Heart on fire

Manpriya Singh

Friends and fireplace put together can pretty much take care of anything. Relationship blues, winter chill, a lonely evening…pretty much anything. Throw in some songs from the era when music meant vinyl discs. Ashes, glow, candles, burning, smoke, fuel, flames…Of all the elements, fire has been the favourite go-to word of lyricists. Some songs to do with fire, just when it’s the season of bonfires.

Hall of fame

A campfire and a group of friends together could mean country music, could mean merry making or it could mean songs with fire in the lyrics. To begin with, Gavin De Graw’s song titled Fire scores on everything in the checklist. It’s a while before the lyrics take you to, “We are the champions, Setting it off again…Oh we on fire, We on fire.” But with catchy music and upbeat words, the wait is worth the while. A perfect start to a bonfire evening with hopeful friends. Moving onto James Blunt’s debut single Bonfire Heart. The memorable words and easy beats make it perfect for an impromptu jig or even a karaoke. The song talks of the need for a bonfire heart, “People like us—we don’t need that much, just someone that starts, starts the spark in our bonfire hearts.” True that. Isn’t it?

How about playing with fire? Rolling Stone’s classic hit Playing With Fire, warns as much as a love song can. The gentle pace and soft music only heighten the cautionary lyrics. The song talks of the singer’s relationship with high society girl. He couldn’t care less for her diamonds, chauffeur driven cars and expensive clothes. “Mess with me and you’ll get burned…Don’t play with me, cause you’re playing with fire.” That’s Mick Jagger.

Home and hearth, love and longing, at times warmth, at times revenge…Of the several things a fire can mean, it can hardly escape the sexual innuendos. Some hit songs have famously confused their listeners and remain open to interpretation.

Bruce Springsteen’s I’m On Fire is as adulterous and as inviting as it gets. So does the peppy and catchy 1967 breaththrough hit Light My Fire by The Doors. On a very similar note, there’s another hit single Fire by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. The repetitive lyrics “Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire” are as catchy as infectious. The song written by Jimi Hendrix is said to have originated when Jimi was over at bassist Noel Redding’s house. Hendrix tried to warm himself near the fireplace but the dog wouldn’t move out of the way.

There’s also the Fire and Rain by James Taylor, though not really an inviting happy number. The singer recalls his tough times, where he battled various demons of life. “I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain. I’ve seen sunny days that I thought would never end.” There are many who wouldn’t call it a day on their bonfire music list without including John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads. One of Denver’s most popular and signature songs, it has received world wide reception even outside West Virginia.

Youngster’s take

There are more fire safety themed nursery rhymes than Bollywood songs. Whatever little do exist border on the tacky “aag” rather than the inviting crackling sound of fire or joys of a bonfire. The favorite list is a hard to come by. Shares Virasat Dogra, B. com student, GCG 42, “I quite love the Let It Glow version of the famous Disney song Let it Go from the film Frozen.” While the original talks of ice, the worked upon version replaces fire in place of ice. She adds, “To me the idea of bonfire music means more of slow hummable songs rather than dance tracks. It’s like fire itself means different things to different people. It could mean warmth or it could mean revelry.” It invariably means an evening well spent. Fire, friends, and some music… Anyday.

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