Th… Read Full Bio ↴Cory Wells is a singer-songwriter from Redondo Beach, California.
The cover of Wells’ debut album, THE WAY WE ARE, features the Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter perched atop a rusted-out vintage car, calling to mind dusty folk music. Songs like the set-opening “Distant” and “Keiko,” imbued by seemingly effortless musicianship and wistful nostalgia, go a long way toward reinforcing this sonic predilection.
But there’s more to Wells than what you’ll find on the surface. The songwriter grew up playing metal before discovering Dashboard Confessional’s seminal MTV Unplugged 2.0 live album, a record that set him on a hard left turn to creating a more well-worn, earnest style. Even so, he injects the desperation and power of his heavy music background into every note of THE WAY WE ARE – not necessarily in sound, but in spirit.
Across the album’s 12 songs, Wells plays the role of shapeshifter: Just when you’ve got him figured out, he unleashes new musical elements – a ferocious scream (“Walk Away”) that eventually gives way to soaring falsetto (“Cement”), stirring acoustic guitar that crescendos into fiery full-band fare. The ghosts of new-era emo torchbearers (including Dashboard’s Chris Carrabba, a contributor on “Fall Apart”) are alive and well in his lush beds of acoustic-based rock, but Wells isn’t actively summoning them. Rather, he’s a decidedly patient songwriter, waiting for the right time to pair a searing lyric with the throat-shredding vocal performance it demands.
Wildfire
Cory Wells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well I wish they were wrong
And I've been such a fool
All your lies course through your veins
But now I see you inside-out
You lit a match just to watch my world burn
You tried to take everything I love
You tried to burn my house to the ground
With what you say when no one's around
Spreadin' like a wildfire
You're a wildfire
Alone again and you're wonderin' why
You're so wrapped up in yourself
Believing all your lies
You put the blame on somebody else
It always seemed so upside-down
You lit a match just to watch my world burn
You tried to take everything I love
Just like a cancer inside my lungs
You tried to burn my house to the ground
With what you say when no one's around
I want you to know
If you fall, I hope the world sees you drown
Forever lost in the depths of your soul
So just go
Take your demons and seek out the day
You fuckin' reap what you sew
You tried to take everything I love
(You tried to take it away)
Just like a cancer inside my lungs
You tried to burn my house to the ground
With what you say when no one's around
Spreadin' like a wildfire (Spreadin' like a wildfire)
You're a wildfire (So fuck you)
Wildfire
You're a wildfire
The lyrics of "Wildfire" by Cory Wells are about realizing that someone you trusted has been lying and manipulating you, and has been trying to destroy your life. The singer acknowledges being fooled by this person, but now sees them for who they truly are. They describe the lies coursing through the other person's veins, and how they lit a match just to watch the singer's world burn. The other person is compared to a cancer inside their lungs, and their words to the arson of the singer's house.
The chorus is a powerful declaration of defiance - the other person is a wildfire, spreading like unstoppable flames, but the singer will stand strong and not let them burn everything down. They refuse to accept the blame that the other person tries to put on them, calling it upside-down. The bridge is a cathartic release, wishing for the other person to drown and be lost forever, and telling them to take their demons and leave. The song ends with a final affirmation of the singer's strength in the face of the wildfire that tried to consume them.
Overall, "Wildfire" is a powerful anthem about standing up to those who try to destroy you, and refusing to let them win.
Line by Line Meaning
They told me not to trust you
Someone warned me not to trust you
Well I wish they were wrong
I had hoped they were wrong
And I've been such a fool
I realize now that I have been foolish
All your lies course through your veins
You are fundamentally deceitful
But now I see you inside-out
I have a clear understanding of your true character
You lit a match just to watch my world burn
You intentionally harm me and enjoy doing so
You tried to take everything I love
You attempted to take away everything that is important to me
Just like a cancer inside my lungs
You are like a cancer that spreads and destroys everything in its path
You tried to burn my house to the ground
You endeavored to completely destroy my life
With what you say when no one's around
You spread falsehoods about me when no one else is present
Spreadin' like a wildfire
Your lies and negative influence are spreading quickly
You're a wildfire
You are like a wildfire, destructive and uncontrollable
Alone again and you're wonderin' why
You are left alone and confused, wondering why people avoid you
You're so wrapped up in yourself
You are obsessed with your own desires and needs
Believing all your lies
You blindly accept your own false ideas as truth
You put the blame on somebody else
You refuse to take responsibility for your own actions and blame others
It always seemed so upside-down
Your behavior is always strange and irrational
I want you to know
I am telling you this now
If you fall, I hope the world sees you drown
If you face struggles or hardships, I hope people see you for who you are and do not help you
Forever lost in the depths of your soul
You are incapable of change and trapped in your negative ways
So just go
I want you to leave
Take your demons and seek out the day
Deal with and try to overcome your own personal issues
You fuckin' reap what you sew
You will receive the consequences of your actions
Wildfire
You are like a wildfire that spreads and destroys everything in its path
Writer(s): jonathan robert lundin, david michael john craver, cory thomas wells, robi brown, francis anunciacion, nicholas santos
Contributed by Micah M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Hairlesswookie62
You take those screams and your guitar and you take over the damn world.
@TheEliReview
Tyler Malone I love how his screams sound they are unique
@Toasted420Times
So crispy clean too! Understand every word.
@christianskinner6434
This dude is a song writing MACHINE. Bangers one after another
@jordanthornton9645
How is this dude not main stream yet?! He does amazing with every song and has so much heart and soul in them!!
@robkilsten
Pobably because he is real lol
@escapegoatsforhire918
That one dislike is hurting my heart. This dude is by far one of the coolest musicians to pop up in the last few years. I don’t care what you say. Cory Wells is a genius!
@salvatoresciara2167
Prolly someone trolling
@annikacook3251
He’s also super sweet! I met him at a concert and he was so genuine
@DominicDosdos
Cory Wells we are ready! DROP THE ALBUM <3