"Burning Down the House" | ||||
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Single by Talking Heads | ||||
from the album Speaking in Tongues | ||||
B-side | "I Get Wild / Wild Gravity" | |||
Released | July 1983 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:00 | |||
Label | Sire | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Talking Heads | |||
Talking Heads singles chronology | ||||
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Official audio | ||||
"Burning Down the House" on YouTube |
"Burning Down the House" is a song by new wave band Talking Heads, released in July 1983 as the first single from their fifth studio album Speaking in Tongues .
"Burning Down the House" is a new wave, [1] funk, [2] and art rock [3] song. "This song started from a jam," says bassist Tina Weymouth in the liner notes of Once in a Lifetime: The Best of Talking Heads . "Chris [Frantz] had just been to see Parliament-Funkadelic in its full glory at Madison Square Garden, and he was really hyped. During the jam, he kept yelling 'Burn down the house!' which was a P-Funk audience chant, and David [Byrne] dug the line, changing it to the finished version, 'Burning down the house'." [4] [a]
The initial lyrics were considerably different, however. In an interview on NPR's All Things Considered aired on December 2, 1984, David Byrne played excerpts of early worktapes showing how the song had evolved from an instrumental jam by Weymouth and Frantz. Once the whole band had reworked the groove into something resembling the final recording, Byrne began chanting and singing nonsense syllables over the music until he arrived at phrasing that fit with the rhythms—a technique influenced by former Talking Heads producer Brian Eno: "and then I [would] just write words to fit that phrasing... I'd have loads and loads of phrases collected that I thought thematically had something to do with one another, and I'd pick from those." [6]
According to Byrne in the NPR interview, phrases that he tried but ultimately did not use in the song included "I have another body," "Pick it up by the handle," "You travel with a double," and "I'm still under construction." As for the title phrase in the chorus, one early attempt (as heard on a worktape) had him singing a different line, "What are we gonna do?", and at another point in the process, "instead of chanting 'Burning Down the House,' I was chanting 'Foam Rubber, USA.'" [6]
The video, produced and directed by Byrne, alternates primarily between footage of the band performing the song in an empty ballroom, Byrne playing while facing a projection screen that displays a concert crowd or a wall of flames at different times, and images projected on the outside wall of a house. A young boy resembling Byrne takes his place from time to time; eventually, younger counterparts start moving the arms of all four band members to play the music. After the screen goes blank, both young and adult Byrne leave the stage, and the video ends with an extended close-up of Byrne's face projected on a highway at night.
The house used in the video is located on Myrtle Street in Union, New Jersey. Max Illidge (credited as Max Loving), vocalist of the band 40 Below Summer, and Rockets Redglare appear as the younger selves of Byrne and Jerry Harrison, respectively.
"Burning Down the House" was Talking Heads' highest-charting hit single in North America, becoming their only top ten single on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 9, as well as reaching the top ten in the Canadian Singles Chart. [7] Despite this success, the song was not a hit outside of North America. In Australia it peaked at a modest No. 94, while in the UK, where Talking Heads would release 14 charting singles, it failed to chart.
A year later, an extended live version of the song is a highlight of the band's landmark concert film Stop Making Sense . In September 2023, commemorating the film's 40th anniversary, a remastered version was released across America in IMAX theaters, and later in conventional theaters worldwide.
7-inch single [8]
UK 12-inch single [9]
Credits adapted from the Once in a Lifetime: The Best of Talking Heads liner notes. [4]
Additional personnel
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [15] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
"Burning Down the House" | ||||
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Single by Tom Jones and the Cardigans | ||||
from the album Reload | ||||
B-side |
| |||
Released | September 13, 1999 [16] | |||
Studio | Tambourine (Malmö, Sweden) | |||
Genre | Dance-rock [17] | |||
Length | 3:40 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Tore Johansson | |||
Tom Jones singles chronology | ||||
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The Cardigans singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Burning Down the House" by Tom Jones and the Cardigans on YouTube |
Welsh singer Tom Jones recorded a version of "Burning Down the House" with Swedish pop band the Cardigans for his 1999 collaborations album, Reload . [18] In common with the other tracks on the album,the recording was made with the collaborators' choice of producer and studio,in this case Tore Johansson and Tambourine Studios in Malmö,Sweden.
The track was released as the lead single from Reload on September 13,1999,and became a hit across Europe and Australia,reaching No. 1 in Iceland,No. 2 in Sweden,and the top ten in Australia,Denmark,Finland,Hungary,Norway and the United Kingdom. The single was backed with Jones' live recordings of the EMF song "Unbelievable" and the Beatles' "Come Together",as well as remixes of "Burning Down the House" by Delakota,Pepe Deluxé and DJ Scissorkicks.
As one of the major hits of Jones' later career,it appears on numerous compilations of Jones' work. It also features on the Cardigans' 2008 Best Of album. [19]
UK CD1;Australian CD2;Japanese CD single [20] [21] [22]
UK CD2 [23]
UK cassette single [24]
European CD single [25]
European maxi-CD single [26]
Australian CD1 [27]
Credits are adapted from the Reload album booklet. [28]
Studio
Personnel
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [53] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Sweden (GLF) [54] | Gold | 15,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [55] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
"Burning Down the House" | ||||
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Single by Paramore | ||||
from the album Everyone's Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense | ||||
Released | January 31, 2024 [56] | |||
Studio | Henson Recording Studios [57] | |||
Length | 3:38 | |||
Label | A24 Music | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Carlos de la Garza | |||
Paramore singles chronology | ||||
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Official audio | ||||
"Burning Down the House" by Paramore on YouTube |
In 2024, Paramore released a cover version of the song for the Talking Heads tribute album Everyone's Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense , with this cover serving as the album's lead single. [58] Byrne called this version of the song "amazing", [59] and he would also go on to cover Paramore's 2017 song "Hard Times", which was itself inspired by Talking Heads. [60] Both covers were released together on one twelve-inch single for Record Store Day 2024, [60] for which Paramore were the ambassadors. [61]
Later that year, the band would debut the song live on Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, regularly performing it at a number of shows in Europe for which they served as the opener. [62]
Adapted from the description notes given in the song's behind-the-scenes YouTube video. [57]
Additional personnel
Chart | Peak position |
---|---|
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [63] | 46 |
A number of musical acts have covered the song in their live performances, including Bonnie Raitt [64] and John Legend. [65] [64] In 2009, the Used recorded a rendition of the song that was heard in the soundtrack of the film Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen . [66]
Dave Matthews Band has covered the song numerous times, and released their cover on multiple live albums. The band covered the song again for the encore at the 2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. [67]
Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in New York City during 1975. The band was composed of David Byrne, Chris Frantz (drums), Tina Weymouth (bass), and Jerry Harrison. Described as "one of the most critically acclaimed groups of the '80s," Talking Heads helped to pioneer new wave music by combining elements of punk, art rock, funk, and world music with "an anxious yet clean-cut image"; they have been called "a properly postmodernist band."
Reload is the 34th album by Tom Jones, released in 1999. It contains 15 duets with a range of artists including Van Morrison, Cerys Matthews, Stereophonics, Robbie Williams, and Portishead, recorded with their usual record producers and in their usual studios. The tracks are mainly cover versions, with a new version of one of Jones' own songs, "Looking Out My Window" (1968), and one original track, "Sex Bomb".
"Eternal Flame" is a song by American pop rock group the Bangles for their third studio album, Everything (1988). Released on January 23, 1989, the power ballad was written by group member Susanna Hoffs with the established hit songwriting team of Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly. Upon its 1989 single release, "Eternal Flame" became a number-one hit in nine countries, including Australia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Since its release, it has been covered by many musical artists, including Australian boy band Human Nature, who reached the Australian top 10 with their version, and British girl group Atomic Kitten, who topped four national charts with their rendition.
Speaking in Tongues is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Talking Heads, released on June 1, 1983, by Sire Records. After their split with producer Brian Eno and a short hiatus, which allowed the individual members to pursue side projects, recording began in 1982. It became the band's commercial breakthrough and produced the band's sole US top-ten hit, "Burning Down the House", which reached No. 9 in the Billboard Chart.
"This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" is a song by new wave band Talking Heads. The closing track of their fifth studio album Speaking in Tongues, it was released in November 1983 as the second and final studio single from the album; a live version would be released as a single in 1986. The lyrics were written by frontman David Byrne, and the music was written by Byrne and the other members of the band, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison.
"Mama Told Me Not to Come", also written as "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)", is a song by American singer-songwriter Randy Newman written for Eric Burdon's first solo album in 1966. Three Dog Night's 1970 cover topped the US pop singles chart. Tom Jones and Stereophonics' version also reached No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart in 2000.
