Blue Öyster Cult – Burnin' For You

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  General Comment:Los Angeles. I'm pretty sure this song is about L.A.

  Flag jgodsilon February 16, 2013   Link

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  General Comment:this is either about a) drugs (buring is smoking stuff)or b) a guy who doesnt have anything left and is like what the hell I'm done, i dont have a home, so ill just waste my time, Ive seen alot, but im not going to say anything because i dont want you to make the same mistakes i did.
  
  and the one lyric is B-sides. There were two sides to albums back in the "old days".... and you had to flip it from side a to side b to listen to the rest of the stuff on the album.

  Flag labrecque19on March 28, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:What is up with everyone and suggesting that all these songs are about suicide??? I mean honestly, people, come up with something at least semi-original! Anyways, beautiful song, love love love it!

  Flag shouse043on October 27, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:This song is about hedonism, dying young, and the rock and roll lifestyle. There are many references both to death and to "the devil," which represents unchecked indulgence but never explicitly mentions drugs, booze or sex explicitly.
  
  For instance "burning," is very closely related to "burn out," which was first used, in the context of self destruction, by Niel Young two years before "Burnin' for you," was released when famously he wrote "It's better to burn out than to fade away," in his song "Hey hey, my my."
  
  Whereas "hey hey, my my," was melancholy and ironic, "Burnin' for you," is an affirmation of the fast living rock and roll lifestyle. References to the devil are not literal as much as they are symbolic of drugs, sex, booze, and fast cars. Things that are pleasurable but can kill you.
  
  In the context of the song "you," is the embodiment of unchecked impulsive indulgence personified by the devil i.e. "I am quickly dying because I do a lot of bad things to my body, but I don't care."
  
  The line "I'm livin' for givin' the devil his due," essentially means "I can't deny that sex, drugs, and rock and roll are bad for me, but they sure do feel good." The crux of the song is that the narrator is fully aware that he will die young but accepts it as payment for all the good times he will have while he is alive.

  Flag Phazzleon June 30, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:It bears mentioning that BOC have been on tour pretty much steadily since the late 1970s. They never stop touring. Home on the Highway indeed. From what I hear it's the real high way.

  Flag BloodReignon September 28, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:This song, like any successful artist/band has, is about living on the road, doesn't have a real home. In a contract where they do sell their soul to the agenda. He see's no reason to fight it...they can't.
  
  I'm living for giving the devil his due - Very obvious
  
  I'm burning, I'm burning, I'm burning for you - could be us that they need to play for, devil, both...or just everyone involved.

  Flag soulfreedomon September 15, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:Okay crack a book. I cant find any acknowledgment of this but The song was obviously written about the book "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac. Its about two guys during the late fifties who spent a lot of time bumming around the country getting into a lot of different shit, doing drugs, and lookin for love. Kerouac even wrote a fictional song that appears in the book at a couple points.... the lyrics are
  "Home in Missoula,
  Home in Truckee,
  Home in Opelousas,
  Ain't no home for me,
  
  Home in old Medora,
  Home in Wounded Knee,
  Home in Ogallala,
  Home I'll never be"
  Besides the fact that The opening lyrics of Burnin for You are obviously a rewrite of Kerouac song, the two main characters spend a lot of time waxing philosophic about a lot of things, including TIME, and one of them(Dean Moriarty) has something of a catchphrase. He says "WE KNOW TIME" about 2 dozen times throughout the book. and these guys seem to like to write songs about books. I mean Dont fear the reaper was written about Stephen King's The Stand- and that is proven.

  Flag randy91on March 13, 2010   Link

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    I agree with the reference to Kerouac, but Don't Fear the Reaper can't be based on The Stand, since it precedes The Stand by two years. there is a quote from Don't Fear the Reaper in The Stand. both are excellent either way! :)

    Flag hdaintonon April 22, 2013  
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  General Comment:This line, refers to living in hell i think. I've seen suns that were freezing and lives that were through
  

  Flag drummerpenguinon February 09, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:Reminds me of that movie Ghost Rider, he sold his soul to the devil to get rid of his dad's cancer, then his dad dies. Maybe he sold his soul to the devil to help someone and then he goes to hell?? I agree on the above meanings, just making a suggestion...

  Flag drummerpenguinon February 09, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:about a guy who has now ill to live, no home, and is always about being on the road "home on the highway". He sold his soul to the devil "I'm living for giving the devil his due" probably referring to the deal he made with the devil. "I'm burning, I'm burning, I'm burning for you" He went to hell because he had no soul, but makes you think it's someone else's fault.

  Flag drummerpenguinon January 30, 2010   Link

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