{"id":368,"date":"2020-06-11T23:49:05","date_gmt":"2020-06-12T05:49:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/richyrocks.com\/?p=368"},"modified":"2020-10-17T15:50:38","modified_gmt":"2020-10-17T21:50:38","slug":"the-world-is-going-up-in-flames-we-didnt-start-the-fire-though","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/richyrocks.com\/coolenglish\/the-world-is-going-up-in-flames-we-didnt-start-the-fire-though\/","title":{"rendered":"the world is going up in flames. we didn&#8217;t start the fire, though"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>we didn&#8217;t start the fire<\/strong><\/em><em> <\/em>by <strong>billy joel<\/strong> and <em><strong>the world is going up in flames<\/strong><\/em> by <strong>charles bradley<\/strong>, released nearly 20 years apart, both use the metaphor of the world on fire\/burning to represent humanity&#8217;s problems but there is a clear difference in perspective.<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align:center;\"><span class=\"wp-smiley emoji emoji-smile\" title=\":)\"><span class=\"wp-smiley wp-emoji wp-emoji-smile\" title=\":)\"><\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><em><strong>the world is going up in flames<\/strong><\/em> is told from the streets of brooklyn. images in the video bring to mind apathy, homelessness, a detached police force, prison &amp; racism.<\/p>\n<p>the first line says<\/p>\n<h4><strong>the world is going up in <\/strong><strong><em>flames<\/em><\/strong><strong> and no one wanna take the <\/strong><strong><em>blame<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Charles Bradley - The World (Is Going Up In Flames)\" width=\"758\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IlNZlGWegcc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>flame<\/strong><\/em> can be thought of as <em>a singular representation of fire<\/em>. <strong><em>in flames<\/em><\/strong> is equivalent to <em>on fire<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h6><em><a href=\"http:\/\/richyrocks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/flame.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-378\" src=\"http:\/\/richyrocks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/flame-300x168.jpg\" alt=\"flame\" width=\"300\" height=\"168\"><\/a><\/em><\/h6>\n<h6><em>a flame<\/em><\/h6>\n<p><em><strong>blame<\/strong><\/em><em> <\/em>means that no one is <em><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/richyrocks.com\/willing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">willing<\/a><\/strong><\/em> (has the desire) to take responsibility for the world being on fire.<\/p>\n<h6><em><a href=\"http:\/\/richyrocks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/charles-bradley-gotta-be-a-better-day.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-379\" src=\"http:\/\/richyrocks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/charles-bradley-gotta-be-a-better-day-300x163.jpg\" alt=\"charles bradley gotta be a better day\" width=\"300\" height=\"163\"><\/a><\/em><\/h6>\n<h6><span style=\"text-decoration:underline;\"><u><em>gotta<\/em><\/u><\/span><em> be a better world<\/em><\/h6>\n<p>the rest of the first verse says<\/p>\n<h4>don&#8217;t tell me how to live my life when u never felt the <em>pain<\/em><\/h4>\n<p><strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/richyrocks.com\/coolenglish\/tag\/pain-definition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored noreferrer\">pain<\/a><\/em><\/strong> is <em>suffering<\/em>, <em>agony<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>additionally the song ends with positive lyrics and a call for change that includes examples of the reduction <em><strong>gotta<\/strong><\/em> which is a reduction of <em>have got to<\/em> or <em>has got to <\/em>and is a synonym for <em>must<\/em><\/p>\n<h4><strong><em>gotta<\/em><\/strong><strong> be a better world<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><em>gotta<\/em><\/strong><strong> make it baby<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><em>gotta<\/em><\/strong><strong> make it right<\/strong><\/h4>\n<h6><em><a href=\"http:\/\/richyrocks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/billy-joel-didnt-start-the-fire.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-377\" src=\"http:\/\/richyrocks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/billy-joel-didnt-start-the-fire-300x217.jpg\" alt=\"billy-joel-didnt-start-the-fire\" width=\"300\" height=\"217\"><\/a><\/em><\/h6>\n<h6><em>this fire behind me was already burning when i got here<\/em><\/h6>\n<p><em><strong>we didn&#8217;t start the fire<\/strong><\/em> takes a more pragmatic position.<\/p>\n<p>the images in the video are presented via the evolution of an american middle class kitchen and the lyrics are a <em><strong>rundown<\/strong><\/em> (review) of events that took place from 1949-1989 that support the idea that the fire has been burning forever. the chorus <a href=\"https:\/\/richyrocks.com\/coolenglish\/tag\/claim-definition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored noreferrer\">claims<\/a><\/p>\n<h4><strong><em>we <\/em><\/strong><strong><i>didn&#8217;t start the fire. it was always burning since the <\/i><\/strong><strong>world was turning<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>we didn&#8217;t start the fire. no we didn&#8217;t light it, but we tried to fight it.<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Billy Joel - We Didn&#039;t Start the Fire (Official Video)\" width=\"758\" height=\"569\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/eFTLKWw542g?