Credit: Marianna BurdonEric Burdon turned 76 today, and in celebration of his birthday, the Animals frontman has premiered a new cover version of the Buffalo Springfield‘s classic 1967 protest anthem “For What It’s Worth.”
You can check out the track, highlighted by Burdon’s weathered, soulful vocals, on People.com, Eric’s official website and his SoundCloud page.
In a message posted on EricBurdon.com, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer notes that he decided to record the tune because he felt its message still resonated today.
“The whole idea of recording this song came as a result of a conversation I had with a young fan backstage, when she asked me, ‘Where are the protest songs today?'” he explains. “Right then and there, I wanted to write to say something about the brutality that’s going on in the world today but I couldn’t find any better way to say it than Buffalo Springfield did in ‘For What It’s Worth.'”
He adds, “The message is clear. Racism is back, stronger than it ever has been. The struggle between the sexes is at a boiling point. Violence is out of control. Our very home planet is under threat. It’s time to grow up and take responsibility. We must wake up before it’s too late.”
The singer ends his message by declaring, “The music I love was created by the sons and daughters of slaves. My life’s work has always been about honoring those people who suffered and then created a language of peace and salvation through music…So join me, sing with me, speak out against the madness. We are Not Afraid.”
Burdon will be featured in the latest episode of the CNN documentary mini-series Soundtracks: Songs That Defined History, which premieres tonight at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
Copyright © 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.