"Don't Bring Me Down" was the third of The
Animals' hits from writers Goffin-King, following the 1965 hits
"We Gotta Get Out of This Place" and "It's My Life". The
Animals had always disliked such songs, knowing
they gave them hits but preferring the more straightforward R&B numbers
they used for album tracks. But "Don't Bring Me Down" was a solid hit, reaching the Top 10 (#6) in
the UK pop singles chart, and falling just short of that on the U.S. pop
singles chart, reaching number 12 during June and July 1966. I think that "Don't Bring Me Down" represents the boy's side of a bad relationship. Allmusic preferred a loftier approach saying "Don't Bring Me Down" is an exemplar of The Animals'
"brutally soulful inspiration." Whatever you call it, it's my
favorite Animals song ever!