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>and later adds<\/p>\n<h4><strong>when we are gone it will still burn on and on<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>in other words, joel is resigned to the fact that the fire was here before us and <a href=\"https:\/\/richyrocks.com\/coolenglish\/tag\/despite-definition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored noreferrer\">despite<\/a> our efforts it will continue after we are gone.<\/p>\n<p>this <strong>english practice extra<\/strong> comments on the relevance of these lyrics to the current state of social unrest in the u.s. and around the world that has resulted from the brutal, inhuman  killing of george floyd.<\/p>\n<p>additional vocabulary in the video includes <strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/richyrocks.com\/coolenglish\/tag\/though-definition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored noreferrer\">though<\/a><\/em><\/strong> (and <strong><em>doe<\/em><\/strong>), <strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/richyrocks.com\/coolenglish\/tag\/own-definition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored noreferrer\">own<\/a><\/em><\/strong>, <em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/richyrocks.com\/coolenglish\/tag\/throw-under-the-bus-definition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored noreferrer\">throw under the bus<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, <strong><em>put out<\/em><\/strong>, <strong><em>hose<\/em><\/strong>, <strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/richyrocks.com\/coolenglish\/tag\/however-definition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored noreferrer\">however<\/a><\/em><\/strong> and <strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/richyrocks.com\/coolenglish\/tag\/come-out-definition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored noreferrer\">come out<\/a><\/em><\/strong>. there are <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/richyrocks.com\/coolenglish\/tag\/2nd-conditional\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored noreferrer\">2nd conditional<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/richyrocks.com\/coolenglish\/tag\/3rd-conditional\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored noreferrer\">3rd conditional<\/a><\/strong> examples as well.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"english practice extra: the world is going up in flames. we didn&#039;t start the fire, though\" width=\"758\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/baDv_tpSiOs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>do u have other questions about the lyrics to <em>the world (is going up in flames)<\/em> or <em>we didn&#8217;t start the fire<\/em>? what are your feelings about the protests against racism and police brutality? share your thoughts under <strong>leave a reply<\/strong><\/p>\n<form name=\"s2form\" method=\"post\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"ip\" value=\"216.73.217.120\" \/><span style=\"display:none !important\"><label for=\"firstname\">Leave This Blank:<\/label><input type=\"text\" id=\"firstname\" name=\"firstname\" \/><label for=\"lastname\">Leave This Blank Too:<\/label><input type=\"text\" id=\"lastname\" name=\"lastname\" \/><label for=\"uri\">Do Not Change This:<\/label><input type=\"text\" id=\"uri\" name=\"uri\" value=\"http:\/\/\" \/><\/span><p><label for=\"s2email\">Your email:<\/label><br><input type=\"email\" name=\"email\" id=\"s2email\" value=\"Enter email address...\" size=\"20\" onfocus=\"if (this.value === 'Enter email address...') {this.value = '';}\" onblur=\"if (this.value === '') {this.value = 'Enter email address...';}\" \/><\/p><p><input type=\"submit\" name=\"subscribe\" value=\"Subscribe\" \/>&nbsp;<input type=\"submit\" name=\"unsubscribe\" value=\"Unsubscribe\" \/><\/p><\/form>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>we didn&#8217;t start the fire by billy joel and the world is going up in flames by charles bradley, released nearly 20 years apart, both&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11071,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"spay_email":""},"categories":[4,163,3],"tags":[337,53,184,1969,8,9,11,10,183,185,4418,873,2775,1333,1536,455,4417,4090,4400,242,1671,3488,4401,566],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/richyrocks.com\/coolenglish\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Captura-de-Pantalla-2020-06-10-a-las-11.13.14-p.-m..png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/richyrocks.com\/coolenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/368"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/richyrocks.com\/coolenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/richyrocks.com\/coolenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/richyrocks.com\/coolenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/richyrocks.com\/coolenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=368"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/richyrocks.com\/coolenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/368\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11402,"href":"https:\/\/richyrocks.com\/coolenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/368\/revisions\/11402"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/richyrocks.com\/coolenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11071"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/richyrocks.com\/coolenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/richyrocks.com\/coolenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/richyrocks.com\/coolenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}