Song Lyric Sunday: Fire, Fire, Burning Higher

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In the seventh part of her ten week residency, songs with the lyrics “hot, burning, fire or blazing” has been suggested by Nancy aka The Sicilian Storyteller. Read all about it in Jim’s post – Inferno. The field for this was very wide: I thought of Johnny Cash and Eric Burton doing two very different versions of the same song, The Move and their bonkers Fire Brigade, and several others, but settled on the one I’m playing. This is the Queen of Country, being anything but that:

That’s a long way from Jolene, isn’t it! I think that is possibly the most powerful song Dolly has ever written, and in case you missed them, the lyrics are quite lengthy but they run like this:

Liar, liar the world’s on fireWhatcha gonna do when it all burns down?Fire, fire burning higherStill got time to turn it all around
 
Now I ain’t one for speaking out muchBut that don’t mean I don’t stay in touchEverybody’s trippin’ over this or thatWhat we gonna do when we all fall flat?
 
Liar, liar the world’s on fireWhat we gonna do when it all burns down?
 
I don’t know what to think about usWhen did we lose in God we trustGod Almighty, what we gonna doIf God ain’t listenin’ and we’re deaf too
 
Liar, liar the world’s on fireWhatcha gonna do when it all burns down?Fire, fire burning higherStill got time to turn it all around
 
Don’t get me started on politicsNow how are we to live in a world like thisGreedy politicians, present and pastThey wouldn’t know the truth if it bit ’em in the ass
 
Now tell me what is truth?(Whatcha gonna do?)Have we all lost sight(Whatcha gonna do?)Of common decency?(Whatcha gonna do?)Of the wrong and right?
 
How do we heal this great divide?Do we care enough to try?Liar, liar the world’s on fireWhat we gonna do when it all burns down?
 
Billy got a gun, Joey got a knifeJaney got a sign to carry in the fightMarching in the streets with sticks and stonesDon’t you ever believe words don’t break bones
 
Oh, can we rise above?Can’t we show some love?Do we just give upOr make a change?We know all too wellWe’ve all been through hellTime to break the spellIn Heaven’s name
 
Liar, liar the world’s on fireWhatcha gonna do when it all burns down?Fire, fire burning higherStill got time to turn it all around
 
Show some love (liar, liar, the world’s on fire)(Still got time to turn it all around)Let’s rise above (liar, liar, the world’s on fire)(Whatcha gonna do when it all burns down?)Let’s make a stand (liar, liar, the world’s on fire)(Whatcha gonna do when it all burns down?)Let’s lend a hand (liar, liar, the world’s on fire)(Still got time to turn it all around)Let’s heal the hurt (liar, Liar, the world’s on fire)(Whatcha gonna do when it all burns down?)Let kindness work (liar, liar, the world’s on fire)(Whatcha gonna do when it all burns down?)Let’s be a friend (liar, liar, the world’s on fire)(Whatcha gonna do when it all burns down?)Let hatred end (liar, liar, the world’s on fire)(Whatcha gonna do)
 
Liar, liar, the world’s on fireWhatcha gonna do when it all burns down?Liar, liar, the world’s on fireWhatcha gonna do when it all burns down?
 
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Dolly Parton
World On Fire lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
 
I did think of sharing only a selection of those, but they make some important points and I think they deserve to be seen in full. And if anyone tried the closed caption option I hope it worked better for you than it did for me: it seemed as though the captions were in a different time zone from the performance!
 
The background to the song dates from 2022, when Dolly was nominated for inclusion in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Shame (sorry, Fame). Like many of us, no doubt, she at first thought this inappropriate and declined the offer, but then had a change of heart and accepted. Whilst there she talked with a number of the other nominees and out of that came the germ of an idea for an album of rock songs. She has often covered rock music on her albums – her version of Stairway To Heaven on her 2002 album Halos And Horns is great, for example – and she invited several of those nominees to play on songs with her. Many of the songs are covers but several are newly written by her for the album. It was released as Rockstar in November 2023, her 49th studio record, and peaked at #3 in the US (her best ever placing for an album) and #5 in the UK. Whilst I’m not convinced that all of the collaborations work it is a monumental effort: in the deluxe version, which is the one I have in my Apple Music library, it stretches to 39 tracks!
 
World On Fire was the first single from it, released in May 2023, a full six months ahead of the album. It peaked at #4 on the US Digital Song Sales chart, and also reached #21 on the US Rock chart. The video I am playing is from her debut performance of the song that same month at the American Country Music Awards show: quite a performance, and a kick up the proverbials for the cowboy hat brigade, I suspect. Consider that Dolly was 77 at the time and I think that puts it into perspective. And the lyrics are a timely reminder of the state of politics in the US, and in many other countries too, including the UK: division seems to be the order of the day, and it produces nothing other than distrust and hatred while countries are at war without full support of their allies, and the world is very much on fire. Her point about greedy politicians is well made, too.
 
I usually post a second song for these themes, but today I’m just giving you the one. Anything else would detract from the power of this one, and I don’t want to do that. So that’s it for today, and I thank Jim for hosting, as always, and Nancy for another great suggestion. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and I’ll see you again for Tuesday Tunes 🎶
 

41 thoughts on “Song Lyric Sunday: Fire, Fire, Burning Higher”

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    • I like a lot of what she does, and admire the way she tried something different with this album. This song and performance were spectacular!

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  5. HI Clive, I always admired Dolly, fake boobs and all. Her song does highlight people’s view of the modern world although I don’t think it has ever been any different. Look at the Kings and Queens of England from the past, a more arrogant and selfish bunch you could never hope to find.

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    • She certainly did that! Shades of ‘We Will Rock You’ in the treatment of the song, but it is still an amazing performance. The lyrics are so relevant to today, and she made her point! Thanks for your kind words about my Tuesday posts – see you there 😊

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  15. Not a Dolly fan myself but on this occassion a very fitting rendition it fits exactly todays theme and the world as it is now… so relevant…On this occassion I am in Dolly’s camp..Great choice , Clive xx

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  17. But who’s counting?! 😂

    I didn’t have you pegged for a Dolly-man, but this is not just any Dolly song. Wow! She is preaching this Sunday morning! Excellent song choice …. a perfect fit for the theme and the scheme of things in the world today.

    Terrific post, Clive!

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