FIRE^©

Live 1975-85 version

I'm driving in my car, I turn on the radio
I'm pulling you close, you just say no
You say you don't like it, but girl I know you're a liar
'Cause when we kiss
Hmmm, fire

Well late at night, I'm takin' you home
Well I say I wanna stay, you say you wanna be alone
You say you don't love me, girl you can't hide your desire
And when we kiss
Ohhh, fire, fire

You had a hold on me right from the start
It's a grip so tight I couldn't tear it apart
My nerves all jumpin' actin' like a fool
Your kisses they burn, but your heart stays cool

Romeo and Juliet, Samson and Delilah
But baby you can bet their love they didn't deny
Your words say split, but your words they lie
'Cause when we kiss
Hmmm, fire, fire
Burnin' in my soul, it's out of control
Fire

The live performance of the song on 16 Dec 1978 in Winterland, San Francisco, CA, was published on the Live 1975-85 box set in 1986. The video from the 13 Oct 1986 off-tour acoustic performance of the song is available on The Complete Video Anthology / 1978-2000 DVD.

That live 16 Dec 1978 version was released in 1987 on the FIRE (16 Dec 79) / FOR YOU (07 Jul 1978) 7-inch (see picture below) in Japan, Australia, and Europe. The FIRE (16 Dec 79) / INCIDENT ON 57TH STREET (29 Dec 1980) was released in North America that year. FIRE was the first single since 1978 to miss the Top 40

Also released that same year on the UK 12-inch EP: FIRE (16 Dec 79) / FOR YOU (07 Jul 1978) / BORN TO RUN (19 Aug 1985) / NO SURRENDER (06 Aug 1984) / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (20 Aug 1984). This EP come in a colour picture sleeve similar to the appropriate 7-inch single (above photo) with the blue border around the front collage being considerably wider on the UK version (info from the Lost In The Flood website).

Also included on the Live Collection EP in 1987, in both 12-inch and CD format: FOR YOU (07 Jul 1978) / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (07 Jul 1978) / FIRE (16 Dec 79) / INCIDENT ON 57TH STREET (29 Dec 1980).

Bruce Springsteen originally wrote FIRE for Elvis Presley and sent it to him just weeks before his death. It was later given to the Pointer Sisters who released it on their 1978 album Energy. Robert Gordon also released it on his 1978 album Fresh Fish Special. It featured Bruce on Piano. Check out The Pointer Sisters' version and Robert Gordon's version.

The first known performance of the song was on 19 May 1978 at the Paramount Theater, Asbury Park, NJ, during the Darkness On The Edge Of Town tour rehearsals. The first on-tour performance was during the opening night of the tour on 23 May 1978 at the Shea Theater, Buffalo, NY. Became a Bruce classic in that tour, and was performed 76 times in total.

Played with Robert Gordon on 14 Mar 1979 at The Fast Lane, Asbury Park, NJ, and on 27 May 1979 at the Paramount Theater, Asbury Park, NJ. Also played with Ricky Lee Jones and Boz Scaggs on 03 Jun 1979 at the wedding of Marc Brinkman at The Whisky, Los Angeles, CA.

Played frequently during The River tour, 96 times. Later played 3 times with Clarence Clemons And The Red Bank Rockers in 1984, before the Born In The USA tour. Then played 21 times during the tour, only in USA and Canada. The next performance was on 13 Oct 1986 at Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View, CA, during an acoustic evening to benefit The Bridge School. The video of that performance of the song was later included on The Complete Video Anthology / 1978-2000 DVD. Check the Anthology video version.

Snippets of the song were sometimes played in the middle of TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT during the Reunion tour. Played also on 03 Nov 2001 with Joe Grushecky at the Tradewinds, Sea Bright, NJ.

Played with Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers on 02 Nov 2002 at the Tradewinds, Sea Bright, NJ, during the third annual Light Of Day show. Appeared only once during The Rising tour on 11 Mar 2003 at the Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, NY. Then played after the tour with Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers on 01 Nov 2003 at the Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ, during the fourth annual Light Of Day show.

These lyrics refer to the 16 Dec 1978 live performance Winterland, San Francisco, CA, and that was published on the Live 1975-85 box set in 1986. Check also the Anthology video version, outtake version, live 26 Jun 1999 version, live 02 Nov 2002 version, The Pointer Sisters version, and Robert Gordon's version.

Spoken intro on 09 Aug 1978 at the Agora Ballroom, Cleveland, OH:

Winner by a knockout! ??? of the first round. Alright. This was a song, was on uh, Robert Gordon's second album. This is called Fire.

Spoken intro on 15 Dec 1978 at Winterland, San Francisco, CA:

This song was... This song was originally done for Robert Gordon's second album, and it's just been recorded by the Pointer Sisters. So.. It's called "Fire". One, two, three ,four.

Spoken intro on 19 Dec 1978 at the Paramount Theater, Portland, OR:

This song was recorded by Robert Gordon and by the Pointer Sisters. It's called "Fire".

Spoken intro on 11 Oct 1980 at the Uptown Theatre, Chicago, IL:

This next song is a sad song of deep, unrequited, passionate love. Have you ever been in love?
(Unknown crazed woman: "I love you Bruce!")
...She didn't ever even look at us...
(Unknown crazed woman: "What was she, blind?")
Let me see the face that belongs to that voice... Goddamn I'm gonna kill you.