Fire is one of the most powerful forces in nature, and it’s also a powerful symbol in music. From passion to destruction, musicians have used fire to represent everything from love to chaos and anger. These songs give us the full spectrum of fire’s meaning, both literally and figuratively.
Be sure to check out the Songs About Fire Playlist at the bottom of this page.
Best Songs About Fire
1. “Burning Down the House” – Talking Heads
Lyric Sample: “We’re in for nasty weather, there has got to be a way.”
This new wave classic from the 1980s uses the image of a burning building to represent a moment of wild energy and a complete breakdown of control. Its quirky energy made it one of Talking Heads’ most recognizable songs.
2. “Ring of Fire” – Johnny Cash
Lyric Sample: “I went down, down, down and the flames went higher.”
Cash turned love into something dangerous and consuming with this classic country song. Its mariachi-style horns and unforgettable hook made it one of his biggest hits.
Related: “Ring of Fire” Song Meaning
3. “Great Balls of Fire” – Jerry Lee Lewis
Lyric Sample: “You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain, too much love drives a man insane.”
This 1957 rock and roll staple compares desire to a wild blaze. Jerry Lee Lewis’s fiery piano style matched the song’s title perfectly.
4. “I’m on Fire” – Bruce Springsteen
Lyric Sample: “I can take you higher, oh, oh, oh, I’m on fire.”
Springsteen uses fire as a symbol for longing in this classic track. “I’m on Fire” is about an unspoken attraction that grows stronger with every passing moment.
5. “We Didn’t Start the Fire” – Billy Joel
Lyric Sample: “It was always burning since the world’s been turning.”
“We Didn’t Start the Fire” recaps decades of history in a rapid-fire list of cultural events. The fire here is less about romance and more about the unstoppable nature of world events.
6. “I See Fire” – Ed Sheeran
Lyric Sample: “And I see fire, inside the mountain, I see fire, burning the trees.”
Written for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, “I See Fire” is about the destructive force of a dragon’s fire. Sheeran describes the fear and destruction a community faces when a terrible threat appears.
7. “Light My Fire” – The Doors
Lyric Sample: “Come on baby, light my fire, try to set the night on fire.”
One of the defining songs of the ’60s, “Light My Fire” is about unstoppable passion. Its legendary organ solos helped make it a psychedelic rock classic.
8. “Fight Fire with Fire” – Metallica
Lyric Sample: “Do unto others as they’ve done to you, but what in the hell is this world coming to?”
This ’80s thrash metal track confronts nuclear annihilation head-on. Fire here becomes both a metaphor for violence and the literal destruction of the world.
9. “Fire and Rain” – James Taylor
Lyric Sample: “I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain, I’ve seen sunny days that I thought would never end.”
This well-known folk song uses fire and rain as metaphors for life’s many struggles and moments of extreme sadness. Taylor sings about the loss of a friend and the hardships he has endured.
Related: What is “Fire and Rain” About?
10. “Fire” – Jimi Hendrix
Lyric Sample: “Let me stand next to your fire.”
Hendrix uses fire as a metaphor for a strong, magnetic attraction to a woman. He is drawn to her, wanting to be close to the “fire” of her energy and spirit.
11. “House on Fire” – Mimi Webb
Lyric Sample: “I saw you out, it was zero degrees, and you had your hands right under her sleeves.”
Webb sings about catching a partner cheating and imagining burning his house down in this pop song. The fire becomes a stand-in for the chaos and fury she feels in the moment.
12. “Fire on the Mountain” – The Marshall Tucker Band
Lyric Sample: “Took my family away from my Carolina home, had dreams about the West and started to roam.”
This Southern rock track connects fire to greed and tragedy during the Gold Rush. Its storytelling helped cement the Marshall Tucker Band’s reputation in the ’70s.
13. “Set Fire to the Rain” – Adele
Lyric Sample: “But I set fire to the rain, watched it pour as I touched your face.”
Adle’s hit song uses the paradox of setting fire to rain to describe a situation where a destructive relationship is made even more complicated by a lingering spark of love. The phrase shows the impossible nature of her feelings.
Related: “Set Fire to the Rain” Song Meaning
14. “World on Fire” – Sarah McLachlan
Lyric Sample: “The world on fire and it’s more than I can handle.”
McLachlan contrasts personal struggle with global issues in this early 2000s track. The song became known for its charitable music video, which redirected its budget to causes around the world.
15. “Smoke on the Water” – Deep Purple
Lyric Sample: “Smoke on the water, fire in the sky.”
“Smoke on the Water” tells the real story of a fire at a Frank Zappa concert that destroyed a casino in Montreux, Switzerland. The band was there to record an album and witnessed the event, turning their experience into a famous rock song.
16. “Fire and Ice” – Pat Benatar
Lyric Sample: “You come on like a flame, then you turn a cold shoulder.”
Benatar uses fire and ice to describe the back-and-forth pull of a relationship in this ’80s hit. She uses the two opposite forces to explain how someone can be simultaneously exciting and distant.
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17. “Firestarter” – The Prodigy
Lyric Sample: “I’m the fear addicted, danger illustrated.”
This ’90s electronic hit became a defining song of rave culture. The “firestarter” is someone who is a source of chaos and intentionally disruptive.
18. “Disco Inferno” – The Trammps
Lyric Sample: “Burn baby burn, disco inferno.”
This disco classic uses “inferno” to describe the intense, hot atmosphere of a packed dance floor. It’s a call to let go of your inhibitions and move your body in the heat of the moment.
19. “House of Fire” – Alice Cooper
Lyric Sample: “Let’s build a house of fire, baby, not one of wood or stone.”
In this late ’80s track, Alice Cooper ties romance to flames and construction, imagining a relationship as a house built from desire. The playful lyrics make fire less about destruction and more about the heat between two people.
20. “Shot Down in Flames” – AC/DC
Lyric Sample: “Ain’t it a shame, to be shot down in flames?”
This hard rock track from 1979 ties fire to rejection and bad luck. The mix of humor and bravado keeps it light even as the singer keeps striking out.
21. “Grapevine Fires” – Death Cab for Cutie
Lyric Sample: “When the wind picked up the fire spread, and the grapevines seemed left for dead.”
“Grapevine Fires” is an indie track about a California wildfire and how people cope while life keeps moving. Fire becomes both a looming disaster and a backdrop for family and love.
22. “Fire” – Beth Ditto
Lyric Sample: “Hands too burnt, sitting on the side of the road, ain’t got an honest feeling in my bones.”
Beth Ditto’s uptempo pop track uses fire as a symbol for passion and desire. It’s all about heat, energy, and the pull of love.
23. “Burning House” – Cam
Lyric Sample: “I had a dream about a burning house, you were stuck inside, I couldn’t get you out.”
Cam uses the image of a house fire to show regret over a failed relationship. She admits to past mistakes and sings about wanting to fix what’s broken, even though she knows it’s too late.
24. “Burn” – Ellie Goulding
Lyric Sample: “We don’t have to worry ’bout nothing, ’cause we got the fire, and we’re burning one hell of a something.”
Goulding’s 2013 pop hit celebrates unity and energy. The fire here represents excitement and living fully in the moment.
25. “Fire” – The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
Lyric Sample: “I am the god of hellfire, and I bring you fire.”
This 1960s psychedelic rock song has an unforgettable opening line that declares the singer as a supernatural, fire-bringing figure. It’s a theatrical and wild tune about the power of destruction and transformation.
26. “Fire Under My Feet” – Leona Lewis
Lyric Sample: “I got fire under my feet, and I feel it in my heartbeat.”
Lewis sings about finding strength and moving forward after personal struggles. The fire represents determination and refusing to be held back.
27. “Fire and the Flood” – Vance Joy
Lyric Sample: “You’re the fire and the flood, and I’ll always feel you in my blood.”
Vance Joy uses fire and flood as images for love that spreads fast and feels uncontrollable. It’s about feeling swept up by powerful emotions.
28. “Fire” – Barns Courtney
Lyric Sample: “Oh give me that fire, burn, burn, burn.”
Courtney’s gritty indie-rock song is about someone who feels lost and wants to find a purpose again. It uses fire as a symbol for passion and energy.
29. “Through the Fire and Flames” – DragonForce
Lyric Sample: “So far away, we wait for the day, for the lives all so wasted and gone.”
This power metal epic became famous through Guitar Hero III for its blistering speed. The lyrics tie fire and flames to struggle and resilience.
30. “Fire on Fire” – Sam Smith
Lyric Sample: “Fire on fire would normally kill us, but this much desire together, we’re winners.”
Sam Smith’s 2019 ballad is about passion that burns so intensely it risks destruction. He compares their love to fire, something dangerous yet unstoppable when the two are together.
31. “Fire” – Kasabian
Lyric Sample: “I’m on fire behind you, it’s a fallen sky.”
Kasabian’s 2009 hit is built around the chant “I’m on fire.” The verses jump between surreal and chaotic lines, making it one of the band’s most recognizable songs.
32. “Just Like Fire” – Pink
Lyric Sample: “Just like fire, burning up the way, if I can light the world up for just one day.”
Pink recorded this empowering track for the movie Alice Through the Looking Glass. She sings about living life to the fullest without fear of judgment.
33. “Girl on Fire” – Alicia Keys
Lyric Sample: “She got both feet on the ground, and she’s burnin’ it down.”
Alicia Keys’ 2012 smash celebrates female strength and determination. Its chorus became a rallying cry for anyone fighting to rise above challenges.
Related: Best Songs with “Girl” in the Title
Conclusion
From house-burning chaos to the sparks of passion, fire has inspired every kind of song imaginable. Whether it’s classic rock, pop, or even country songs about fire, these tracks show how versatile and symbolic fire can be in music.
If you liked this list, you might also want to check out Songs About Peace, Songs About Nature, and Songs About Rain.
