It’s no secret that the landscape of Birds of Tokyo’s home of Western Australia; a desert-like state so vast and unforgiving that to provide it with a soundtrack requires a higher level of grandeur and majesty one would ever dare associate with the ‘pop’ music tag.
But, down to its bones, pop music is what Birds of Tokyo write… they just layer those bones in muscle, and give the beast a heart.
Beautifully expressive in its texture, yet thick and rich in its deceptive simplicity; Birds Of Tokyo’s music is universal and incredibly humanistic. In what could be described as the blink of an eye, the band have struck a nerve in their homeland, giving way to an unprecedented rise to popularity, but it is in their blossoming international recognition can be seen the band’s true strength and ability to connect with people.
This Fire
Birds of Tokyo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Our city is a blaze of neon flare
Does anybody care
Fractured lines in the pavement
Embers color the air
These streets we named
Will never be the same
This fire, this fire, this fire we let it
This fire, this fire, this fire we let it
This fire, this fire, this fire we let it all burn
This fire, this fire, this fire we let it
This fire, this fire, this fire we let it
This fire, this fire, this fire we let it all burn
People fall into silence
The wind she whistles a song
Of hopelessness
That carries like a hymn
Our city is a burden
The waste land under our feet
We've come to know
Will never be enough
This fire, this fire, this fire we let it
This fire, this fire, this fire we let it
This fire, this fire, this fire we let it all burn
This fire, this fire, this fire we let it
This fire, this fire, this fire we let it
This fire, this fire, this fire we let it all burn
If all we do is blame
And none cares to listen
There's nothing left to say
But if we stake our claim
Let action speak the loudest
We'll dance beyond the flames
This fire, this fire, this fire we let it
This fire, this fire, this fire we let it
This fire, this fire, this fire we let it all burn
The lyrics of "This Fire" by Birds of Tokyo tell a story of a city that is flawed, burdened, and burning. The opening lines describe the city as imperfect but also full of life, personified through the blaze of neon flare. However, the question of whether anyone cares or not hangs in the air. The song then moves on to depict the city's streets, which are now forever changed due to the fire's destruction. The fire is both literal and metaphorical, representing the issues and challenges that the city faces.
The second verse of the song portrays a city in despair. People have fallen into silence, and the wind whistles a tune of hopelessness that carries like a hymn. The city is portrayed as a burden, with wasteland under its feet. The song then moves to the chorus, where "This Fire" is repeated in a powerful, relentless fashion. The vocals are intense and passionate, evoking a sense of urgency and determination.
The song's final lines offer a solution to the city's problems, calling for action and for people to stop blaming each other. The lyrics suggest that if we stake our claim and let our actions speak loudest, we can dance beyond the flames. The song ends on a note of hope, despite the challenges that the city faces. Overall, "This Fire" by Birds of Tokyo speaks to the human condition, emphasizing the importance of resilience, hope, and action.
Line by Line Meaning
Our city isn't perfect
Our city has flaws and issues
Our city is a blaze of neon flare
Our city is lit up with bright lights and energy
Does anybody care
Is anyone paying attention or taking action?
Fractured lines in the pavement
Cracks in the roads and sidewalks
Embers color the air
Ash and smoke are filling the sky
These streets we named
The roads we have labeled
Will never be the same
The city will be forever changed by what is happening
This fire, this fire, this fire we let it
We allowed this destructive force to take over
This fire, this fire, this fire we let it all burn
We stood by as everything we know and love was destroyed
People fall into silence
Silence and despair have taken over
The wind she whistles a song
The wind howls through the city, mournful and eerie
Of hopelessness
A feeling of despair and sadness
That carries like a hymn
Echoing through the city like a mournful church song
Our city is a burden
The city is a heavy weight on our shoulders, holding us back
The waste land under our feet
The barren land beneath us, devoid of life and potential
We've come to know
We have learned to accept this bleak future
Will never be enough
It will never be sufficient, we need to do more
If all we do is blame
If our only action is pointing fingers
And none cares to listen
And no one is interested in hearing what we have to say
There's nothing left to say
There is no more we can do but accept our fate
But if we stake our claim
If we take responsibility and act
Let action speak the loudest
Our deeds will have more impact than words
We'll dance beyond the flames
We will find a way to survive and thrive despite the destruction around us
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: ADAM JOHN SPARK, ADAM PETER WESTON, GLENN MICHAEL SARANGAPANY, IAN LEWIS KENNY, IAN PATRICK BERNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alan Strom
Read Alan Strom's comments, he knows what he's talking about.
