I'm on Fire

Last updated

"I'm on Fire"
ImOnFireSpringsteen.jpg
Single by Bruce Springsteen
from the album Born in the U.S.A.
B-side "Johnny Bye Bye"
ReleasedFebruary 6, 1985
RecordedMay 11, 1982
Studio Power Station, New York City
Genre
Length2:37
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s) Bruce Springsteen
Producer(s)
Bruce Springsteen singles chronology
"Born in the U.S.A."
(1984)		"I'm on Fire"
(1985)		"Glory Days"
(1985)
Music video
"I'm on Fire" on YouTube

"I'm on Fire" is a song written and performed by American rock performer Bruce Springsteen. Released in 1985, it was the fourth single from his album Born in the U.S.A. [5]

Contents

History

"I'm on Fire" was first recorded in January 1982 during the first wave of Born in the U.S.A. sessions, but the album version and the single were cut on May 11, 1982, at The Power Station. [6] This took place in impromptu fashion when Springsteen started making up a slow tune on guitar for some lyrics he had, some of which had been written for "Spanish Eyes", which would later surface on The Promise , and drummer Max Weinberg and keyboardist Roy Bittan, hearing it for the first time, created an accompaniment on the spot. The result was a moody number that merges a soft rockabilly beat, lyrics built around sexual tension, and synthesizers into an effective whole; it was one of the first uses of that instrument in Springsteen's music.

Cash Box said that the song is "at once a quiet and tense tune of pent up desire." [7]

The song peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles charts in early 1985. It was the fourth of a record-tying seven Top 10 hit singles to be released from Born in the U.S.A. The single also reached No. 1 in the Netherlands for 3 weeks in July and August 1985, while two other Springsteen singles ("Dancing in the Dark" and "Born in the U.S.A.") were also in the top ten. This marked the first time for an artist to have as many as three singles inside the Dutch top ten since the Beatles did so in 1965. [8]

Music video

The music video for the song was shot in March 1985 in Los Angeles, and was directed by filmmaker John Sayles. [9] Unlike the previous videos from the album, the video was not a performance clip, but rather a dramatic interpretation of the song's themes.

In it, Springsteen plays a working class automobile mechanic with an attractive, married, very well-to-do, mostly unseen female customer who brings her vintage Ford Thunderbird in for frequent servicing, always requesting that he does the work. She leaves a small bunch of keys with him when she leaves in her car, possibly including house keys implying that she wishes to start an affair with him, but declines his offer to bring the car out to her house when it's ready. Later that night, he drives the car up to her mansion high in the hills above the city. He looks to a second floor window with the light on and is about to ring the bell, when he thinks better of it and drops her keys in the mailbox next to the door. He smiles wistfully and walks away down towards the city lights below. [10]

The video began airing in mid-April, received extensive MTV airplay, and later in the year won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video.

Track listing

  1. "I'm on Fire" – 2:36
  2. "Johnny Bye Bye" (Springsteen, Chuck Berry) – 1:50

The B-side of the single, "Johnny Bye Bye" - Just before he was sentenced to three years for violating the Mann Act in 1962, Chuck Berry wrote "Bye Bye Johnny", a sequel to "Johnny B. Goode", where a mother sent her musician son off to Hollywood to be a star. "She drew out all her money from the Southern Trust, and put her little boy aboard the Greyhound Bus." It was not a big hit for Berry, but Springsteen decided to use those lines in 1981, for a new song that used most of the lyrics from "Come On Let's Go Tonight", calling it "Johnny Bye-Bye". Springsteen had first started performing it in 1981 at the tail end of The River Tour. It was then recorded in April 1982 during the "Electric Nebraska" sessions. The official version was recorded on January 4, 1983, at Thrill Hill West, Los Angeles, CA, and one of the mixes was released on February 6, 1985, as the B-side to "I'm On Fire". The song appeared on preliminary song lists for inclusion on what would become Born in the U.S.A. but was ultimately left off the final album.

Live performance history

"I'm on Fire" was performed only sporadically at the start of the Born in the U.S.A. Tour, but a couple of months later, it settled into a regular place in the middle of the second set. It was usually preceded by a long musical introduction, during which Springsteen spoke about not being able to sleep at night when he was young and his parents were struggling and the house was cold. The song was also given an extended coda of Springsteen's moans against waves of synthesizer. Such a rendition from an August 19, 1985, performance at Giants Stadium is included on the Live/1975-85 box set, but with the spoken part of the introduction edited out.

