BILLY JOEL - WE DIDNT START THE FIRE | REACTION 

There are 119 historical references in this song. Britannica (the encyclopedia) has a link online that goes over every one of them called "All 119 References in “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” explained" They all happened between the years that Billy Joel was alive, up until the point of release of this song, so 1949 to 1989. Piano Man was released in 1973, this song was released in 1989, so Piano Man was definitely first. The point of this song is just to say basically, "Sh&t happens in every year and generation."

All the events are listed in chronological order from 1949 to 1989. It's making the point that the world has always been fucked up, although every generation thinks that they have it the worst.

Everything he mentions, happened in his lifetime it is a history lesson

Billy’s message with this song: The world’s a mess, it’s always been a mess and its always going to be a mess. These are the headlines from Billy’s first 40 years of life. 1949-1989.

Billy Joel was inspired to write this song when Sean Lennon (John Lennon's son) whose was young at the time... came into his studio with a friend and was talking to Joel about how his generation had so many problems and Billy Joel's didn't . Billy Joel, then wrote this song about his generation as a response!

Piano Man was way before this! This was all the events that happened from the time Billy was born until the year this came out.

I had a HS history teacher use this song for major events. We had to categorize each line by decade and it's significance. One of the most memorable lessons that will stick with me forever. Love your content!

These are newspaper headlines from when he was young up until he wrote the song

Everything he named in the song had a significant impact on culture, politics and history from the year Billy was born (right after WWII) through the year he wrote the song (around 1989), and it's chronological. People have put together articles where they explain each reference and name in a list. Yeah, it's worth reading about. Interesting reaction. Thanks for checking this out.

Goodnight Saigon is the best! He always had veterans at every concert singing the chorus. 😊

I believe this song was inspired by a conversation he had with John Lennon's son Sean and a friend of Sean's. The friend said something like "Well, life was just simpler when you were younger. You didn't have these constant daily crises like we do now"...Joel was thinking: "It's always been constant daily crises"...

Us baby boomers can really relate to this having lived through the events of post WW II. It’s about good and evil and a reminder that when evil things are going on there are always people who try to correct them and bring change. You should really read the full lyrics of the song to appreciate the real message. Thanks for your reaction to this. 👏👏

It’s a history of his life’s time period up to current events. It’s everything that was occurring.

“Scenes in an Italian Restaurant” is an Awesome early Billy! It’s like a cross between Beatles Sargeant Peppers era, and Queen Bohemian Rhapsody’s multiple sounds in one track!

Piano Man was 15 years before this song. Billy Joel is a master at remaking himself. Pure talent

John Lennon, of The Beatles, was assassinated, in NY, in early 80's. It was a huge deal. Lohn Lennon had a son Sean who was now a young man. Billy and Sean were talking and Sean said that things were so much easier in Billys days. Billy put together current event titles, political scandal, war, happiness, young love etc. We literally did NOT start the fire" however though we didnt light it and we tried to fight it....it will still go and on and on.... "Song starts in 1949, when Billy is born. Song ends in 1989 when Michael Jackson was on side Pepsi and Bruce Springsteen rocked for Coke. Literally "rock n roller cola wars! Teachers still use😊 the breakdown of those lyrics in class. 😊

Billy Joel’s, “River of Dreams,” is my favorite song from his later years!

Billy was born in 1949 and had turned 40 years old in 1989 at the time that he wrote this song. He had been talking to some at the time twentysomethings, who had said that it was an exciting time in history for them to be young, what with the Cold War coming to an end. Billy agreed and said he felt the same when he was their age, to which one of them said it was not really the same thing though, as nothing of note had happened when Billy was younger. He asked if he was kidding and then rattled off a few key things in response. Then later on as more of a mental exercise, he began to list the key events and people over the course of his 40 years and somehow manage to get it in chronological order and to rhyme and scan well too. He then set it to music, using the melody to the chorus from an earlier country song that he never released. The lyrics to the chorus are basically saying that every generation blames the one before for the world's problems, but it is a cycle that repeats itself and will do forever. He usually writes the music first and then the lyrics, which is why he does not musically like this song after he did it the other way around.

