RamonaTom what amazes me is he is one of those professional singers who has suffered from asmha, don't know how they do it cause I have it as well.
  • Dennis B from Near IndianapolisSummer of '66, and I was working at a radio station about 140 miles from the big amusement park in Salt Lake City, where The Animals were opening for the Hermits. A buddy and I went there to get station liners ("Hi, this is Peter Noone and you're listening to...) and arrived hours early, before security set up. We went back stage and stayed as the bands arrived to the screams of delirious teenagers. Eric and Company played, then sat on the steps while the Hermits performed. Somebody produced a sixer and they offered a brew to my friend and me (we were only 17). The Animals talked about the movie they'd just done (now long-forgotten), and even listened as my friend and I made a few comments. BTW: the station liners were sh*t, because the musicians were all sh*t-faced, even before the concert. But boy, was it fun!
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn October 31st 1965, "It's My Life" by the Animals entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #87; and eight weeks later on December 26th, 1965 it peaked at #23 {for 1 week} and spent 12 weeks on the Top 100...
    Between 1964 and 1983 the British quintet had nineteen* Top 100 records; three made the Top 10 with one reaching #1, "The House of the Rising Sun" for 3 weeks on August 30th,1964...
    Sadly, originally bassist Chas Chandler passed away on July 17th, 1996 at the young age of 57...
    * For the last eight of their Top 100 records the group went by the name 'Eric Burton and the Animals'.
  • Roger from Thousand Oaks, CaI must set the record straight about 2 lines of the chorus. Eric, and almost everyone since, has sung lines that make no sense,"Show me I'm wrong, hurt me sometime, but someday I'll treat you so fine.." The correct lines are, "Sure I'll do wrong, hurt you sometime, but someday I'll treat you so fine.." Also, in the first verse Eric sings, "Though I'm drssed in these rags I'll wear sable someday." The correct line is, "Though I'm dressed in these rags I'll flash labels someday."
  • Ross from New York, NyBravo Ivy in Valinda, CA! It took years for my friends and I in Chicago in the 70's to figure that final line, "So girl throw out any doubt" (musicians, teachers, a journalist and a musicologist now).
  • Don from Pittsburg, CaI was wondering if this song was in response to a movie script. It's about a gigolo. The lyrics are brutal. I saw a lot of that while working security in Tiffany's and other jewelry stores in San Francisco. Some young guy with some old cow. Money blinds everybody.....
  • Ben from Whittier, Cawhat a great sing along song !
  • Cameron from Irvine, CaI've seen Eric in concert twice in my life. He rules!
  • Ivy from Valinda, CaOh' one more. The phrase "And leave only money"

    Is "And live on their money"

    I hope this helps : )
  • Ivy from Valinda, Ca"There'll be women and their fortunes/Who just WANT TO MOTHER ORPHANS/Are you going to cry/When I'm SQUEEZIN' THEM DRY/Taking all I can get, no regrets, when I openly lie..

    Indeed, this is the correct phrase : )

    Also the last phrase of this verse is incorrect
    " So girl go out Hand it out"

    Should read, "So girl throw out any doubt"
    I turned in these corrections about three weeks ago?
  • Joe from San Diego, Ca"There are women and their fortunes who just won't do"(?) Try singing that. It doesn't even rhyme! Eric actually says: "There'll be women and their fortunes/Who just WANT TO MOTHER ORPHANS/Are you going to cry/When I'm SQUEEZIN' THEM DRY/Taking all I can get, no regrets, when I openly lie..."
    - Joe, San Diego, CA
  • Tom from Fillmore, CaI met Eric Burdon Backstage in Ventura Calif. One big acid trip but the dude could still wail.
  • Deana from Indianapolis, InOMG I loved this song when I was 16
  • Sharon from Daytona, FlTeenybopper Truth is Stranger than Fiction Tale- The Animals were the "warm up band" for Herman's Hermits on US tour in the sixties!!!!!! YOIKS! I saw them perform in Chicago together... possibly at McCormick place--- I mean this is going waaay back to my very first concert. I was amazed how short Eric Burdon is- but he can belt it out, for sure. Big sound... regardless. Sharon - now in Florida
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