Stop Making Sense is a live album by the American rock band Talking Heads, also serving as the soundtrack to the concert film of the same name. It was released in September 1984 and features nine tracks from the film, albeit with treatment and editing. The album spent over two years on the Billboard 200 chart. It was their first album to be distributed by EMI outside North America.
"Pray" is a song by English boy band Take That. Written by band member Gary Barlow, the ballad was released on 5 July 1993 by RCA and BMG as the second single from the band's second studio album, Everything Changes (1993). It is the first of twelve singles by the band to reach number one on the UK Singles Chart, staying at number one for four weeks, and starting a streak of four consecutive number-one singles. The song has received a Gold sales status certification and sold over 438,000 copies in the UK, won British Single of the Year and British Video of the Year at the 1994 Brit Awards, and was the finale of Take That's Beautiful World Tour 2007. The music video for "Pray" was directed by Gregg Masuak and filmed in Mexico.
"Lovefool" is a song written by Peter Svensson and Nina Persson for Swedish rock band the Cardigans' third studio album, First Band on the Moon (1996). It was released as the album's lead single on 10 August 1996 in Japan. In the United States, the song was serviced to radio two days later. A few months after its release, the track was included in the Baz Luhrmann film Romeo + Juliet, helping the song gain international recognition.
"Why Can't I Wake Up with You" is a song by English boy band Take That. Written by band member Gary Barlow, the song was released on 8 February 1993 by RCA and BMG as the lead single from their second album, Everything Changes (1993). The song reached number two on the UK Singles Chart and number seven in Ireland.
"The Ballad of Tom Jones" is a song by English band Space and Cerys Matthews, lead singer of Welsh band Catatonia. Lead singer Tommy Scott described Tom Jones as 'brilliant'. The song became a highly successful radio single, and resulted in Space performing with Jones in Jools Holland's' New Year's Eve television programme.
"Good Luck" is a song by British electronic music duo Basement Jaxx featuring vocals from Lisa Kekaula of American band the Bellrays. It was released on 5 January 2004 as the second single from their third studio album, Kish Kash, and reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart, number two on the US Hot Dance Club Play, and number 22 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart. The song was nominated in the Best Dance Recording category at the 47th Grammy Awards.
"Sex Bomb" is a song by Welsh singer Tom Jones. Performed in collaboration with German DJ and record producer Mousse T., the song was released in 1999 in several European countries; in January of the following year, it was issued across the rest of Europe except the United Kingdom, where it was not released until May 2000. Outside the UK, the track served as the second single from Jones' 34th album, Reload, while in the UK, it served as the fourth single.
"Burning in the Heat of Love" is a song by English rock band Slade, released in 1977 as a non-album single. It was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and was produced by Chas Chandler. The song failed to make an appearance in the UK Singles Chart.
"Lazy" is a single by British house duo X-Press 2, featuring vocals from singer and Talking Heads frontman David Byrne. It was written and produced by X-Press 2 and co-written by Byrne. The song was released on 8 April 2002 through Skint Records and reached number two on the UK Singles Chart, held off number one by "Unchained Melody" by Gareth Gates, and spent four weeks in the UK top 10.
"Hard Times" is a song by American rock band Paramore from their fifth studio album, After Laughter. It was released on April 19, 2017, through Fueled by Ramen as the album's lead single. The song was written by lead vocalist Hayley Williams and guitarist Taylor York and was recorded in the band's hometown, Nashville, Tennessee. It is the first single to be released by the band since the return of drummer Zac Farro and the departure of former bassist Jeremy Davis.
"Been It" is a song by a Swedish band called the Cardigans. It was released from their third studio album entitled First Band on the Moon. In additional to reaching number 56 on the UK Singles Chart, the song also became an alternative hit in Canada, climbing to number nine on the RPM Alternative 30.
"Your New Cuckoo" is a song from the Cardigans' third studio album, First Band on the Moon. Released on 9 December 1996 in Japan, the song reached number 35 on the UK Singles Chart the following year.
Everyone's Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense is a tribute album to Talking Heads, their 1984 Jonathan Demme-directed concert film Stop Making Sense, and the live album of the same name. The tribute album, made in celebration of the film and album's 40th anniversary, features covers of the sixteen tracks of Stop Making Sense performed by musicians including Miley Cyrus, Lorde, and Paramore. The album was released by A24 Music on May 17, 2024, and debuted at the top of the Billboard Compilation Albums chart in August.
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