It’s a huge protest song. There are dozens of historic elements and photos in it. Combined with some actors (like Lucy, not Lucy an actress) it’s a deep song which takes a lot of thinking but in an upbeat danceable tune. It’s from a different era which makes it difficult for someone not versed in the history of the day. It’s from my time so I recognize most of his references. It’s a powerful tune with deep serious meanings and worthy of a deep dive. Help from an older person or if someone dissected the song like a documentary will be a helluva history lesson. Actually you did a good reaction. It’s a disturbing song and that’s the intention. Back story will help. Billy is of Armenian decent and that’s important to understand what his ancestors went through. This was way after Piano Man, that was bad info.

you don't have to apologize for stopping and looking it up. Man, i wanted to understand this song so bad when i was 13 and i didnt have any way to find out what is really happening here.

The song is saying ‘stop blaming the previous generation for the world’s problems. We didn’t start it, they were going on back then, but we’re trying to fight it.’

The History of this song is important! The best way to Hear this masterpiece is to read lyrics, while listening for the first time. Joel is taking you on a tour of events from when he was born to when he wrote the song. This was Not before Piano Man.

This song is a chronology of ll the major worldwide events that happened in the years from Billy Joel's birth (1949) until the song was written in 1989. Yes, that was Lucy! The song is great, as is the history lesson!

Krrp them coming dude! Billy Joel's the onky artist of whom I have heard every single song and I'll tell you. Not a single bad song!

It's a history lesson through the decades! My daughters listened to this as part of their history class curriculum. Please listen to Goodnight Saigon about the Vietnam soldiers experience!

Billy Joel is a brilliant song writer and singer. He is definitely worth going down the rabbit hole for. If you would like to hear a totally FUN song of his check out: Uptown Girl

You can't go wrong with Billy Joel. Piano Man was early Billy. This is newer Billy. No, not Lucy, just an actress

And on top of writing some great and super smart songs, the dude could flat out play that piano. Both he & Elton John, just incredible pianists. The music just flowed out of them.

It captures the emotional whiplash of those times.

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i think everybody knows now that he made this song as a response to some younger dude who told him that nothing difficult happened for the older generation.

He took the newspapers since the day was born and took the main headings of all the papers and put it into a song

My Life by Billy Joel is worth listening to:)

Mug, this is just 1 POWERFUL song from the 80's. Scorpions *"Wind of Change"* , USA for Africa 🌍, Europe *"The Final Countdown"*, Phil Collins *"In the Air Tonight"* , .........

Its all just things, people and notable events throughout world history. It represents the breakneck pace at which things changed and occurred during the roughly half century of time the song covers.

I think he's just going down the decades listing all the things that were good and all the things that were bad about each, all worth remembering, with the point being that this is how things have always been and will always be, a combo of good and bad because we are human.

I've always loved this song ... I'm a baby boomer. It was fascinating watching your reactions, I liked your interpretation...

This came after Piano Man. Piano man was from 1970s.

A mixture of cultural, political and historical references across time.

It's not that complicated. He summarizes U.S. history from about 1950 to 1988. It includes major events and popular culture.

Written by Billy Joel. Produced by him and Mick Jones. 1949 to 1989. Thus, 50 years of history. Parts recorded in Little Mountain ⛰ Sound Studios in Vancouver, Canada 🇨🇦, which is owned by Bryan Adams. Suggested video 📹: 1 Billy Joel sings I Go to Extremes 2 Billy Joel sings Tell Her about It

There has been war after war since the begining of time. Each of those was a headline in his lifetime. This is a musical time capsule!

There was a great podcast built around this song with each episode being one of the references in the song. They even got Billy to come on for an interview in one of the episodes.

Takes a number of listens to catch all the words. It's all the events from his time. Clever stuff.

