Feed The Fire
Barbara Mandrell Lyrics


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Billy had a woman but he treated her bad
Lost the best thing he ever had
Betty got tired of being put down
So she packed her bags and left this town
Gotta love somebody if you wanna them to stay
Treat them right or they'll slip away
Slip away
[Chorus]
Feed the fire
Stoke the coals
You never stay warm at night
If love grows cold
Stirring it up will make that flame burn higher
If tou want love to last
Feed the fire

Falling in love will come easy for you
But staying in love us what's hard to do
A little give and take and compromise
Can help to keep your love alive
You gotta say you love him every day
Show you need him in a hundred ways
And love will stay





[Chorus: x3]

Overall Meaning

In "Feed The Fire," Barbara Mandrell sings about the importance of keeping the fire burning in a romantic relationship. The song tells a story of two people named Billy and Betty who were in a loveless relationship due to Billy's mistreatment of Betty. As a result, Betty decided to leave the town, realizing that she deserved better. The song emphasizes that if you want someone to stay in a relationship, you must love and treat them well. This can be achieved by showing love and affection every day and finding a balance in the relationship.


The chorus reinforces the idea that love needs to be nurtured continually, just like a fire that needs to be fed to keep burning. Just as stoking the coals and feeding them will cause a fire to burn brighter, showing love and affection will keep a relationship strong. The song encourages couples to make an effort to keep the fire burning and to not let their love grow cold.


Overall, "Feed The Fire" is a reminder that a successful and lasting relationship requires effort, communication, and an ongoing display of love and affection.


Line by Line Meaning

Billy had a woman but he treated her bad
Billy had a girlfriend/lover but he mistreated her


Lost the best thing he ever had
Billy lost his girlfriend/lover who was his best possession


Betty got tired of being put down
Betty got exhausted of being criticized frequently


So she packed her bags and left this town
Betty took her bags and departed from the town where she lived with Billy


Gotta love somebody if you wanna them to stay
To keep someone in a relationship, you have to love them


Treat them right or they'll slip away
If you don't treat them properly, they will leave


Slip away
They will leave


Feed the fire
Nurture and sustain the relationship


Stoke the coals
Increase the intensity of love


You never stay warm at night
If love fades away, you will feel lonely even with your partner beside you


If love grows cold
If love fades away


Stirring it up will make that flame burn higher
Reviving the love will intensify it


If you want love to last
For a sustained affectionate relationship


Falling in love will come easy for you
Beginning of love is simple


But staying in love us what's hard to do
Remaining in a relationship is difficult


A little give and take and compromise
Mutual understanding and flexibility


Can help to keep your love alive
Can sustain your affectionate relationship


You gotta say you love him every day
You should verbally express your love daily


Show you need him in a hundred ways
Demonstrate love through actions


And love will stay
When you continuously express and demonstrate your love and affection, it will sustain a lasting relationship.


Chorus: x3
Repeat the chorus three times.




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AVA ALDRIDGE, JAN BUCKINGHAM

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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