"Piano Man" Billy Joel wrote "We Didn't Start the Fire" around his 40th birthday in 1989. The lyrics depict a list of historical events and famous people through the first 40 years of his life. The overall theme of the song, repeated in its refrain, was that he and his generation were not all responsible for the conflicts and turmoil he experienced, as the "fire" was "burning since the world's been turning."
"We Didn't Start the Fire" would become one of Joel's popular songs. It was his third top-charting single in the United States, and was nominated for a Grammy. It would also make an impact in history courses at several schools, and many parodies and takeoffs were made based on this song. Joel would admit that the lyrics (which we wrote first) were better than the music, and that he often has a hard time singing it live.
The first two stanzas of the song are listed below. For the complete lyrics, plus details on each event and person featured in the song, please visit the sources below (or search the web).
'49
Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnnie Ray
South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe DiMaggio
'50
Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon, Studebaker, television
North Korea, South Korea, Marilyn Monroe
Sources:
School for Champions: We Didn't Start the Fire (Facts) History Summary from 1949-1989
http://school-for-champions.com/history/start_fire_facts.htm
Songfacts: We Didn't Start The Fire by Billy Joel
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1581
Wikipedia: We Didn't Start the Fire
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Didn%27t_Start_the_Fire
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