House Burnin' Down
Jimi Hendrix Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Look at the sky turn a hell fire red
Somebody's house is burnin' down down, down down
Down, down, down
Well I asked my friend where is that black smoke comin' from
He just coughed and changed the subject and
So I left him sippin' his tea an' I jumped in my chariot
And rode off to see just why and who could it be this time
Sisters and brothers daddys mothers standin' 'round cryin'
When I reached the scene the flames were makin' a ghostly whine
So I stood on my horse's back an' I screamed without a crack
I say oh baby why'd you burn your brother's house down
Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!
Look out the sky turn a hell fire red Lord
Somebody's house is burnin' down down, down down
Look out the sky turn a hell fire red Lord
Somebody's house is burnin' down down, down down down
Well someone stepped from the crowd he was nineteen miles high
He shouts retired and disgusted so we paint red through the sky
I said the truth is straight ahead so don't burn yourself instead
Try to learn instead of burn, hear what I say, yeah, yeah
So I fin'ly rode away but I'll never forget that day
'Cause when I reached the valley I looked way down cross the way
A giant boat from space landed with eerie grace
And came and taken all the dead away
Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!
What'd I say
Look at the sky turn a hell fire red Lord
Somebody's house is burning down down, down down
Look at the sky turn a hell fire red Lord
Somebody's house is burning down down, down down
Look at the sky, look at the sky
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Oh baby
The lyrics to Jimi Hendrix's "House Burning Down" paint a vivid image of a neighborhood tragedy. The opening lines "Look at the sky turn a hell fire red" indicate the grand scale of the disaster, while "Somebody's house is burnin' down down, down down" quickly brings it down to a personal level.
The singer tries to find out the source of the black smoke, but his friend avoids the question, saying that it might snow. The singer suspects that something's amiss and rides off to find out what happened. He arrives at the scene and observes how the fire's devastation has affected the family members, with sisters, brothers, mothers, and dads crying at the sight of their burning home.
As he stands on his horse's back, he screams the poignant line, "Oh baby why'd you burn your brother's house down?" The song then concludes with a surreal finale, with the singer seeing a giant boat from space landing to take away the dead.
In summary, "House Burning Down" is a powerful commentary on the destructive nature of fire and how it affects those who have to face its aftermath.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey
Exclamation to grab attention
Look at the sky turn a hell fire red
Describing a sight of burning flames in the sky
Somebody's house is burnin' down down, down down
Noticing and acknowledging the fire in a house that is burning down
Well I asked my friend where is that black smoke comin' from
Asking someone if they know anything about the source of the smoke
He just coughed and changed the subject and said oh wa I think it might snow some
Receiving a vague and unhelpful response
So I left him sippin' his tea an' I jumped in my chariot
Leaving his friend's place and getting into his vehicle
And rode off to see just why and who could it be this time
Going to check out the house on fire and determining who could be responsible
Sisters and brothers daddys mothers standin' 'round cryin'
Noticing the family members of the house on fire crying in distress
When I reached the scene the flames were makin' a ghostly whine
Witnessing the fire making a eerie sound
So I stood on my horse's back an' I screamed without a crack
Shouting out without any fear or hesitation
I say oh baby why'd you burn your brother's house down
Accusing someone of burning down their own brother's house
Look out the sky turn a hell fire red Lord
Describing the intensity of the burning and the flames reflected in the sky
Well someone stepped from the crowd he was nineteen miles high
Someone in the crowd standing out as taller and more noticeable
He shouts retired and disgusted so we paint red through the sky
Someone expressing their frustration and anger as the flames spread across the sky
I said the truth is straight ahead so don't burn yourself instead
Encouraging people to seek out the truth and avoid harming themselves
Try to learn instead of burn, hear what I say, yeah, yeah
Encouraging people to find solutions through knowledge and education
So I fin'ly rode away but I'll never forget that day
Leaving the scene but still remembering the experience vividly
'Cause when I reached the valley I looked way down cross the way
Reaching a valley and looking far off into the distance
A giant boat from space landed with eerie grace
Noticing an otherworldly and mysterious space craft landing nearby
And came and taken all the dead away
Seeing the space craft taking away the souls of the dead
What'd I say
Look at the sky turn a hell fire red Lord
Somebody's house is burning down down, down down
Look at the sky turn a hell fire red Lord
Somebody's house is burning down down, down down
Look at the sky, look at the sky
Repeating the intense scene of a burning house and reflecting on the moment
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Oh baby
Vocalization and expressing emotions through sound
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jimi Hendrix
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jimiandthejams8345
Without a shadow of a doubt the best guitar intro ever recorded. In my opinion.
@yeasstt
I prefer Steely Dan's "Don"t Take Me Alive" but this is definitely close
@waltwilliams7063
not to mention outro
@richardsmoker2603
I agree, there's a few that come close, primitive equipment back then, true genius by Jimi
@waltwilliams7063
@Richard Smoker you bet
@arthurkaliel
Ditto x a million
@thodorisvlastos6304
Such an underappreciated piece. One of the coolest , meanest psychedelic freakouts of the sixties and one of my favourite tracks on electric ladyland. More people should give this song a good listen .
@Christopher-gp7ej
Truth
@alexanderbarrera9140
They probably listening to it on headphones or the apple pod things.... you need to enjoy this music on speakers loud.
@jollyjoker888
When I played this Song on the ( " super - populated Play List - Type Juke box ..
And I was standing right , as close as I could get without actually "Transporting / Beaming meSelf into Electronics " Guts Of The Thing ( Juke Box ) and I Tryed - Actually I WAS Shaking Multiple parts of my Body Trying to " Cover " Every Note and Inflection In that Awesome "Intro" and some guy over to the Pool Table ( in the Tillamook Bar. " Rendezvous" ) ... Said ..wow - " That Guy can Really Dance " and He was Right !!! LOLOL. 👁️💃🕺👯