Portishead – It's A Fire

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Send "It's A Fire" Ringtone to Cell

Its a fire
These dreams that pass me by
This salvation I desire
Keeps getting me down

Cos we need to
Recognize mistakes
For time and again

So let it be known for what
we believe in
I can see no reason for it to fail....

Cos this life is a farce
I can't breathe through this mask
Like a fool
So breathe on, sister breathe on

From this one self
Testify or tell
Its fooling us now

So let it be known for what we believe in
I can see no reason for it to fail...

Cos this life is a farce
I can't breathe through this mask
Like a fool
So breathe on, little sister, breathe on
Ohh so breathe on, little sister, like a fool

Send "It's A Fire" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by Ice, edited by TFYFWYA

Track duration: 03:49


It's A Fire song meanings
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  • 0
    General Comment:i have no idea how this song relates to her, but i do know what this song means to me. growing up, gay, and christian, i was tormented with a conflict, a conflict between my dreams, my happiness, my life, and what i was supposed to do, my salvation. it consumed my life, and for most of my life i was extremely depressed. through my early 20's i felt as if everything i truly wanted out of life had or was passing me by. "this salvation i desire, keeps getting me down." for me that feeling is understated. often i contemplated suicide. i felt that this life was just a mere test and wasn't real. i felt that i had given it my all. i had nothing left in me. i was exhausted. i was so unhappy and couldn't live this life anymore. i just hoped that god would understand. i thought of everybody that would be left behind. they would continue to live and breathe. they would continue to battle their life challenges...like fools, but i was done.

    perhaps this song is about the fight people face between life and salvation...some people give up, some people keep fighting. the person in this song gives up, gives in. to hear, she is done, she's fought hard, and looking at everybody still fighting so hard, they just seem foolish to her.

    i love this song, because it reminds me of how close i was to truly losing my dreams. i was this person, but not anymore. i am now a fighter...i fight for my dreams.
    Flag rEVEson July 05, 2010   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • 0
    My Opinion:Who says this is a personal song and not just some beautiful thought that passed through Beth's head one day?

    Chuck Palahniuk is a gay author who wrote a book called "Fight Club" which is a very straight book. So why can't a woman write a song in which the persona is gay?

    Also, just because one shows affection towards a member of the same sex doesn't necessarily mean they're gay.
    Flag TheUsualSuspectson May 22, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I too..well..I can sort of understand this from a gay context too..I've heard rumours that Beth is gay and to be honest I wouldn't be surprised..most of her stuff seems non gender specific, and the video for Glory Box and the lyrics for Small, The Rip etc seem to back this up...

    But yeah..I sort of as a whole interpret this song about..well...I always sort of thought it was..gah I don't know...something about someone who was a victim of justice (I thought it was "from this warm cell, testify or tell) or perhaps had a mental illness, so felt separate from the rest of society...and is sort of advising the "little sister" something to do with "life sucks but I suppose if you can get on with it it'll be OK." Psh..my explaination doesn't make much sense either.
    Flag louisagiffardon March 21, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:beth is gay?
    i have not heard that

    anyway, real sweet song. not exactly sure what it means, but there is a certain tenderness to it. The title/first line always made me think about the fire of passion in a relationship. I was trying to think of good slow-dance songs for my older brother's wedding and this came to mind...though I'm not sure how appropriate it is.
    beth's voice is amazing, as always. I'm surprised it's not more ragged from the smoking.
    Flag deadeyeduckon April 03, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I see in through the context of hearing that Beth was gay. Through that light - the mask, and little sister become more evident in their meaning. Could that be why her salvation keeps getting her down. Wither salvation in religious matters - which traditionally (though not uniformly) reject homosexuality. If the salvation is being who she is without fear - then that could get her down if she has to deal with shedding the "mask."
    Flag tk42wanon September 23, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song means alot to me because when i discovered it it vocalised alot of the things i was feeling at the time.

    'Let it be known for what we beleive in..."
    Being a christian when all your friends aren't, they don't understand you etc...

    "This life is a farce..."
    As Niam said, she is pretending to be something she is not. I was putting on a front to everyone that I was ok, a mask of happiness, shutting all emotion away. Those feelings eventually suffocate you, and eat away at you leaving you feeling awful.

    At the time also, I could see other close friends doing the same, and just wanted to say to them let it out, but you cant because they wouldn't listen... hence the "so breathe on little sister, like a fool". Little sister, patronising, yet endearing and loving. Sisterly feeling of protection.
    Flag kimruffelleon June 18, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i'm lost. does this song mean. she's wearing a mask/fakeness like everyone else, and she can't stand it anymore and she can't go on living like this.

    or life sucks, and she can't go on living/breath through the mask. but other people around her appear to be able to...and she's hanging on?
    Flag faerieon February 23, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song has a very familier sense to me, i was in a long term relationship to a man whom i later married, however it was all so fake , i was not in love with him and it was just an escape from my life at home with very strict parents, but my dreams of love i thought had passed me by. however as she wrote breath on and dont give up !
    Flag skystaron December 30, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:she cant carry on in this in joke of a life, pretending she's something she's not
    'Cos this life is a farce
    I can't breathe through this mask
    Like a fool
    So breathe on, little sister, breathe on
    Ohh so breathe on, little sister, like a fool'
    it's kind of sarcasm in away of telling the other girl to keep playing the fool wearing the mask
    Flag Niamon June 14, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:She is saying that this life is overly difficult and she is going to give up on whatever it is they are trying to do, but if the other girl she is talking to can continue with whatever they are trying to do, then she should continue with out her.
    Flag Smiley75220on May 03, 2004   Link

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