I'm On Fire
The Staves Lyrics


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Hey little girl, is your daddy home?
Did he go and leave you all alone?
I got a bad desire
Oh oh oh, I'm on fire

Tell me now, baby, is he good to you?
Can do to you the things that I can't do?
I can take you higher
Oh oh oh, I'm on fire

Sometimes it's like someone took a knife, baby
Edgy and dull and cut a six-inch valley
Through the middle of my soul

At night I wake up with the sheets soakin' wet
And a freight train running through the middle of my head
Only you can cool my desire
Oh oh oh, I'm on fire

Oh oh oh, I'm on fire




Oh oh oh, I'm on fire
Oh oh oh, I'm on fire

Overall Meaning

The Staves’s song “I’m On Fire” is a haunting, stripped-down cover of Bruce Springsteen’s original hit. The lyrics revolve around an unrequited love that burns like a flame, and the difficulties of being unable to act on these emotions. The song opens by addressing a “little girl,” inquiring if her father is home or if she is alone. The singer then confesses to his yearning desire, describing it as a “bad desire” before asking the girl if her current partner treats her well, and suggesting that he could make her feel even better than her partner can.


As the song progresses, the singer’s inner turmoil is revealed in greater detail. He describes a physical pain stemming from his longing, which feels like a knife that has cut through his soul. This pain manifests itself at night, causing the singer to wake up with “sheets soakin' wet” and a “freight train running through the middle of my head.” The song ends on a melancholic note, with the repeated refrain of “I’m on fire,” underscoring the singer’s internal struggle.


Overall, The Staves capture the essence of “I’m On Fire” by emphasizing the lyric’s haunting quality. This stripped-back version drives home the internal tumult of the singer’s unrequited love.


Line by Line Meaning

Hey little girl, is your daddy home?
Asking a young woman if her father is present and able to protect her.


Did he go and leave you all alone?
Questioning whether the young woman is alone and vulnerable.


I got a bad desire
Expressing a strong sexual attraction and desire for the young woman.


Tell me now, baby, is he good to you?
Asking whether the young woman is being treated well in her current relationship.


Can do to you the things that I can't do?
Wondering if the young woman's current partner is capable of satisfying her sexual desires.


I can take you higher
Promising to provide the young woman with an even more fulfilling sexual experience.


Sometimes it's like someone took a knife, baby
Describing the emotional pain and turmoil caused by the strong desire for the young woman.


Edgy and dull and cut a six-inch valley
Painting a vivid picture of the sharp, agonizing pain felt inside.


Through the middle of my soul
Indicating that this emotional pain is deep and penetrates to the core of the artist's being.


At night I wake up with the sheets soakin' wet
Describing the physical manifestation of the artist's intense desire and sexual frustration.


And a freight train running through the middle of my head
Using a powerful metaphor to show how consuming and overwhelming the desire can be.


Only you can cool my desire
Suggesting that the young woman has the power to satisfy the intense longing for her.


Oh oh oh, I'm on fire
Reiterating the singer's intense desire and sexual frustration.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bruce Springsteen

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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