We Didn't Start the Fire

“We Didn’t Start the Fire” is a song by American singer/songwriter Billy Joel that mentions 120 renowned people, places, things and events from the time of his birth in 1949 up to the release of the song in 1989. This number-one hit song in the United States is included in his Storm Front album in 1989.

The song have considered as a refutation to disapproval of the Baby Boomer generation, which Joel belongs. Critics argue that Baby Boomers are the ones responsible for crisis or problems the world faces. The title of the song already suggest that the world was already been in trouble before the birth of Joel’s generation.

According to Joel, he wrote this song because of his interest to history and he further explained that if he didn’t become a singer, he would be a history teacher.

Even though this song was a huge success in the US and UK charts, it was ranked in Blender magazine as the 44th worst song ever. It also appeared in VH1’s 50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs Ever, a partnership with Blender in 2004.

These are the historical references in the song, arranged chronologically.

1949

Harry Truman – This 33rd US President is inaugurated on his own term; he was previously sworn in the presidency after Franklin D. Roosevelt died.
Doris Day – This American singer/actress begins her showbiz career with the movies My Dream Is Yours and It's a Great Feeling as well as recording songs like "It's Magic".
Red China – This refers to the Communist Party of China, which establishes the People’s Republic of China after winning the Chinese Civil War.
Johnnie Ray – This singer/songwriter/pianist has his first recording contract with Okeh Records.
South Pacific – This refers to the award winning musical, which opens in Broadway theatre on April 7.
Walter Winchell – This American radio and newspaper commentator journalist is credited for starting gossip column.
Joe DiMaggio – This American Major League Baseball center fielder is injured at the beginning of the season but returns in June to lead the New York Yankees in winning the World Series.

1950

Joe McCarthy – This US Senator starts his anti-communist campaign during his Lincoln Day speech.
Richard Nixon – This future US President is elected as a Senator in the US.
Studebaker - This popular car company starts its financial difficulties.
Television – This device, which first appeared in black and white, becomes prevalent and the most popular way for advertising products or services.
North Korea, South Korea – These two countries start a conflict, which is popularly known as the Korean War.
Marilyn Monroe – This American pop icon ascends in popularity through his new movies, which includes The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve. After his lover, Johnny Hide, died, she tries to suicide. Monroe would later have a short-lived marriage to Joe DiMaggio (mentioned on the previous verse).

1951

Rosenbergs (Ethel and Julius) – These American communists are convicted for espionage on March 29.
H-Bomb – This nuclear weapon is announced to be in its development and tested in 1952.
Sugar Ray (Robinson) – This American boxer wins the world's Middleweight title.
Panmunjeom – This village in Gyeonggi province, Korea is the border between South and North Korea and the site where treaties are taken place between those involved in the Korean War.
Brando (Marlon) – This American iconic actor is nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the film A Streetcar Named Desire.
The King and I - This musical opens on March 29 on Broadway theatre in New York.
And The Catcher in the Rye – This controversial novel by J. D. Salinger is published in 1951. It is a controversial novel because it’s liberal vulgarity and the portrayal of sexuality and teenage anguish.

1952

Eisenhower (Dwight D.) – This American general becomes the 34th US president by a landslide victory of 442 to 89.
Vaccine – This refers to the polio vaccine that was privately tested by Jonas Salk.
England's got a new Queen – This refers to Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, who succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth Realms after the death of George VI.
Marciano (Rocky) – This American boxer defeats Jersey Joe Walcott, garnering the world Heavyweight champion title.
Liberace – This American entertainer starts a television show (The Liberace Show), which will become popular in the 1950s.
Santayana Goodbye! (George) - This Spanish philosopher, who is also an essayist, poet, and novelist, dies on September 26.

