I'm On Fire

“I’m On Fire” was the fourth of seven singles from Born In The USA that reached the top 10 in the US. Overseas it reached the top 20 in eight countries including a #5 peak in the UK. The song is one of several songs recorded in 1982 that did not end up on his Nebraska album, released late that year. Its music video is the first one Springsteen had a strictly acting role, not involving footage of a live performance. It won ‘Best Male Video’ at the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards. Three notable artists to cover “I’m On Fire” were Johnny Cash in 2000, John Mayer in 2009, and Awolnation in 2015. I'm on Fire is a song written and performed by American rock singer Bruce Springsteen. In 1985 it became the fourth single released from his massively successful album Born in the U.S.A.. I'm on Fire was recorded in February 1982 during the first wave of Born in the U.S.A. sessions. This took place in impromptu fashion when Springsteen started making up a slow tune on guitar for some lyrics he had, and drummer Max Weinberg and keyboardist Roy Bittan, hearing it for the first time, created an accompaniment on the spot. The result was a moody number that merges a soft rockabilly beat, lyrics built around sexual tension, and synthesizers into an effective whole; it was one of the first uses of that instrument in Springsteen's music. The song peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles charts in early 1985. It was the fourth of a record-tying seven Top 10 hit singles to be released from Born in the U.S.A. It is also remarkable that the single reached #1 in the Netherlands for 3 weeks in August 1985, at the same time as 2 other Springsteen singles ("Dancing in the Dark" and "Born in the U.S.A.") were occupying the Top 12. Unlike the first three singles from the album, no remixes were made for "I'm on Fire" (nor were any made for any of the subsequent singles released).

I’m on Fire Bruce Springsteen [Verse 1] Hey, little girl, is your daddy home? Did he go away and leave you all alone? I got a bad desire [Chorus] Oh, oh, oh I'm on fire [Verse 2] Tell me now, baby, is he good to you? And can he do to you the things that I do? Oh no, I can take you higher [Chorus] Oh, oh, oh I'm on fire [Verse 3] Sometimes it's like someone took a knife, baby, edgy and dull And cut a six-inch valley through the middle of my skull At night, I wake up with the sheets soakin' wet And a freight train runnin' through the middle of my head Only you can cool my desire [Chorus] Oh, oh, oh I'm on fire Oh, oh, oh I'm on fire Oh, oh, oh I'm on fire [Outro] Ooh-ooh, ooh Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh Produced By Bruce Springsteen, Little Steven, Chuck Plotkin & Jon Landau Written By Bruce Springsteen Recording Engineer Toby W. Scott Mixed At Power Station (New York City) Recorded At Power Station (New York City) & The Hit Factory (New York City) Synthesizer Roy Bittan Piano Roy Bittan Organ Danny Federici Guitar Bruce Springsteen Drums Max Weinberg Bass Garry Tallent Mixing Engineer Bob Clearmountain Mastering Engineer Bob Ludwig Assistant Engineer Zoë Yanakis, Jeff Hendrickson, Bruce Lampcov & Billy Straus Acoustic Guitar Little Steven Release Date June 4, 1984