Lyrics for On Fire as interpreted by switchchick

On Fire Lyrics
They tell you where you need to go
They tell you when you need to leave
They tell you what you need to know
They tell you who you need to be

But everything inside you
Knows there's more than what you've heard
There's so much more than empty conversations
Filled with empty words

And you're on fire when he's near you
You're on fire when he speaks
You're on fire burning at these mysteries

Give me one more time around
Give me one more chance to see, yeah
Give me everything you are
Give me one more chance to be near you, yeah

When everything inside me
Looks like everything I hate
You are the hope I have for change
You are the only chance I'll take

And I'm on fire when you're near you
And I'm on fire when he speaks
And I'm on fire burning at these mysteries

You're on fire
You're on fire
You're on fire

I'm standing on the edge of me
I'm standing on the edge of me
I'm standing on the edge of me
I'm standing on the edge of me
I'm standing on the edge of everything I've never been before
And I've been standing on the edge of me
Standing on the edge

And I'm on fire when you're near me
And I'm on fire when you speak, yeah
I'm on fire burning at these mysteries
These mysteries
These mysteries, yeah
You're a mystery, yeah
You're a mystery

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rkchick
09-01-2002

Rated -1 
this is a great song and I can't wait for it come out! I saw Switchfoot perform this song last month at their concert. Great great song! and very good lyrics. I especially love the part that says "when everything inside. It looks like everything I hate. You are the hope I have for change. You are the only chance I'll take". It's just a beautiful song - and Jon's guitar playing is awesome. Switchfoot rocks.

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x187x
09-10-2002

Rated -1 
You are the hope I have for change, You are the only chance I'll take ---- that is awesome

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untiedshoelaces
07-05-2003

Rated 0 
this song just says how the only thing that isnt empty, the only thing that can light your fire, the only thing that matters is of course Him

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incuthrice07
06-09-2004

Rated 0 
It's crazy how this song has the same piano tune throughout the entire song, but yet it feels like it changes a lot from verse to chorus and etc. Absolutely awesome!

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diegorockusa
09-18-2004

Rated 0 
So I think he's trying to say that he screwed up. She moved on and is "on fire" when she's around the man that took his place and he misses her like crazy. Everything's a mystery to him.
I think this is my favorite song on the album!

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maybe_im_stupid
10-09-2004

Rated 0 
Yeah I agree with you ^

Anyways...Good song. I love it :D

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CODYT3212
10-11-2004

Rated 0 
this song is one of the bst songs on Beautiful Letdown. its slow...but its fantastic.

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swimmer9807
10-14-2004

Rated 0 
This song is about God and how when you are near him and he's talking to you your on fire. Switchfoot is my fav christian band. It's funny though.. not alot of people know they are a christian band. So they have know clue what the lyrics really mean.

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iziromeoizi
10-17-2004

Rated 0 
I totally Agree with Swimmer, EVERYONE OUT THERE, Switchfoot is a CHRISTIAN band, most of there songs relate to live and of course god, not girls, its very easy to be mistakin. In this song they want you to feel gods presence , enlighten your soul and trully make you alive. VERY deep song if its taken the right way. I just saw them live at teh chili cookoff and was amazed. There performance was just so real. Great Band!

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miss la de da
11-05-2004

Rated 0 
ehh diegorocksusa nice try pal thats not it aaaaat all ... however
switchfoot knows oh so much better than to write a pathetic mtv~esque song about girls & how stupid they are
this is about God. all their songs are in one way or another. i looooove them.

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grayed_rainbow
11-08-2004

Rated 0 
iziromeoizi you're so right about how this song "enlightens your soul and truly makes you feel alive." i'm definitely not a religious person and don't even really believe in god, but this song really does make me feel happy to be here....

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werdna101
11-14-2004

Rated 0 
"And you're on fire when He's near you
You're on fire when He speaks
You're on fire, burning at these mysteries"

Church is not one of my favourite places to go but when I do and I'm with the right people I love it. People coming together as one, loving and worshipping. It's a magical thing to see and to experience. I feel like ''i'm on fire' when i do attend. There are nights and days all I can think about is what do I believe in, what is other there, all those msyteries. I can't chose my path of life but I want to get it on the right path and believe in something, something to forward to. All those mysteries.

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shaynew216
11-30-2004

Rated 0 
I wish this would be the song that I would hear when i turn on the radio. I love it so much more than Dare you to move and meant to live. It's such a solid song and it's true for any Christian seeking God.

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osubuckeye420
12-01-2004

Rated +1 
That's what I love about Switchfoot... they are a Christian band, and they are proud of it and they admit to it during interviews and in magizine articles and things of that nature. Yet their lyrics are so vague, yet so to the point that you don't have to be Christian to enjoy them...

I'm Christian, but I have friends of other faiths who love Switchfoot and they can relate the "love" that the band is talking about which is meant to be in reference to God, and they can relate it to a loved one, or their family, or their grandparents...

I'm not saying it's a healthy thing to love a girl as much as your supposed to love God, in fact, it's pretty much against everything the Bible says, but still... haha I'm not even going to go down that route.

