It has been twenty-nine years since Billy Joel released his now classic song “We Didn’t Start the Fire” off his eleventh album “Storm Front.” The hugely successful song reached #1 in the charts during its debut year, and even got the ‘Piano Man’ a Grammy nomination! But, many don’t know the inventive first draft of this song, which was originally titled: “We Did, in Fact, Start the Fire!”
This is because for almost thirty year, Billy Joel has kept the original manuscript locked away in his private estate in The Bronx. However, to commemorate the song’s upcoming birthday the first lyrics for “We Didn’t Start the Fire” are finally being released for music fans everywhere to see the original markings! It is important to note that the notes, rhythm and musical stylings are exactly the same, the lyrics, on the other hand may seem a little ‘stranger’ than the version you know and love today.
“Well ya know, I wanted to sing it the way I originally wrote it,” Joel says, “and my manager really suggested the rewrite, he was like ‘this is bad, do literally anything else… even if you just rattled off some random shit from history like that would even make for a better song, what is this? This makes no sense at all Bill.’ And still, till this day, I disagree with him…but I guess all the record sales don’t lie. Anyways, he said ‘listen Billy, this is so bad, so, so bad. Promise me this okay, you won’t show anyone this for like thirty years, please I’m begging you!’
So, anyways here we are.”
Now, without further ado, here, is the unmasked, unedited, uncut and unheard lyrics to Billy Joel’s original masterful concept:
“We Did, in Fact, Start the Fire!”
Fire, Fire, Fire, Fire
Fire, Fire, Fire
Fire, Fire, Fire, Fire
Fire, Fire, Marilyn Monroe
Fire, Fire, Fire, Fire
Fire, Fire and Fire
Fire, Fire, Fire-fire-fire-fire
Fire, Fire, Fire-fire Fire-fire
We- started the fire
It was always burning
Since we started the fire
We- did start the fire
Yes! We did light it
Because he thought we’d like it
Fire-Fire, Fire, Fire and Fire
Fire, Fire, Fire-fire Fire
Fire, Fire, Fire, Fire
Fire fire fire fire, “Fire Fire Fire Fire”
Fire, Fire, Fire fire fire fire fire
Fire, fire, Fire, Fire
Fire, Fire, Fire, Fire
Fire, “Fire”, trouble with the Fire
We- started the fire
It was always burning
Since we started the fire
We- started the fire
Yes! We did light it
Because he thought we’d like it
Fire, Fire, Fire, Fire
Fire, Fire, “Fire fire fire fire”
Fire, Fire, Fire Fire Fire
Fire, Fire Fire, Fire Fire Fire Fire
Fire Fire, “Fire Fire”, Fire, Fire
Fire, Fire, Fire fire fire fire
Fire. Fire, Fire, Fire and Fire
Fire Fire, “Fi-Re”, Fire Fire Fire Fire
We- started the fire
It was always burning
Since we started the fire
We- did start the fire
Yes! We did light it
Because he thought we’d like it
Fire Fire, Fire Fire, “Fire Fire Fire”
Flames, Fire, fire, FIRE!
“Fire Fire Fire Fire”, Fire fire-mania
Fire Fire, Fire Fire, Fire fire fire fire
Fire Fire, Fire Fire Fire, British politician sex (fire)
Fire.Fire. Fire-fire: fire, FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!
We- started the fire
It was always burning
Since we started the fire
We- did start the fire
Yes! We did light it
Because he thought we’d like it
Fire fire , Fire, Fire Fire back again
Fire- fire, Fire-fire, Fire fire, Fire-fire
Fire ,Fire , Fire Fire, Fire fire fire
Fire Fire Fire Fire, Fire fire fire fire
“Fire Fire Fire”, Fire fire fire, fire fire, fire fire
Fire, homeless vets, AIDS, crack, Fire fire!
Fire fire fire fire, Fire fire fire fire fire
FLAMES AH FLAMES, I can't take it anymore!!
We- started the fire
It was always burning
Since we started the fire
We- started the fire
But then I am gone
Perhaps I’m just an arson and on, and on, and on
We started the fire
It was always burning
Since we started the fire
We did start the fire
Yes! We did light it
Because he thought we’d like it
We started the fire
It was always burning
Since we started the fire
We did start the fire
Yes! We did light it
Because he thought we’d like it