After The Fire
Daltrey Roger Lyrics


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After the fire the fire still burns
The heart grows older but never ever learns
The memories smolder and the soul always yearns
After the fire the fire still burns

I heard a voice asking what happens after the fire
And then the sound of a breaking window and the scream of a tire
And then the sound of a distant gun and the cry of a hungry child
The night is hot
But nothing's gonna stop
This gang going wild

After the fire the fire still burns
The heart grows older but never ever learns
The memories smolder and the soul always yearns
After the fire the fire still burns

I saw Matt Dillon in black and white there ain't no colour in memories
He rode his brother's Harley across the TV while I was laughing at Dom deLuise.
Now I'm cycling all my video tapes, I'm crying and I'm joking
I've gotta stop drinking
I've gotta stop thinking
I've gotta stop smoking

After the fire the fire still burns
The heart grows older but never ever learns
The memories smolder and the soul always yearns
After the fire the fire still burns

The fire still burns, raging through the pain
Blackening the promises the tears and the rain
The fire will burn
'Til the wind begins to turn
And it all begins again

After the fire the fire still burns
The heart grows older but never ever learns




The memories smolder and the soul always yearns
After the fire the fire still burns

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Daltrey Roger’s song After the Fire describe how even after the destructive power of a fire, its memory continues to burn. The song tells us that the heart grows older but never learns, and that memories remain and the soul yearns after the devastating event. The singer hears different sounds like that of a breaking window, a scream of a tire, a distant gun, and a hungry child's cry, which emphasize the chaos and destruction that fire brings. The night is hot and chaotic, but nothing can stop the gang from going wild.


In the next verse, the singer recalls memories from the past, where he watched Matt Dillon riding a Harley across the TV in black and white, and remembers the laughter he shared with Dom Deluise. The singer feels that he is falling apart and is struggling with addiction, as he is drinking, thinking, and smoking too much. The memory of the fire still burns, raging through the pain and blackening the promises, tears, and rain. The song ends with the understanding that the fire will continue to burn until the wind turns, and everything begins again.


Line by Line Meaning

After the fire the fire still burns
Even though the fire has been put out, the aftermath still lingers and causes damage.


The heart grows older but never ever learns
Despite growing wiser with age, the heart is still vulnerable and prone to hurt.


The memories smolder and the soul always yearns
Painful memories still simmer and haunt the soul, creating a constant longing for something that cannot be regained.


I heard a voice asking what happens after the fire
Someone is questioning what comes after a disaster, what is left when everything is gone.


And then the sound of a breaking window and the scream of a tire
Violence and chaos are present, even after the fire has gone out.


And then the sound of a distant gun and the cry of a hungry child
The world is still full of suffering and injustice, despite the destruction of the fire.


The night is hot
The situation is tense and dangerous.


But nothing's gonna stop
The dangerous situation will continue, even if it should not.


This gang going wild
People are acting recklessly and causing harm.


I saw Matt Dillon in black and white there ain't no colour in memories
The past is not always as vivid or real as it seems in our minds.


He rode his brother's Harley across the TV while I was laughing at Dom deLuise.
The trivialities of the past can be out of place and unimportant in a future reality.


Now I'm cycling all my video tapes, I'm crying and I'm joking
Even though the past may not be as significant as it seems in the present, it can still be emotional and cause mixed feelings.


I've gotta stop drinking
The person recognizes a need to stop self-destructive behaviors.


I've gotta stop thinking
Overthinking and dwelling on the past is not productive.


I've gotta stop smoking
The person recognizes a need to stop harmful habits and patterns.


The fire still burns, raging through the pain
The aftermath of a disaster can continue to cause hurt and destruction.


Blackening the promises the tears and the rain
The aftermath of a disaster can taint and ruin the things that were once good or hopeful.


The fire will burn
The effects of the disaster will continue to be felt.


Til the wind begins to turn
Time will eventually start to heal and change things.


And it all begins again
Life will continue, even after a disaster, and the cycle will repeat itself.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Spirit Music Group
Written by: PETER DENNIS BLANDFOR TOWNSHEND

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@iforgotmyscreenname1

This song came out 35+ years ago when I was still a kid. When I first heard it on MTV, I thought it was a stupid song, singing about smoke and fire. Now that I'm in my mid 40's with 3 kids, I learn the meaning of that fire, I just wanted to say it's one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Thanks Roger Daltrey.

@christmas10023

Dude it's both 😊 😢

@jimwelsh997

I always believed it's about Keith Moon he's the fire.

@allthingsbegin

it's an amazing song

@Freakster1970

It's a Pete Townsend song and he does a better live version of the song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I09C-owWw5s This version is over-produced and sounds very dated in the mid- 80s Just my own opinion;) It's still a great song.

@mtp4430

It's actually a Pete Townsend song that he gave to Roger to record.

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@jdrumz321ify

One of the most powerful rock songs that hardly anyone knows anymore

@judylangevin4736

True! This Song & Video is the Best he’s ever made! Love love his Son is in it…! Why Awesome ❤❤❤❤! Beautiful

@nordicomsystems8841

Peperidge Farms remembers

@mikamamma

@@nordicomsystems8841😜

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