Fire
Stefan Andersson Lyrics
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I had a friend named Sue
We were living on the same street
Next to you
Billy was the leader
We followed him in line
Cause Billy was eleven
Sue and I, were nine
He had a few cigarettes
He took them from his mum
We hid ourselves
In case someone came around
Now he lit one up
And he showed us
How to do it
Then he dropped it by his feet
And the grass began to glow
Fire
Fire
We stood there so hypnotized
Wondering what to do
Fire
Fire
We could't put out
That big barbeque
Billy he went crazy
Jumping up and down
When I think about it
He was looking like a clown
I ran up the road
Called the firemen and all
While Sue just stood there
Doing nothing at all
We hid in the bushes
Just then they arrived
A big red fire engine in overdrive
They put out the fire easily
While we were still
In a kind of ecstasy
Of course mum and dad
They heard it all
You see Billy's father told them
That's what friends are for
I had to stay in my room
For a week
A week with my brother
Playing hide and seek
"Fire" by Stefan Andersson is a nostalgic recollection of a childhood memory revolving around experimenting with a cigarette that leads to a small fire. The singer of the song had two friends named Billy and Sue. They lived on the same street next to where the singer lived. The song tells the story of how Billy, who was eleven at the time, became the leader of the group, and the singer and Sue, both nine, followed his lead.
One day, Billy managed to get hold of some cigarettes from his mother, and they all decided to experiment with smoking. They lit a cigarette, and Billy taught them how to do it. However, Billy dropped the cigarette, and it set the grass on fire. They tried to put out the fire, but they could not. Billy went crazy, jumping up and down at the sight of the fire. On the other hand, the singer ran to call the firemen, and Sue stood there doing nothing. They hid in the bushes, and the firemen soon arrived and put out the fire.
The memory ends with the singer being grounded by their parents for a week, and they had to stay in their room with their brother playing hide and seek. Overall, the song brings forth the memories of childhood mischief and the sense of innocence and wonder that comes with that time.
Line by Line Meaning
I had a friend named Billy
I had a friend in my childhood whose name was Billy.
I had a friend named Sue
I had another friend in my childhood whose name was Sue.
We were living on the same street
We all lived on the same street in our neighbourhood.
Next to you
Our houses were situated next to yours.
Billy was the leader
Billy was the leader of our little group of friends.
We followed him in line
We obeyed him and followed him in whatever he did.
Cause Billy was eleven
Billy was eleven years old at that time, which was much older than Sue and me.
Sue and I, were nine
Sue and I were both nine years old at that time.
He had a few cigarettes
Billy had a few cigarettes with him that he took from his mother's stash.
He took them from his mum
He stole the cigarettes from his mother without her knowledge.
We hid ourselves
We all hid ourselves in case someone saw us smoking.
In case someone came around
We were scared of getting caught by someone who would scold and scold us for smoking.
Now he lit one up
Billy lit one cigarette up with a lighter or a matchstick.
And he showed us
He then showed us how to smoke a cigarette and blow smoke out through the mouth.
How to do it
He demonstrated to us how to hold it and inhale the smoke and exhale it out.
Then he dropped it by his feet
After he finished smoking, he carelessly dropped the lit cigarette on the grass below.
And the grass began to glow
The cigarette butt made the grass below to warm up and glow in the dark.
We stood there so hypnotized
We just stood there mesmerized and frozen in our places, watching the glowing grass below the cigarette butt.
Wondering what to do
We were confused and clueless about what to do next.
We could't put out
We couldn't extinguish the glowing grass, which was turning into a full-fledged fire soon.
That big barbeque
The tiny cigarette butt caused a huge fire that looked like a big barbeque grill.
Billy he went crazy
Billy lost his cool and started jumping and dancing around wildly.
Jumping up and down
He was jumping up and down like a crazy clown, which was funny and ridiculous to watch.
When I think about it
When I look back and recall those memories now.
He was looking like a clown
He looked like a silly clown with his weird antics and crazy moves.
I ran up the road
I quickly ran up the street to call the fire department for help.
Called the firemen and all
I called the firefighters who came with their fire engines and other equipment to put out the fire.
While Sue just stood there
Sue stood there doing nothing or helping in any way. She just watched, frozen to the spot.
Doing nothing at all
She didn't help or call anyone. She was just standing there, looking blank and scared.
We hid in the bushes
While waiting for the firefighters, we all hid in some bushes, out of view and safety.
Just then they arrived
The firefighters arrived just in time to put out the fire before it could spread farther.
A big red fire engine in overdrive
The fire department arrived in a shiny, big red-colored fire engine that looked ready for action.
They put out the fire easily
The firefighters managed to put out the fire quickly and easily before it could spread and cause more damage.
While we were still
While we were still hiding in some bushes nearby and watching all the action around the fire.
In a kind of ecstasy
We all felt relieved, happy, and thrilled to see how the firefighters were working so hard to save the day.
Of course mum and dad
Naturally, my parents came to know about the incident soon enough.
They heard it all
They must have heard it from my neighbours or their friends who lived in that area.
You see Billy's father told them
They learned about it from Billy's father, who must have got to know through Billy or his mom.
That's what friends are for
He must have told them that friends are supposed to take care of their friends and prevent them from doing silly things like smoking.
I had to stay in my room
As a punishment for my mistake and careless actions, I was grounded and had to stay in my room for a week.
For a week
I was not allowed to go out or play, except for doing some school work and homework.
A week with my brother
I had to spend that entire week indoors, doing some activities and games with my younger brother to keep us both entertained.
Playing hide and seek
We played many games during that week, including hide and seek, which helped us bond better as siblings.
Contributed by Stella I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.