Lemme just say that they (Switchfoot) really are a great band and I too saw them live at the Newport in Columbus and the show was incredible, and cheap too... it was like 14 bucks and we got to stand in the front row. Now that's a deal :)

I hope everyone enjoys this song as much as I do.

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shirvs
12-24-2004

Rated 0 
I just heard this song for the first time about 5 minutes a go and I didn't think Switchfoot could get better than Dare you to Move, but they did. I have a feeling this is going to become my new song for me and God time. It almost made me cry and only special songs make me cry. It describes so perfectly the indescribable feeling God gives you when you do hear him speak or feel him. The only other song that I've heard do that as well as this is Lifehouse's 'Everything', if you haven't heard it, listen do it. Anyway, miss la de da, while what you said was kind of harsh, I salute you. It's so true how people just pass off every song as about girls when there are bands out there that are do know better than to write songs that have little more meaning than a break up. But I think the great thing about them is that people can get whatever they want out of Switchfoot songs. But it's still obviously all about God. These are the sort of songs that I think give us the tiniest glimpse of what the music of Heaven might be like, obviously inspired by God and all going back to God. I love it.

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livin_for_Christ
01-01-2005

Rated 0 
Don't you realize...this song is not about a girl/guy love relationship. It's talking about God. "Him" is God. I've experienced that fire...there is nothing that even comes close to the feeling of having the Holy Spirit in you.

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livin_for_Christ
01-01-2005

Rated 0 
Don't you realize...this song is not about a girl/guy love relationship. It's talking about God. "Him" is God. I've experienced that fire...there is nothing that even comes close to the feeling of having the Holy Spirit in you.

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nancee
01-09-2005

Rated 0 
I bolded all the parts that impacted me in my LJ and this is like my FAV part:

But everything inside you know
There's more than what you've heard
There's so much more than empty conversations
Filled with empty words.

I was just like "Whoa" They hit it right on the spot. After what he said on Wed, I realize everything we talked about was for nothing. He even said in front of everyone "I can't be your friend." My heart was broked and all the things he had said to me was just empty. But the Lord put me back on track. Before it was him that lit me on fire, but the fire Christ lights in me is much greater than a guy can. Truly, God is wonderful. Only He can do this to me.

When I'm on fire
When You're near me
I'm on fire
When You speak
And I'm on fire

And thank you to all who realize that Switchfoot is a Christian band. No one believes me but when you listen, you can ultimately hear that its about God at the end.

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shnazzysqueaker
01-25-2005

Rated 0 
I love this song ,I'm listing to it right now! I'm the same as nancee my favorite part is; But everything inside you know
There's more than what you've heard
There's so much more than empty conversations
Filled with empty words P.s god can rock!!!!As shown through Switchfoot.

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shnazzysqueaker
01-25-2005

Rated 0 
I love this song!My favorIte part is the same as nancees:

"But everything inside you know
There's more than what you've heard
There's so much more than empty conversations
Filled with empty words". P.S god can rock!!!!

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shnazzysqueaker
01-25-2005

Rated 0 
sorry it came up twice

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empty.lightness
01-25-2005

Rated 0 
well...i came to this site because i was interested to see how other people were interpreting the song, because i wasn't sure whether the intention of the artist should or would affect what the song means to me.

perhaps there's a little incongruity as to the importance or relevance of whether one should see this 'love' as in reference to God or a more romantic relationship.

after a little thought, i think that it is perhaps irrelevant. love, or any other equally 'mysterious' emotion which we may like to call 'love' is something ever present in everyone's lives, regardless if it is for a faith in God or for someone (you think is.?) important in your life, it is something which each individual has to deal with, come to terms with.

im not christian, and i dont believe in love, but i find comfort in a lot of switchfoot's music. perhaps it is just an innate need of humans... (and something about the mystery of music)

~

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shirvs
03-04-2005

Rated 0 
empty.lightness. Please don't get angry at me and call me or consider me self righteous or a bible basher for this, but do you think maybe the reason you find such comfort in Switchfoot's music is because of the spiritual undertones of their music. Perhaps hearing such love for God through song slightly fills the hole where the holy spirit should be thus giving you a tiny experience of the comfort God's love can give you. Just a thought.

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star_up_in_the_sky
03-04-2005

Rated 0 
This is my most favourite switchfoot song! I love how they are a christian rock group, but make music that even non-christians can enjoy. I totally agree with nancee and schnazzysqueker...the best part is "but everything inside you know there's more than what you've heard. There's so much more than empty conversations filled with empty words." It is SOOO true and so beautiful, I love it. I could just be crazy or weird, but one other really beautiful thing about this song is the singing. He sounds so honest it's gorgeous. also, this might be weird, but at the beginning of the song, when his breathing is realy prounounced, it is so beautiful and sweet. I definately think I'm crazy. could someone listen and agree with me so I don't sound like I'm out of my mind!...Anyways, this song is a masterpiece...love it to pieces. I could listen to it over and over again because of the comfort it can instill. It shines a hopeful light on those shadowed "mysteries" one might be burning at.

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shirvs
03-06-2005

Rated 0 
hey star up in the sky. Yeah I noticed his breathing at the start as well and often that can ruin a song but I really think it adds to this one. It gives it a much more real quality, almost makes it more personal because it pronounces that he's a mere human singing to a powerful being in a God.

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