Reviews for We Didn't Start The Fire Lyrics

The song lyrics are chronological until the last part starting with "birth control ..."

And anyone who thinks Billy Joel needs to rip off another band ahould learn a thing or two first about this great artist.

This is truly a phenominal song. Every detail is perfect. Unlike many songs, it can be appreciated in any time. My interpretation is that Billy Joel is saying that the revolutions, the changes, the pain --the "fire"-- have always exsisted in some sort of form.

I highly doubt that this is a rip-off of R.E.M. I interpreted "Its the End of the World As We Know It" as the world is changing, but it is a good change and not one that will destroy the world.

REM is a fine band - Michael Stipe is truly one of the greats. But to put that allegation in a little perspective, many ideas can be strung together in ways that imply a relationship, even when none really exists. REM spoke to the masses about our changing times "It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine." Billy Joel's message in this song is that times are difficult and have always been tough. I heard him in the 80s when this phenomenal song was first aired. He said he was inspired to write it when a young fan told him that times in the 80s are much rougher nowadays... that the kinds of problems his generation was facing were much worse than that of prior generations. Billy Joel said that the message in this song is that the fires of trouble have been burning a very long time, before he was born. So he sings about hiding "under his desk in an air raid drill" in another famous song to continue this. If we look to lyrics in his other songs, he brings up history - think jobs lost in Allentown, friends lost during the war in Saigon, Vietnam. Billy Joel's appeal is his honesty in presenting his perspective. "Rip-off artist" is a very unfair, unbalanced criticism. I would also point out that despite his ex-wife Brinkley going completely bonkers publicly, he never acted poorly towards her. He showed great restraint and even support when most men would have wanted to punish her in divorce court. Try to be fair... If you want to criticize his "Dreams" album, which he clearly wrote while depressed after his Brinkley divorce, I can find some rationale for that. But Joel is otherwise a pillar of American and even international music.

Joel simply ripped of REMs 'It's the end of the World', wheterh it'sbetter or not is obviuosly a subjective argument, although personally I'd rather listen to REM.

As for it being chronological someone needs to re-read their history.

Joel simply ripped off REMs 'It's The End Of The World' with the concept for this song.

It is NOT in chronological order, neither is it particularly clever.

However if it prompts people to read and understand more about history then that is no bad thing.

Its an amazing song, great lyrics...If you like it check out what this person did with it...

http://www.teacheroz.com/fire.htm ...click on the names and events and you can learn alot...

and you have to watch what this person did with it... http://yeli.us/fire.html ...great video...

I am a bit of a history buff as well as techlologically inclined. when I first heard this song it spoke to me like not many songs do. it is every bit a history lesson as well as a good listen. the song may not be the best dancing material, but since when has all art been for all audiences and venues? this song is for all ages and I wish someone would write and sing the whole thing with new verses for more recent events. the fire keeps burning.
-whatever happened I DIDN'T DO IT!!!

this song is really deep if u think about it...even though it only names ppl and events, think about how much they affect us. like, how even if they didn't change the entire world, a lot still had an impact on soo many ppl...so if u dont like this song, try giving it abother chance and think about what everything means.

to KING: I actually think what is written at the moment makes much more sense. Because he's talking about things that have made at lease some impression on the world whether good or bad. I might be wrong it's just what seems to make more sense to me =]
btw good song *nods*

This is the BEST song ever! im 11 yrs old. we are singing nd learnin bout in in Social Studies class! We r even doing a project on it like drawing all the events/ppl . I ♥ THIS SONG! BILLY JOEL IS A GENIUS☻♥

We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
## No we didn't light it ##
## But we tried to fight it ##

This version doesn't really make sense with the line "Though we did ignite it"

feckle u are a complete idiot this song is probably one of the most well thought and well written songs ever sung, if u don't like this song u are retarded, and have no appreciation for good music Joel is a genius and u are a moron

If my memory serves me correctly, I first heard this song almost exactly 20 years ago, in March or April of 1988. It is my understanding that Billy
Joel wanted to be a history teacher, not a singer. If you are intellectually inclined...print the lyrics and spend a day or two doing a Google search for each and every name and/or event that he wrote/sang about. You'll be more well-rounded, if you can carry on a conversation about the multitude of subjects that he mentions. If you do, you will realize that Billy Joel not only knows his history...but he has TAUGHT US ALL many, many history lessons.
Anyone who doesn't realize that Billy Joel is a genius...has alot to learn.

If my memory serves me correctly, I first heard this song almost exactly 20 years ago, in March or April of 1988. It is my understanding that Billy
Joel wanted to be a history teacher, not a singer. If you are intellectually inclined...print the lyrics and spend a day or two doing a Google search for each and every name and/or event that he wrote/sang about. You'll be more well-rounded, if you can carry on a conversation about the multitude of subjects that he mentions. If you do, you will realize that Billy Joel not only knows his history...but he has TAUGHT US ALL many, many history lessons.
Anyone who doesn't realize that Billy Joel is a genius...has alot to learn.

to Feckle... this is not just random nonsense that just popped into his head.. this song is about the cold war and everything that is mentioned is not only important factors of global and U.S. history, but its in chronological order... billy joel is a genius<3