I'm on Fire
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Lyrics


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Hey little girl, is your daddy home?
Did he go and leave you all alone? Mhmm
I got a bad desire
Oh, oh, oh, I'm on fire

Tell me now, baby, is he good to you?
And can he do to you the things that I do? Oh no
I can take you higher
Oh, oh, oh, I'm on fire

Sometimes it's like someone took a knife, baby
Edgy and dull and cut a six inch valley
Through the middle of my skull

At night I wake up with the sheets soaking wet
And a freight train running through the middle of my head
Only you can cool my desire
Oh, oh, oh, I'm on fire
Oh, oh, oh, I'm on fire
Oh, oh, oh, I'm on fire

Woo-ooh-ooh
Woo-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh




Woo-ooh-ooh
Woo-ooh-ooh

Overall Meaning

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band's song I'm On Fire is a song that exudes a certain level of passion and burning desire. The song opens with the singer questioning if the girl he is talking to is alone or if her daddy is at home. The singer then goes ahead to state that he has a bad desire and that he is on fire. The singer then inquires if the girl's partner is good to her and can do the things he can do. He goes ahead to state that he can take her higher because he is on fire.


In the chorus, the singer explains that sometimes it's like someone cut a six-inch valley through the middle of his skull, which is a metaphor for the intensity of the passion he is feeling. At night, he wakes up with the sheets soaking wet, feeling like a freight train is running through the middle of his head. Only the girl he is talking to can cool his desire because he is on fire. The repetition of "oh oh oh, I'm on fire" emphasizes the intensity of his passion.


The song is a classic example of Bruce Springsteen's storytelling ability. It is an intense, passionate, and emotional song that highlights the power of desire. The song has been interpreted in different ways, from being a love song to being an obsessive stalker's anthem. But no matter the interpretation, the song is undeniably powerful and continues to resonate with people decades after its release.


Line by Line Meaning

Hey little girl, is your daddy home?
Asking if the person addressed has privacy


Did he go away and leave you all alone? Mhmm
Asking if the person addressed is alone


I got a bad desire
Feeling deeply passionate about the person addressed


Oh oh oh, I'm on fire
Being overwhelmed by these feelings


Tell me now, baby, is he good to you?
Asking if the person addressed is happy in their relationship


And can he do to you the things that I do? Oh no
Implying superiority in terms of intimacy experience and skill


I can take you higher
Believing that the person addressed will have a more fulfilling experience with them


Oh oh oh, I'm on fire
Being overwhelmed by these feelings


Sometimes it's like someone took a knife, baby
Describing emotional pain


Edgy and dull and cut a six inch valley
Depicting the sensation of the pain


Through the middle of my skull
Locating the pain in the person's head


At night I wake up with the sheets soaking wet
Describing the person's physical reaction to their emotions


And a freight train running through the middle of my head
Stating that emotions are so intense, they are disrupting thoughts and daily activities


Only you can cool my desire
Believing that the person addressed is the only one who can make them feel better


Oh oh oh, I'm on fire
Being overwhelmed by these feelings


Oh oh oh, I'm on fire
Being overwhelmed by these feelings


Oh oh oh, I'm on fire
Being overwhelmed by these feelings


Woo ooh ooh
Instrumental


Woo ooh ooh
Instrumental


Ooh ooh ooh
Instrumental


Woo ooh ooh
Instrumental


Woo ooh ooh
Instrumental




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bruce Springsteen

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@feralbeliever4248

I was 16, and had just dropped my first girlfriend off at home. To put it bluntly, I wanted her in a bad way. While driving home that summer night with the windows down, this song came on the radio. It was the first time a song read my soul. Now, I'm almost 50, and that girlfriend is my wife. This song takes me back to that night, with that same feeling every time I hear it.

@brendahawkins3965

Hi would love to know what you think of my 17 year old grandsons cover of this https://youtu.be/zenNOP-dWJg

@garygardener2138

👌🏻

@DRUMNICOdotcom

Yeah, right.

@johnmorrison1525

Sounds like private pleasure moment

@feralbeliever4248

@@johnmorrison1525 Your perception comes from the lens of your own experiences. ;) And, I just received my licence a couple of months earlier. HANDS AT 10 AND 2 O'CLOCK!

529 More Replies...

@jinjin1971

This was the favorite song of my wife. She died last month.
LOVE YOU FOREVER Mandy.
Our fire will lives on.

@worksupermodel

Jin I’m so sorry. 😓

@Posthastekid

Forever remember her whenever you hear this song.

@thomasireland1770

Its one off my fav as well .

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