This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
(sound of match striking)
Know that it would be untrue
Know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
I didn't set your house on fire
But it's just the way I am
Have to take it for a fact
Life can really burn you up
When you're a pyromaniac
So...
If you love somebody
Better set them on fire
I went to your house last night
Dad called me the human torch
Got a little pissed at him
So I burned down your front porch
Now I feel a little better
About throwin' gas on your dad
But you know it's hard to quit
And besides he started it
I just bought a brand new lighter
And I just can't wait to use it
With a can a' kerosene it's lots a' fun
You can't refuse it
Oily rags are special things
You know to me they're diamond rings
Maybe we can have some fun
Maybe we can burn someone
So...
If you love somebody
Better set them on fire
Know that it would be untrue
Know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
I didn't set your dad on fire
If you love somebody
Better set them on fire
If you love somebody
Why not set them on fire?
If you love somebody
Better set them on fire
If you love somebody
Why not set them on fire?
Know that it would be untrue
Know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
I didn't set your house on fire
But it's just the way I am
Have to take it for a fact
Life can really burn you up
When you're a pyromaniac
So...
If you love somebody
Better set them on fire
I went to your house last night
Dad called me the human torch
Got a little pissed at him
So I burned down your front porch
Now I feel a little better
About throwin' gas on your dad
But you know it's hard to quit
And besides he started it
I just bought a brand new lighter
And I just can't wait to use it
With a can a' kerosene it's lots a' fun
You can't refuse it
Oily rags are special things
You know to me they're diamond rings
Maybe we can have some fun
Maybe we can burn someone
So...
If you love somebody
Better set them on fire
Know that it would be untrue
Know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
I didn't set your dad on fire
If you love somebody
Better set them on fire
If you love somebody
Why not set them on fire?
If you love somebody
Better set them on fire
If you love somebody
Why not set them on fire?
Lyrics submitted by nightkite13
If You Love Somebody, Set Them on Fire Lyrics as written by Dean Sabatino David Schulthise
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The Night We Met
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Magical
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How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Page
Ed Sheeran
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There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
I like the Light My Fire by the The Doors tribute deal in the beginning
Cute, but in a hardcore kinda way.
love this song, very catchy!
~If you love somebody better set them on fire~
These lyrics aren't completely correct by the way..
[sound of match striking]
Know that it would be untrue Know that I would be a liar If I was to say to you I didn't set your house on fire
But it's just the way I am Have to take it for a fact Life can really burn you up When you're a pyromaniac So...
If you love somebody Better set them on fire
I went to your house last night Dad called me the human torch Got a little pissed at him So I burned down your front porch
Now I feel a little better About throwin' gas on your dad But you know it's hard to quit And besides he started it
I just bought a brand new lighter And I just can't wait to use it With a can a' kerosene it's lots a' fun You can't refuse it
Oily rags are special things You know to me they're diamond rings Maybe we can have some fun Maybe we can burn someone So...
If you love somebody Better set them on fire
Know that it would be untrue Know that I would be a liar If I was to say to you I didn't set your dad on fire
If you love somebody Better set them on fire
If you love somebody Why not set them on fire?
If you love somebody Better set them on fire
If you love somebody Why not set them on fire?
I love this song!!! It's friggin amazing. Dead Milkmen are wow.
this song is amazing. my friend started listening to it after her dad died. and i was kinda shocked. lawlllz : / ohwell, ...
This song fucking rules! such a great funny song, but does anyone no if there is more meaning to it? What else do they mean?
This song (title) is a parody of the Doors "Light My Fire" ... other than that its just a silly song about a kid who enjoys lighting things on fire. The Dead Milkmen songs are generally hilarious...sometimes political...but mostly just very enjoyable.
Fixed:
Now I feel a little bad about throwing gas on your dad