Burning Down the House
John Legend Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cool baby strange but not a stranger
Ever since we came this way
We're burning down the house
Hold tight wait till the party's over
Hold tight we're in for nasty weather
Three hundred sixty five degrees
Here's your ticket pack your bag
Time for jumpin' overboard
Transportation is here
Close enough but not too far
Maybe you know where you are
Fightin' fire with fire
Burning down the house
All night this crowd is moving something
That's right, don't wanna hurt nobody
This things will knock you off your feet
We're burning down the house
Here's your ticket, pack your bag
Time for jumpin' overboard
Transportation is here, yeah, yeah
Close enough but not too far
Baby you know where you are
Fightin' fire with fire
So hold tight
Hold tight wait till the party's over
Hold tight we're in for nasty weather
Three hundred sixty five degrees
We're burning down the house
Do it again now
Do it again say
Burning down the house
Burning down the house
The opening lines of John Legend's "Burning Down the House" suggest an ominous warning. The lyric, "Watch out you might get what you're after," is a cautionary message that risks, unexpected or unwelcome outcomes come packaged in ambitions. The next line, "Cool baby strange but not a stranger," is a wry alliteration that reminds us of the homespun saying, there's no smoke without fire. The crowds are moving with enthusiasm and fervor, and this particular event is nothing short of a party as the song suggests in the lines, "All night this crowd is moving something, That's right, don't wanna hurt nobody."
After a slightly slowing the tempo in the first verse, the song gains momentum with a catchier chorus: "Hold tight wait till the party's over, hold tight, we're in for nasty weather. Three hundred sixty-five degrees, we're burning down the house." The chorus appears to suggest the warning from the opening lyrics is not entirely heeded by the party-goers, and they are now in the clutches of a metaphorical wildfire, the only way out of which involves fighting fire with fire. Also, the line, "Three hundred sixty-five degrees," is an interesting reference to boiling point, indicating that the situation is heating up.
In conclusion, "Burning Down the House" by John Legend uses the metaphor of a house on fire to explore cautionary tales about ambition, risk and reward, and acceptable limits of behavior. The song also incites lively party imagery that contrasts a sense of urgency to escape as the fire takes hold. The catchy tune, upbeat tone and layered lyrics make for an excellent listen.
Line by Line Meaning
Watch out you might get what you're after
Be careful what you wish for, as you might actually get it.
Cool baby strange but not a stranger
This person is intriguing and different, but they aren't unknown to us.
Ever since we came this way
Things have been different since we arrived in this place.
We're burning down the house
We are causing chaos and destruction in this location.
Hold tight wait till the party's over
Be patient and don't leave until the event is finished.
Hold tight we're in for nasty weather
Be prepared for challenging times ahead.
Three hundred sixty five degrees
Things are heating up to the maximum possible extent.
Here's your ticket pack your bag
Get ready to leave and move on to something new.
Time for jumpin' overboard
It's time to take a risk and abandon what we are used to.
Transportation is here
The means to escape is available.
Close enough but not too far
The destination is nearby, but not too distant.
Maybe you know where you are
Perhaps you know where you're going or have a general sense of direction.
Fightin' fire with fire
Using aggressive tactics to overcome challenges.
All night this crowd is moving something
The atmosphere has been electric and everyone is energized.
That's right, don't wanna hurt nobody
We don't intend to cause harm to anyone.
This things will knock you off your feet
These experiences will overwhelm and surprise you.
We're burning down the house
We are causing chaos and destruction in this location.
Do it again now
Let's repeat what we just did.
Do it again say
Let's repeat what we just did.
Burning down the house
We are causing chaos and destruction in this location.
Contributed by Mackenzie T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
jaxon
on All of Me
really really good I love it
Rickie
on All of Me
Good
Christine Bañega
on All of Me
like
Promise Sokyes
on All of Me
A perfect love song.