We Didn’t Start the Fire

On Wednesday, June 28, 2023, Fall Out Boy released a cover of Billy Joel’s We Didn’t Start the Fire, and as a Gen-X adult, it has become one of my favorite songs! From the first word of the lyrics, it strikes your heart with an emotional arrow, and pushes you to the edge of tears as you listen to it.

Back in 1989, when Billy Joel’s original song was released, it not only made the number one spot on the Billboard Top 100, but also was nominated for a Grammy. When I heard it for the first time, I failed to understand the song was covering 41 years (1948 to 1989) of significant events, and I was confused why it had become popular. I thought the tune was catchy, and enjoyed trying to recognize the mentioned events, but admittedly, there were only a handful of them. This was a time before google, and to research their significance would require camping at a public library for days, and not one a computer in the comfort of one’s home. Of course, the music video made understanding the purpose more confusing because it was not a video collage, reviewing events mentioned in the song. Long story short, for me, an average high schooler (and I do mean average) who really had no interest in current events, it was easy to dismiss the song altogether. Fast-forward to adulthood, I have developed a love for learning and understand why the events were newsworthy.

On Thursday, the day after the release, I opened my music app. The first song recommended to me was, Fall Out Boy’s cover of Billy Joel’s We Didn’t Start the Fire covering significant events from 1989 to 2023. Fall Out Boy had picked up where Billy Joel ended to provide a modern version, and I was not prepared for what I heard.

It opens with a soft guitar chord before diving into an upbeat intro, then shifts to a familiar melody. The most recognizable difference between the two is beats per minute (bpm). In traditional Fall Out Boy (FOB) style, the song is at a faster tempo and there are added guitar riffs. FOB cuts down on the chorus to provide more focus on the lyrics, which shortens the song by 90 seconds, but remains true to Joel’s original composition. Patrick Stumph keeps his vocals at the same rhythm. The lyrics of both songs mention identical events, covering fictitious characters, celebrities, political moments, and historic places. The chorus is unchanged.

Obviously, the song deeply affected me because here I am writing about it. The minute the lyrics began to pour through my AirPods, I immediately was able to mentally pinpoint each mentioned event. One after the other, I visualize either the headline, or an actual image related to the occurrence. While some made me smile and appreciate my own personal interaction with the event, others brought tears to my eyes because of how I felt when the news broke regarding it. Unfortunately, I plan to keep the lyrics a secret from this article because I would rather not spoil the listening experience for anyone. I am not sure about Spotify, but on Apple Music, the lyrics feature will not present the words to the song. This is necessary because it allows you to actually experience the song, taking you on an emotional journey through the past three decades. I believe FOB did a fantastic job covering some of the most newsworthy events from 1989 to 2023. If you are a news junkie, like myself, I am confident the more you listen to the song and place the events you recognize, you will be moved.

Quick edit: Though I recommend listening to the song before reading the lyrics, here is a link to the lyric video.

Quick edit 2: Lyrics are now available on Apple Music.