A Halo Called Fred is an independent band that played on the college circui… Read Full Bio ↴A Halo Called Fred is an independent band that played on the college circuit, mostly in New Jersey and at Rutgers University. They formed in the early 1990's. Their original songs can be loosely classified as comedy rock, citing influences such as The Beatles, They Might Be Giants, and The Muppets. Halo achieved minor fame and national press in 1994 by making their song (Hat) available as one of the first MP3 files for download through the IUMA web service.

Their first full album, Chester's Dozen, was released in 1994. It was recorded on primitive 4-track equipment in 1993 and 1994. Highlights include the songs "Butt", "Mr. Hooper", and "Hugs are Better Than Drugs". This was followed in 1995 by the EP Body Parts and Flying Things, including the songs "Brain" and "Aliens". Their songs were also played on local radio stations, such as Rutgers University radio station WRSU-FM.

Fire Alarm
A Halo Called Fred Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

FIRE ALARM, don't do me harm. I'm fast asleep and getting warm. If you don't ring, I'll buy the farm.

Fire alarm, don't make me dead. If you don't ring I'll burn my head. I'll burn my leg and burn my arm.

Fire alarm. you didn't sound and now I'm ten feet under ground. You didn't ring. I bought the farm.

Overall Meaning

In A Halo Called Fred's song Fire Alarm, the lyrics speak of the singer's reluctance to wake up from their peaceful slumber when the fire alarm rings. The repetition of the phrase "Fire alarm, don't do me harm" emphasizes the singer's fear of the alarm interrupting their sleep and causing them harm. The use of the phrase "buy the farm" in the first verse seems to suggest the finality of death, as if the singer would rather die in their sleep than be awoken by the alarm.

In the second verse, the desperation in the singer's plea to the fire alarm is heightened as they mention the possibility of self-harm if the alarm fails to go off. The repetition of the phrase "I'll burn my" emphasizes the singer's willingness to hurt themselves if it means avoiding being burned alive in a fire. Finally, in the third verse, the singer's worst fear is realized as the fire alarm fails to ring and they are met with their untimely demise. The use of the phrase "ten feet under ground" adds to the finality of the situation, leaving the listener with a sense of grim satisfaction.

Line by Line Meaning

FIRE ALARM, don't do me harm. I'm fast asleep and getting warm. If you don't ring, I'll buy the farm.
Please fire alarm, do not cause me harm, as I'm comfortably sleeping and staying warm. If you fail to warn me of danger, I may face death and have to say my final goodbyes.

Fire alarm, don't make me dead. If you don't ring I'll burn my head. I'll burn my leg and burn my arm.
Dear fire alarm, it's crucial that you sound the alarm and alert me of the fire, or else I will be at risk of severe burns, potentially lethal.

Fire alarm. you didn't sound and now I'm ten feet under ground. You didn't ring. I bought the farm.
Oh, fire alarm, you failed to ring, and now I have lost my life by being buried deep underground. Your negligence caused me to die, and I'm no longer alive to tell the tale.

Contributed by Cooper O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS