The would-be next album, "Dear Tommy" (2016), was scrapped, and was meant to be re-worked for a subsequent release, however the fate of album is unclear, as on August 10, 2021, Ruth Radelet, Adam Miller and Nat Walker announced the breaking up of Chromatics. Later that day the label, Italians Do It Better, and Johnny Jewel's representative, also confirmed the breakup. Their last album is "Closer to Grey" (2019), which has a companion album, "Faded Now" (2020).
The band originally hailed from Seattle and formed in 2002 as a quartet featuring vocalist Adam Miller, drummer Hannah Blilie, guitarist Devin Welch, and bassist Michelle Nolan. That lineup debuted in 2002 with a Calvin Johnson-produced 7" on Gold Standard Laboratories -- a split with Die Monitr Batss -- and followed with the similarly GSL-issued Chrome Rats vs Basement Ruts LP.
While Chrome Rats was critically hailed, Chromatics couldn't keep it together, and Miller was soon the only member in good standing (Blilie, Welch, and Nolan went on to form the similar-sounding Shoplifting). Unworried, Miller added guitar and drum programming to his vocal duties and tapped bassist Nat Sahlstrom for the 2003 GSL 7" Ice Hatchets. That was followed by the February 2004 full-length Plaster Hounds (which featured the percussion work of Get Hustle's Ron Avila), and a repositioning of the Chromatics axis to greater reflect its dub and no wave influences.
This lineup too dissolved and Adam Miller relocated Chromatics to Portland, teaming up with Glass Candy's Johnny Jewel, Ruth Radelet on lead vocals, and Nat Walker on percussion and saxophone. The new lineup of Chromatics had a more lo-fi electronic sound as opposed to the earlier dub and no-wave sounds.
I'm On Fire
Chromatics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Did he go away and leave you all alone?
I got a bad desire
Oh oh oh, I'm on fire
Tell me now baby is he good to you?
Does he do to you the things that I do, oh
I can take you higher
Sometimes it's like someone took a knife, baby
Edgy and dull and cut a six-inch valley
Through the middle of my soul
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
The Chromatics’ version of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire” portrays a combination of yearning, desperation, and heartbreak. The song begins with a question inquiring if a girl’s daddy is home, and then asks if he left her alone. It talks about the singer's irresistible desire for the girl and how he can "take her higher". He then goes on to ask if the girl's current partner treats her as he did, indicating that he was once with her in the past. The chorus spells out his yearning for the girl, saying, “Oh oh oh, I’m on fire.”
The second verse takes a more explanatory and poetic twist. The singer says that sometimes it feels like someone took a knife and sliced six inches right through his soul. The imagery used here is of someone stabbing him in the heart and causing pain to his soul. He goes on to say that at night, he wakes up with his sheets soaking wet and something like a freight train running through his head. The chorus repeats at the end of the verse, where he tries to convey how much he craves the girl, and that only she can cool his erotic passion.
Overall the song is about regret, longing, and memories of the past with sexual undertones. It seems like a story of someone who had a relationship with the girl but is now unable to be with her for some reason. It is a very relatable and emotional song that could be easily understood by people as it covers themes that almost everyone goes through in their lives – loss, desire, and unrequited love.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey little girl is your daddy home?
Hey, are you alone? Is your father not with you? Do you have any support?
Did he go away and leave you all alone?
Has your father left you in solitude?
I got a bad desire
I have a strong longing for you even though it's not good for either of us.
Oh oh oh, I'm on fire
I can't help the strong feelings I have for you which may cause harm to us.
Tell me now baby is he good to you?
Is he treating you right, making you feel loved?
Does he do to you the things that I do, oh
Are you receiving the same kind of affection from him that you could receive from me?
I can take you higher
I can make you feel more loved than you currently do.
Sometimes it's like someone took a knife, baby
My emotions are so intense that it's like someone has hurt me deeply and I have an emotional wound.
Edgy and dull and cut a six-inch valley
This emotional pain and anguish is both sharp and aching, and has left a significant scar on me.
Through the middle of my soul
This wound has deeply affected my very being and existence.
At night I wake up with the sheets soaking wet
My emotions are so strong and overwhelming that they cause physical manifestations like sweating at night.
And a freight train running through the middle of my head
These emotions are so loud and powerful that it's like a train is thundering through my mind.
Only you can cool my desire
Only being with you and feeling your affection can quench my intense longing for you.
Oh oh oh, I'm on fire
Again, I can't help the way I feel for you even though it may be dangerous and bad for both of us.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bruce Springsteen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@carollucas-dicasperfumadas
Hey little girl, is your daddy home?
Did he go away 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
@Oregon197
My husband loved listening to this group, played them on our TV, and I haven't heard them since he recently passed away... I feel like a little piece of him is here, listening...
@ItaliansDoItBetterMusic
music is such a powerful tool to connect with others. we hope you find some peace here inside these notes. love love love xo
@elton7110
♥️♥️♥️👼
@vastolorde4882
♥
@raypicard8263
❤❤
@danmartino792
Sorry for your loss. He had great taste in music.
@storiedworlds6261
Cover songs are usually hit or miss. This one’s a hit. Beautifully done.
@Perfect2257
I agree with you on this one but i would still listen to Bruce's over this :)
@comeandsee2525
I just discovered this. I'm an older dude who is a fan of Springsteen. I randomly searched "I'm on fire covers" and eventually came across this. I cannot put into words how much I love it.
@ItaliansDoItBetterMusic
welcome to our channel. you might also enjoy chromatics neil young cover of "into the black"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSycSBYHitc