Talking Heads – Burning Down the House

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Send "Burning Down the House" Ringtone to Cell

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 walking in broad daylight
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 baby what did you except
Gonna burst into flame

My house's out of the ordinary
That's might don't want to 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 nuthin' yet
Everything's stuck together
I don't know what you expect starring into the TV set
Fighting fire with fire

Send "Burning Down the House" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by knate15

Track duration: 04:02

"Burning Down the House" as written by David/weymouth Byrne

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

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Burning Down the House song meanings
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46 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:i think "TV set" part is about "TVC 15"
    Flagged neu75on February 21, 2013   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:You guys are all way off, looking for some obscure meaning. Burne says it right in the song! It is about a party. Furthermore, a party with drugs Drugs that takes 365 degrees to burn. Freebase Cocaine vaporizes at 365*.

    Read the lyrics more...with this concept in mind. If you know, you know!


    After that type of party "You're in for nasty weather" Furthermore there is a B.B.C interview that talks about this very song. recorded when? during the Cocaine frenzied 80s..... also Burne says the Rhythm and concept was inspired after seeing a PFunk concert! see a connection <>?<>
    Flag CesarPon January 07, 2013   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:You guys are all way off, looking for some obscure meaning Burne says it right in the song! It is about a party. Furthermore, a party with drugs Drugs that takes 365 degrees to burn. Freebase Cocaine vaporizes at 365*.
    Flag CesarPon January 07, 2013   Link
  • -1
    My Interpretation:It may be about insanity. The paranoid way in which Byrne sings it, may be a proof of it. He talks about a place where he listens to himself and that there are things sweeping him off his feet. It may be about mental breakdowns. Personally, I believe this is one of Talking Heads' darkest songs (even though some people believe it is the exact opposite).

    But, interpreting it in a more contemporary way, the song might as well be about terrorism. Lines like:
    "Boom babies"
    "Hold tight We're in for nasty weather"
    "Here's your ticket pack your bag: time for jumpin' overboard"
    "Fightin' fire with fire"
    "People on their way to work"
    "Gonna burst into flame"
    remind me of 9/11. Of course this isn't something Byrne could have possibly known while writing the song. But, if we interpret the song and adapt it to the modern context, it might as well be that.
    Flag HeavyLidon December 02, 2012   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:Some in this thread stated that the flash point of Ethyl was 365 degrees. Actually the flash point of Ethyl is 55.4 degrees F. Just sayin'...
    Flag MindsClayon July 23, 2012   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • -1
    My Opinion:Seems there are many interpretations, and in my opinion, most of them are way off. But some are approaching the true meaning. I had read that David Byrne took some creative advice from Brian Eno on how to approach the lyrics. The lyrics came from David's subconscious mind... the right hemisphere type of thought process. This process utilizes the universal machinations of noise and fractals. Thoughts come from that same place. So, David's meanings may be completely different from yours, but may still be as valid. Up to a point, of course, since David Byrne's meaning is the ultimately true meaning.
    Flag MindsClayon July 23, 2012   Link
  • +1
    Song Meaning:The psychologist Carl Jung said that fire represents the process of psychological transformation so burning down the house is destroying one personality and creating another one, As you can see in the video one person takes over another. David Byrne said the song was about this in an interview for the BBC (but he looked high at the time).
    Flag mbhvisbyon October 07, 2011   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • -1
    General Comment:Excerpt from The Pocket Guide to Accelerant Evidence Collection
    Ethyl Alcohol - (ethanol, grain alcohol), (C2H5OH), ignition temp. 365 degrees C(689 degrees F)

    i think the line may have something to do with temperature.
    Flag beameron May 20, 2011   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:Excerpt from The Pocket Guide to Accelerant Evidence Collection
    Ethyl Alcohol - (ethanol, grain alcohol), (C2H5OH), ignition temp. 365 degrees C(689 degrees F)

    i think the line may have something to do with temperature.
    Flag beameron May 20, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I heard a very compelling argument that this song is indicative of the end of the world. The kids playing in the video at the end... that's them. In heaven, we're children (or so many people think). A lot of bands are cryptically religious, and Talking Heads are one of them. Except for "Heaven" of course. Thoughts?
    Flag FranTinkletonon February 03, 2011   Link

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