Have a long listen to every song by Melbourne band called AUTOHAZE, they are a trillion times better than BOTokyo.
Did commercial radio play their quality music every 10 minutes, no they didn't.
Commercial radio didn't play THE CASANOVAS, who in my opinion are one of the best Rock bands of all time.
Back in the 80's, the music director at MMM radio, ran and hid behind a pot plant when THE LIME SPIDERS went into the radio station to promote their latest album. Of course they didn't play it.
THE LIME SPIDERS are 500 trillion times better than the mediocre manufactured and contrived emo lyrics, pulling at the heart strings of people who can relate.
Have a listen to THE SUNNYBOYS or MACHINATIONS or V SPY V SPY or THE VENETIANS or THE EUROGLIDERS.
These are just a few examples that crossed my encyclopaedic mind.
The point is, that compared to these artists, and hundreds, no thousands of other class acts, the BOTokyo are rubbish, I despise them .
Now, being down the front at The San Miguel at Cammeray in 1982 was very exciting and thrilling because at any second Grace and Bernie would be on stage with the Mighty EUROGLIDERS, playing top quality music.
There used to be hundreds of LIVE venues and hundreds of quality bands, now most of the venues are closed and there aren't many quality bands to play in them.
Recently I saw THE GANG of FOUR at THE MANNING BAR and RADIO BIRDMAN at THE FACTORY THEATRE.
The Hopetoun and Excelsior are gone.
I remember going to The Trade Union Club to see The Hoodoo Gurus in 1984.
Fans of the horrible BOTokyo weren't even born.
I'm very passionate about quality music, that's why I have an extremely low opinion of BOTokyo
Alan Strom
Read Alan Strom's comments, he knows what he's talking about.
Have a long listen to every song by Melbourne band called AUTOHAZE, they are a trillion times better than BOTokyo.
Did commercial radio play their quality music every 10 minutes, no they didn't.
Commercial radio didn't play THE CASANOVAS, who in my opinion are one of the best Rock bands of all time.
Back in the 80's, the music director at MMM radio, ran and hid behind a pot plant when THE LIME SPIDERS went into the radio station to promote their latest album. Of course they didn't play it.
THE LIME SPIDERS are 500 trillion times better than the mediocre manufactured and contrived emo lyrics, pulling at the heart strings of people who can relate.
Have a listen to THE SUNNYBOYS or MACHINATIONS or V SPY V SPY or THE VENETIANS or THE EUROGLIDERS.
These are just a few examples that crossed my encyclopaedic mind.
The point is, that compared to these artists, and hundreds, no thousands of other class acts, the BOTokyo are rubbish, I despise them .
Now, being down the front at The San Miguel at Cammeray in 1982 was very exciting and thrilling because at any second Grace and Bernie would be on stage with the Mighty EUROGLIDERS, playing top quality music.
There used to be hundreds of LIVE venues and hundreds of quality bands, now most of the venues are closed and there aren't many quality bands to play in them.
Recently I saw THE GANG of FOUR at THE MANNING BAR and RADIO BIRDMAN at THE FACTORY THEATRE.
The Hopetoun and Excelsior are gone.
I remember going to The Trade Union Club to see The Hoodoo Gurus in 1984.
Fans of the horrible BOTokyo weren't even born.
I'm very passionate about quality music, that's why I have an extremely low opinion of BOTokyo
Guidonator181
Birds of Tokyo deserves to be as big as Imagine Dragons.
Javier Bracamonte
Or more.
Artur Santiago
They deserve to be absolutely bigger. Imagine Dragons is just a piece of shit, but Ian has an amazing voice and is very talented. Look at his job with Karnivool, his true masterpiece; it’s absolutely beautiful
Javier Bracamonte
Why isn’t this band as big as Killers, Muse, Imagine Dragons etc? Great great band. Hope to see them live one day
DanielJB SP
This is great, I can't wait to hear what else is on the new album. I'm definitely getting the CD as soon as it comes out
Samantha Dunn
Birds, You never cease to amaze me. I fall more and more in love with this band every time I hear Kenny's voice. Can't wait for your Sydney shows in December.
Anthony Anlezark
This is my favourite Birds of Tokyo song, I love it, good gee up song.
ninefingers1979
The first time I listened to this, I thought it was a bit uninspired compared to BOT's earlier work. Three hours later the chorus had not left my head and now I can't stop listening to it. So I guess what I'm saying is that yeah, this works for me!
Keyli de la Cruz
I love it! ♥
Ashley Clark
This song is amazing i love it so much!!! <3