In some cases, red lighting from stage floor focused on Springsteen's face was used to further accentuate the song. On the Tunnel of Love Express, the song was still a regular. On the Human Rights Now! Tour, Springsteen conducted crowd sing-alongs during the chorus and coda parts. After some appearances on the "Other Band" Tour, the song went into a long retirement, not emerging again until occasional performances on 2005's solo Devils & Dust Tour, when he performed it on banjo with the red lighting back.

Between 1999 and 2008, the song was only performed on eight occasions with the E Street Band: once on the Reunion Tour (June 17, 1999, Bremen), once on The Rising Tour (April 18, 2003, Ottawa) and six times on the Magic Tour. The song has made surprise return on a semi-regular basis during the European leg of the 2009 Working on a Dream tour. As of November 2009, it has been performed live 245 times.

Personnel

According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon: [11]

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "I'm on Fire"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [39] 5× Platinum350,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [40] Gold45,000‡
Germany (BVMI) [41] Gold250,000‡
Italy (FIMI) [42] Gold25,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [43] Platinum600,000‡
United States (RIAA) [44] 2× Platinum2,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Born in the U.S.A.</i> 1984 studio album by Bruce Springsteen

Born in the U.S.A. is the seventh studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on June 4, 1984, by Columbia Records. The album was recorded with the E Street Band and producers Chuck Plotkin and Jon Landau over the course of several years, while Springsteen was also working on his previously released album, Nebraska (1982). It features tighter songs with a brighter, more pop-influenced sound than Springsteen's previous albums, and prominent synthesizer, while its lyrics explore themes of working-class struggles, disillusionment, patriotism, and personal relationships. The cover features a photograph of Springsteen from behind, taken by Annie Leibovitz; it has since become one of the musician’s most iconic images.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Springsteen discography</span>

American rock musician Bruce Springsteen has released 21 studio albums, 23 live albums, 77 singles, and 66 music videos. Widely referred as "The Boss" by the media, Springsteen has sold over 150 million records worldwide, listing him among the best-selling music artists in history. Billboard ranked him as the 24th Greatest Artist of all time. According to Recording Industry Association of America, he has sold 65.5 million albums in the United States, making him the 7th best-selling male soloist of all time. Born in the U.S.A. remains the best-selling album of his career, selling more than 30 million copies around the world.

"War" is a counterculture-era soul song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for the Motown label in 1969. Whitfield first produced the song – a self-evident anti-Vietnam War statement – with The Temptations as the original vocalists. After Motown began receiving repeated requests to release "War" as a single, Whitfield re-recorded the song with Edwin Starr as the vocalist, with the label deciding to withhold the Temptations' version from single release so as not to alienate that group's more conservative fans. Starr's version of "War" was a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1970, and is not only the most successful and well-known record of his career, but it is also one of the most popular protest songs ever recorded. It was one of 161 songs on the no-play list issued by Clear Channel following the events of September 11, 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Because the Night</span> Song written by Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith

"Because the Night" is a rock song written by Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith that appears on the Patti Smith Group album Easter, which was released in 1978. On March 2, 1978, the song was released as a single, and was commercially successful, reaching No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and No. 5 in the United Kingdom, which helped propel Easter to mainstream success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nightshift (song)</span> 1985 song by the Commodores

"Nightshift" is a 1985 song by the Commodores and the title track from their album of the same name. The song was written by lead singer Walter Orange in collaboration with Dennis Lambert and Franne Golde as a tribute to soul/R&B singers Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye, both of whom died in 1984. The song was released as the album's first single in January 1985 by Motown Records. "Nightshift" was recorded in 1984 and became the Commodores' first hit after Lionel Richie's departure from the group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Born in the U.S.A. (song)</span> 1984 song by Bruce Springsteen

"Born in the U.S.A." is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen, and released in 1984 on the album Born in the U.S.A. One of Springsteen's best-known singles, it was ranked 275th on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time", and in 2001, the RIAA's Songs of the Century placed the song 59th, remaining a favorite in classic rock. The song addresses the economic hardships of Vietnam veterans upon their return home, juxtaposed ironically against patriotic glorification of the nation's fighting forces.