The idea behind the song/video is pointing out to older generations that the problems of _now_ (or when the song was released, anyway) weren't caused by the people who are _alive_ now. The world is on fire, burning, there are _so many_ problems, and many times the older generation would blame 'the youth' for all the problems of the world. So this brings up the whole idea "We didn't start the fire, it was always burning since the world's been turning. We didn't start the fire, we didn't light it but we're trying to fight it." In other words, the youth didn't _cause_ the problems, they didn't set the things in motion that make this world a mess, but _even though_ they didn't they're still trying to fight these issues. And later, near the end, you get the lyrics "we didn't start the fire, but when we are gone it will still burn on, and on, and on, and on..." recognizing that it would be _just as myopic_ to blame _future_ generations for the problem of the future as it is for those of the generation _before_ his to blame those of his generation. But... of course... what do we see going on? The older generation blaming the younger _again_ for the problems instead of recognizing that _they,_ the older genreation, are the reason _behind_ the current problems. Same old garbage, new generation, people never learn. This song came out in 1989, and it's _still_ relevant _now._ You could update things, include some new events that are setting the world ablaze instead, but the point remains. Honestly, I'd love to go in with this song every time some older generation folk tries to blame 'the youth' for things.

It's definitely thought provoking for sure

One of the greatest songs ever written. It's even taught in schools.

Billy Joel has so many great hits. Please check out “Prelude/angry young man”. There’s videos of him performing it in concert and it is mind blowing to see him play the piano in that song.

_"This was made before Piano Man"_ Uh, no. "Piano Man" is from the album of the same name and was released in 1973. "We Didn't Start the Fire" was originally released as a single and then on the "Storm Front" album16 years later (1989). And, no, not a slave picture, that's a picture from the Viet Nam war of an American soldier "strung up" by the Viet Namese. Cameras didn't exist when slavery existed in this country (at least, not cameras of that quality). Note that this song chronicles major events, people and places that occurred during Billy's lifetime.It starts with Harry Truman who was President when Billy was born in 1949 and works its way progressively through time culminating with "China's under Marshall law" and "rock and roller cola wars", events from 1989 when the song came out.

It’s chaotic, because that’s what the time felt like… little did we know it would be 3 times worse now, LOL MAYBE 10 times worse!

A whole history lesson!

Billy's point is that people have been doing shitty things since time began. He's touching on events during his lifetime.

I used to watch his video “Keepin The Faith”, with my son and try to spot all the cameos. Like this song it has a lot of depth to it I think you would enjoy it.

Released when I was in 6th grade. Cool kids didn't think I knew the words so I sung them infront of class and dropped their jaws. Back then you got the tape and the lyrics were inside the cover. History got me wanting to learn the names.

This song is so awesome, one of my favs from billy joel❤

Very 80s . Hidden shock value. Poppy and easy to listen to but then you get that feeling like damn he said that....

He’s singing history really, and that his generation didn’t start all the bad things.

This song is like a history lesson.

Billy Joel grew up in the 1950s. At some point, a guy from a younger generation told him that the world was a mess, not like the nice world Billy Joel grew up in. Joel told him the world was plenty messed up then, too. So he wrote this song, listing the political upheaval in the world, contrasted with pop culture trends, from the time of his birth to the time he wrote this song.

Yes! This is a history lesson! We really let our idealism lead us to think things were gonna change. Another great song in this vein is R. E. M.'s End of the World. Hearing this song again kind of hurts my heart. Not a damn thing has changed.

None of us are responsible for the events before we were born. We just have to start where we are and do what we can to make the world better.

Apparently as I have read recently Billy met a 21 year old and said to Billy that life sucks at 21 And billy agreed he said that at 21 his life sucked too. Then the young man said huh so what was going on for you then. With that he began mentioning the boar war and Vietnam and other things. That was the beginning of we didn’t start the fire. True story ❤❤❤

I will always remember it as the song even Bernie Goetz (the NYC Subway Vigilante shooter from Dec 1984) got a "shout out". Also the first disturbing image in the video which had you shook was not of a slave, but an actual historical photo of a lynching in the South. The second disturbing image was the infamous photo of a North Vietnamese Officer being executed in Saigon by a South Vietnamese General during the Tet Offensive in Feb 1968.

