Chris Frantz thought of the titular chorus after seeing a Parliament-Funkadelic show where the crowd chanted "Burn down the house." The initial lyrics were considerably different, however. In an interview on NPR's "All Things Considered" aired on December 2, 1984, David Byrne played excerpts of early worktapes showing how the song had evolved from an instrumental jam by Tina Weymouth (bass) and Chris Frantz (drums). Once the whole band had reworked the groove into something resembling the final recording, Byrne began chanting and singing nonsense syllables over the music until he had arrived at phrasing that fit with the rhythms-- a technique influenced by former Talking Heads producer Brian Eno-- "and then I [would] just write words to fit that phrasing... I'd have loads and loads of phrases collected that I thought thematically had something to do with one another, and I'd pick from those."
According to Byrne in the NPR interview, phrases he tried but ultimately didn't use in the song's recorded "verses" included "I have another body," "Pick it up by the handle," "You travel with a double," and "I'm still under construction." As for the title phrase in the chorus, one early attempt (as heard on a worktape) had him singing a different line, "What are we gonna do?", and at another point in the process, "instead of chanting 'Burning Down the House,' I was chanting 'Foam Rubber, USA.'"
After the September 11, 2001 attacks, "Burning Down the House" was one of the songs put on Clear Channel's list of possibly inappropriate songs.
"Burning Down the House" is #29 on VH1's list of "The 100 Greatest Songs of the '80s".
Burning Down the House
Talking Heads Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cool babies, strange but not a stranger
I'm an ordinary guy
Burning down the house
Hold tight wait 'til the party's over
Hold tight we're in for nasty weather
There has got to be a way
Here's your ticket pack your bags
Time for jumping overboard
The transportation is here
Close enough but not too far
Baby, you know where you are
Fighting fire with fire
All wet, here you might need a raincoat
Shakedown, dreams walking in broad daylight
Three hundred sixty five degrees
Burning down the house
Uh
It was once upon a place sometimes I listen to myself
Gonna come in first place
People on their way to work and baby what did you expect
Gonna burst into flame
Uh
Burning down the house
My house is out of the ordinary
That's right, don't wanna hurt nobody
Some things sure can sweep me off my feet
Burning down the house
No visible means of support and you have not seen nothin' yet
Everything's stuck together
And I don't know what you expect staring into the TV set
Fighting fire with fire
Ah
The lyrics of Talking Heads' "Burning Down The House" suggest a theme of rebellion and destruction. The first verse cautions the listener that they may get what they want, but they must be prepared for the consequences. The next lines are cryptic, but it seems as if the singer is an average person who is about to engage in some kind of event that is burning down the house. The second verse evokes images of people fleeing for their lives, as if a storm or some other catastrophe is upon them. The bridge conveys a sense of urgency, indicating that the time to act is now. The final verses present a character who is out of the norm and powerful enough to set the house ablaze.
The lyrics feature abstract imagery, suggesting that what is happening is not easily defined. It seems as if the house represents society, and the singer is warning us that it is going up in flames. The "cool babies" are those who are part of society but are also outsiders, much like the singer. The lyrics seem to be meant to spark a reaction from the listener, creating an atmosphere of excitement, danger, and rebellion.
Line by Line Meaning
Watch out you might get what you're after
Be careful what you wish for, it might come true
Cool babies, strange but not a stranger
The people in the party are unique but familiar
I'm an ordinary guy
The singer is just a regular person
Burning down the house
The party is out of control and has to end
Hold tight wait 'til the party's over
Stay calm until the party ends
Hold tight we're in for nasty weather
Trouble is on the way
There has got to be a way
There must be a solution
Burning down the house
The situation is escalating
Here's your ticket pack your bags
It's time to leave
Time for jumping overboard
It's time to abandon ship
The transportation is here
The way out is available
Close enough but not too far
The exit is near
Baby, you know where you are
You're aware of the situation
Fighting fire with fire
Trying to solve the problem by using the same methods that created it
All wet, here you might need a raincoat
The situation is unpredictable and you should be prepared
Shakedown, dreams walking in broad daylight
Reality is harsh and unforgiving
Three hundred sixty five degrees
The situation is intense and all-encompassing
Burning down the house
The situation is beyond control
Uh
An interjection indicating uncertainty or confusion
It was once upon a place sometimes I listen to myself
Reflecting on the past and present
Gonna come in first place
Determined to succeed
People on their way to work and baby what did you expect
People are busy with their lives
Gonna burst into flame
The situation is about to get worse
Burning down the house
The situation is out of control
My house is out of the ordinary
The situation is unique and unexpected
That's right, don't wanna hurt nobody
The intention is not to harm anyone
Some things sure can sweep me off my feet
Some situations can be overwhelming
Burning down the house
The situation is extreme
No visible means of support and you have not seen nothin' yet
There's no help in sight and things are going to get worse
Everything's stuck together
The situation is complex and intertwined
And I don't know what you expect staring into the TV set
Watching TV won't solve the problem
Fighting fire with fire
Trying to solve the problem by using the same methods that created it
Ah
An interjection indicating acknowledgement or agreement
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheCrazyChameleon
LYRICS:
Watch out you might get what you're after
Boom babies strange but not a stranger
I'm an ordinary guy
Burning down the house
Hold tight wait till the party's over
Hold tight We're in for nasty weather
There has got to be a way
Burning down the house
Here's your ticket pack your bag
Time for jumpin' overboard
The transportation is here
Close enough but not too far
Maybe you know where you are
Fightin' fire with fire
All wet! Hey you might need a raincoat
Shakedown! Dreams walkin' in broad daylite
Three hun-dred six-ty five de-grees
Burning down the house
It was once upon a place
sometimes I listen to myself
Gonna come in first place
People on their way to work and baby what did you except
Gonna burst into flame
My house! Is out of the ordinary
That's right! Don't wanna hurt nobody
Some things sure can
sweep me off my feet
Burning down the house
No visible means of support and you have not seen nothin' yet
Everything's stuck together
And I don't know what you expect starring into the TV set
Fighting fire with fire
@CoreyLaddo
I want a projector so I can beam an image of David Byrne's face onto the side of my house.
@fleshdob4805
Same
@rorgues6465
The lord has come
@popeofsimps2924
Same
@gutterchic66
❤
@auri8810
byrning down the house
@TheLizardKing1967
David Byrne is a creative genius and was way ahead of his time.
@willritter4076
I'd be honored if some David Byrne & Talking Heads fans would take a listen to my acoustic piano & vocal performance of THIS MUST BE THE PLACE (re-interpreted as a ballad) on my YT channel in tribute to one of the most unique & iconic bands of the late 70s/early 80s era. Raw acoustic with no digital editing. Thanks and peace.
@wbiro
Listen to Pop Musik by M (4 years before this)...
@Exploshi
@Kingy B ok boomer