"Fire" is a song written by Bruce Springsteen in 1977 which had its highest profile as a 1978 single release by the Pointer Sisters. The song was also released by Robert Gordon and Springsteen himself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hungry Heart</span> 1980 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Hungry Heart" is a ballad written and performed by Bruce Springsteen on his fifth album, The River. It was released as the album's lead single in 1980 and became Springsteen's first big hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart peaking at number five.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dancing in the Dark (Bruce Springsteen song)</span> 1984 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Dancing in the Dark" is a song written and performed by American rock singer Bruce Springsteen. Adding uptempo synthesizer riffs to his sound for the first time, the song spent four weeks at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over one million singles in the U.S. It was the first single released from his 1984 album, Born in the U.S.A., and became his biggest hit, helping the album become the best-selling album of his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Streets of Philadelphia</span> 1994 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Streets of Philadelphia" is a song written and performed by American rock musician Bruce Springsteen for the 1993 film Philadelphia, starring Tom Hanks, an early mainstream film dealing with HIV/AIDS. Released as a single by Columbia Records in 1994, the song was a hit in many countries, including Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, and Norway, where it topped the singles charts. In the United States, the single peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Springsteen's 12th and latest top-10 hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Hometown</span> 1985 single by Bruce Springsteen

"My Hometown" is a single by Bruce Springsteen off his Born in the U.S.A. album, that was the then-record-tying seventh and last top 10 single to come from it, peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. It also topped the U.S. adult contemporary chart, making the song Springsteen's only #1 song on this chart to date. The song is a synthesizer-based, low-tempo number that features Springsteen on vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cover Me (Bruce Springsteen song)</span> 1984 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Cover Me" is a song written and performed by American rock singer Bruce Springsteen. It was the second single released from his 1984 album Born in the U.S.A.. Springsteen wrote the song for Donna Summer. However, his manager, Jon Landau, decided the song had hit potential, and so he kept it for the upcoming Springsteen album. It has been certified Gold in the US.

"Pink Cadillac" is a song by Bruce Springsteen released as the non-album B-side of "Dancing in the Dark" in 1984. The song received a lot of airplay worldwide and appeared on the Billboard Top Tracks chart for 14 weeks, peaking at No. 27. The song was also a prominent concert number during Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. Tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Goin' Down</span> 1985 single by Bruce Springsteen

"I'm Goin' Down" is a rock song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen. It was released on August 27, 1985 by Columbia Records as the sixth single from his 1984 album Born in the U.S.A. The song was recorded with the E Street Band in May 1982 at Power Station studio in New York City, and co-produced by Springsteen, Jon Landau, Chuck Plotkin, and Steve Van Zandt. Although Springsteen had changing ideas about the songs to put on the album, "I'm Goin' Down" was ultimately selected for inclusion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glory Days (Bruce Springsteen song)</span> 1985 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Glory Days" is a song written and performed by American rock singer Bruce Springsteen. In 1985, it became the fifth single released from his 1984 album Born in the U.S.A.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brilliant Disguise</span> 1987 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Brilliant Disguise" is a song by Bruce Springsteen from his 1987 album Tunnel of Love. It was released as the first single from the album, reaching the No. 5 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock chart in the United States. The follow-up single, "Tunnel of Love", also reached No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, giving Springsteen two consecutive No. 1's. The single reached the top 10 in four additional countries including Canada and Ireland and the top 20 in Australia, Netherlands and the United Kingdom. "Brilliant Disguise" was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 1988 Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tunnel of Love (Bruce Springsteen song)</span> 1987 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Tunnel of Love" is the title song by Bruce Springsteen from his 1987 Tunnel of Love album. It was released as the second single from the album, reaching number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Like the first single from the album, "Brilliant Disguise", "Tunnel of Love" reached number one on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and reached the top twenty in Canada peaking at number seventeen. The music video received five MTV Video Music Awards nominations, including Video of the Year and Best Male Video.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human Touch (Bruce Springsteen song)</span> 1992 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Human Touch" is a song recorded by the American rock singer Bruce Springsteen. It was the first single from his 1992 album of the same name and was released on March 9, 1992. The song features future American Idol judge Randy Jackson on bass guitar and Toto's Jeff Porcaro on drums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Secret Garden (Bruce Springsteen song)</span> 1995 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Secret Garden" is a song by American musician Bruce Springsteen. It was originally released as a single from his Greatest Hits album on February 27, 1995, on Columbia Records. Upon its initial release, it peaked at number 63 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">57 Channels (And Nothin' On)</span> Song by Bruce Springsteen

"57 Channels (And Nothin' On)" is a song written and performed by American musician Bruce Springsteen, appearing on his album Human Touch, released in 1992. The song was released as a single, charting in the top 100 in various countries. A video for the song was also released. The title may be a reference to cable television, which carries more channels than terrestrial television.

References

  1. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen's 10 best songs". Faroutmagazine.co.uk. March 5, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  2. ↑ Breihan, Tom (September 28, 2020). "The Number Ones: USA For Africa's "We Are The World". Stereogum . Retrieved July 30, 2023. Bruce Springsteen's painfully horny synth-rockabilly slow-burn "I'm On Fire" peaked at #6 behind "We Are The World".
  3. ↑ Pitchfork Staff (August 24, 2015). "The 200 Best Songs of the 1980s". Pitchfork . Retrieved October 18, 2022. ...the video for "Fire" was abstract and dreamy—an impression of the music instead of an illustration of how it gets made.
  4. ↑ "20 awesome country songs by rock bands". January 20, 2016.
  5. ↑ Richard Buskin (March 2010). "Bruce Springsteen 'Born In The USA' – Classic Tracks". Sound on Sound . Retrieved March 4, 2012. Recorded with Max Weinberg and Roy Bittan, this moodily atmospheric, synth-based rockabilly track would be added to the album and released as its fourth single.
  6. ↑ Heylin, Clinton (2012). Song By Song. London: Penguin. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. February 16, 1985. p. 9. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Top 40-lijst van week 29, 1985". Archived from the original on August 12, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  9. ↑ Carlin, Peter Ames (October 30, 2012). Bruce. Simon and Schuster. p. 353. ISBN   978-1-4711-1235-5 . Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  10. ↑ Bruce Springsteen (1986). I'm on Fire (Videotape). Sony BMG.
  11. ↑ Margotin, Philippe; Guesdon, Jean-Michel (2020). Bruce Springsteen All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. London: Cassell Illustrated. p. 240. ISBN   978-1-78472-649-2.
  12. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 289. ISBN   0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Music Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and June 12, 1988.
  13. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – I'm on Fire" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – I'm on Fire" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0515." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 8332." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  17. ↑ "European Top 100 Singles" (PDF). Eurotipsheet . Vol. 2, no. 27. July 8, 1985. p. 12. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  18. ↑ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN   951-31-2503-3.
  19. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I'm on Fire". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved June 1, 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, with "I'm on fire" in the "Titolo" field, click "cerca".
  21. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 29, 1985" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  22. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – I'm on Fire" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  23. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – I'm on Fire". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  24. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – I'm on Fire". Singles Top 100. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  25. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – I'm on Fire". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  26. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  27. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  28. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  29. ↑ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles" (PDF). Cash Box . Vol. XLVIII, no. 45. April 20, 1985. p. 4. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  30. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Bruce Springsteen – I'm On Fire" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  31. ↑ "Kent Music Report No 599 – 30 December 1985 > National Top 100 Singles for 1985". Kent Music Report . Retrieved September 30, 2020– via Imgur.com.
  32. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1985". Ultratop. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  33. ↑ "RPM's Top 100 Singles of 1985". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  34. ↑ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1985". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  35. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1985". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  36. ↑ "1985 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 97, no. 52. December 28, 1985. p. T-21.
  37. ↑ "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 1985". Billboard. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  38. ↑ "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1985" (in German). GfK Entertainment . Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  39. ↑ "Oct 2023 Single Accreds" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  40. ↑ "Danish single certifications – Bruce Springsteen – I'm on Fire". IFPI Danmark . Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  41. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Bruce Springsteen; 'I'm on Fire')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  42. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Bruce Springsteen – I'm on Fire" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved October 3, 2020. Select "2018" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "I'm on Fire" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  43. ↑ "British single certifications – Bruce Springsteen – I'm on Fire". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  44. ↑ "American single certifications – Bruce Springsteen – I'm on Fire". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved May 25, 2022.

Works cited

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.