Just actors to represent the era of history. You go through several decades in this song

He references 119 historical figures/events from the time he was born up until the time of writing the song….this song is genius

The video also draws the picture of the world 'burning' with conflict, injustice and social issues while this family is living its daily life oblivious to the world's problems. It also conveys the message that the family's life is interconnected with the world's issues (their house is burning down by the flames of the world's problems). Nobody is truely isolated from the rest of the world and its problems.

He’s chronologically listing history!

Some younger person commented that nothing much had happened when he was growing up. He was miffed and Voila "We Didn't Start the Fire."

So fun to watch young people listen to music.

When I was in high school back in 1990 (I think that was the year), my history teacher made us study this song in class, which had just come out, so we could learn about major events in history. Kind of a fun way to learn.

Easily one of the best songs ever written.. people may not like tbe music but you cant deny the lyrics and the point

He was one of the first 🎉preformers to sing in russia in the 1980s my wife went to Lehigh Russian studies 5:47 5:51 5:53 in her junior year the class visited Russia was one of the highlights of her life Wild bill

Its things thats happened through the years. Its the wicked world of humans destroying each other and the fire of life thats been burning from day one. If you google the album its off the lyrics are there and it gives the years the events happened as it goes. You gotta be old enough to remember them in the news

Start at the beginning. I'm 55. Been listening all my life thanks to my parents, moving out

U nailed it immediately, he references 119 historical world events….he’s basically saying “we didn’t make this mess, it’s been goin on for decades”

What an epic history lesson!

He means that all the chaos in the world was started by everyone before us and we are trying to stop it. We didn't start this but we are trying to fight it.

I love it when I love a topic enough to comment on it. Then I get here and find tons of people have already said my comment many times over lol. So I'll just leave this here for the algorithm. 😊

It’s basically a summary of historical events broken down by decades.

This song always reminds me of that quote from Star Trek Generations, "Time is the fire in which we all burn."

Historical events that keep the fire burning.

Enjoyed the reaction

It's all history that he witnessed during his life

Billy always said he didnt like video with music. He wasnt an actor, but he was a show man for sure. He felt the words make a different picture in each persons mind and experience. I grew up without music videos and seeing his music now in this format doesn’t add to it for me. Finding experience meeting music in our own mind's eye is powerful.

River of Dreams is another fabulous song by him!

Through out history; the more things change, the more they stay the same.

I respect the research. You made it more interesting.

exactly my brother. this is str8 BARS.-

going through history man!!!!!!

As others have said, Billy Joel went through historical events during his lifetime up until then, Fall Out Boy have recently released a cover covering stuff '89-2023, if you're interested in a version that you can probably relate to a bit more..

Sitting in the Iraqi desert a few decades back, on a French radio station. Surreal

This song came out when I was a kid. I was scared that Russia and USA would have a nuclear war, I was 8, and the world’s still burning. I love that younger people like you are getting this. If we forget….?!

When he shows the picture of the Black man tied up he’s saying we didn’t start this (as in our generation) but we DID try to fight it.

It kinda helps to be a bit older to get the impact from these rapid-fire references without having to look them up... He's not saying any of them are bad or good, necessarily. Just that they make up the crazy flood of history we all surfed down.

Understanding your past ,explains the future

He’s going thru all the eras of his life.

They are actors reminding you of Lucy & other stuff he is talking about... some good things & some bad things around the world. And yes, it is political. It was a metaphor for the constant chaos in the world.

We didn,t ignite it but were trying to fight it.

It refers to the idea that history has been an ever-moving concept and the state of the world is not the fault of those currently living in it.

Awesome reaction. Just sincere and curious and intelligent. Thank you. For being yourself and trusting that the music is important. Go ahead, break the rhythm because what you are doing is what we all need to do more: make sure that what we are hearing and seeing makes sense and is okay, or else it is incumbent to say something....