1953

Joseph Stalin – This Premier of Soviet Union dies on March 5, ending his position as Soviet Union’s chief.
Malenkov (Georgy Maksimilianovich) – This Soviet politician succeeds Stalin after his death.
Nasser (Gamal Abdel) – This future President of Egypt becomes minister of interior under Muhammad Naguib's presidency in the newly established Egyptian Republic.
And Prokofiev (Sergei) – This Russian and Soviet composer dies the same day as Stalin, which is March 5.
Rockefeller (Winthrop) – This American businessman founds Winrock Enterprises and Winrock Farms at the top Petit Jean Mountain close to Morrilton, Arkansas.
Campanella (Roy) – This Brooklyn Dodgers African American baseball catcher has been awarded for the second time as the National League's Most Valuable Player.
Communist bloc – This refers to the communist nations in Europe (also known as the Eastern bloc) that is being dominated by the Soviet Union.

1954

Roy Cohn – This American lawyer resigns as chief counsel for Joseph McCarthy to enter a private career after the fall of McCarthy.
Juan Perón – This Argentinean President serves his last full year before a coup in September 1955.
Toscanini (Arturo) – This Italian musician performs in national radio with the NBC Symphony Orchestra at the peak of his popularity.
Dacron – This trade name refers to the polyethylene terephthalate thermoplastic polymer, which is a synthetic fiber made same material as polyester.
Dien Bien Phu Falls – This refers to the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam as Vo Nguyen Giap leads the Viet Minh forces to capture the village from the French forces, which leads to dividing Vietnam into North Vietnam and South Vietnam.
"Rock Around the Clock" – This hit song by American rock and roll band Bill Haley & His Comets that urge international attention in rock and roll.

1955

Einstein (Albert) – This prominent theoretical physicist passes away at the age of 76 on April 18.
James Dean – This American film actor attains success with his nomination as an Academy Award for Best Actor in the films East of Eden and Rebel Without a Cause and eventually dies September 30 on a road accident.
Brooklyn's got a winning team (A cheering crowd can be heard in the background while this phrase is being sung.) – This refers to the American Major League baseball team Brooklyn Dodgers (now Los Angeles Dodgers), winning the World Series for the first and only time (as Brooklyn Dodgers).
Davy Crockett - This refers to the Disney television series about the legendary American soldier Davy Crockett.
Peter Pan – This refers to NBC’s March 7 live TV broadcast of the 1954 stage musical that starred Mary Martin.
Elvis Presley – This iconic American singer, musician and actor signs a with RCA Records contract that start his career in pop music.
Disneyland – This theme park by Walt Disney formally opens on July 17 for the first time in Anaheim, California, USA.

1956

Bardot (Brigitte) – This French actress goes to mainstream audience for the first time through the film And God Created Woman and recognizes worldwide as a French “sex symbol”.
Budapest – This capital city of Hungary is the place where the 1956 Hungarian Revolution takes place.
Alabama - This southern state of the USA is the place where Montgomery Bus Boycott occurs, involving protests for opposing the guidelines of Montgomery Bus’ racial segregation inside their buses.
Khrushchev (Nikita) - This future Premier of the Soviet Union condemns Stalin’s “cult of personality” in his February 23 Secret Speech.
Princess Grace (Grace Kelly) – This American actress becomes Princess of Monaco upon marrying Prince Rainier III of Monaco, ending her movie career with the film High Society.
Peyton Place – This New York Times best-selling novel by Grace Metalious is published.
Trouble in the Suez – This refers to the Suez Crisis where British, French and Israeli forces attack Egypt after Egypt decides to nationalize the Suez Canal on October 29.

1957

Little Rock – This is the site where the Little Rock Crisis occurs, which Governor Orval Faubus prevents nine African-American students from attending Little Rock Central High School. It is counteracted by President Eisenhower by sending the 101st Airborne Division.
Pasternak (Boris) – This Russian author publishes Doctor Zhivago, a famous novel about a man torn between two women, set against the backdrop of the 1917 Russian Revolution.
Mickey Mantle – This American baseball player becomes American League All-Star for the sixth year in a row.
Kerouac (Jack) – This American author publishes the novel On the Road, after seven years of hiatus.
Sputnik – This refers to the very first artificial satellite launched in space by Soviet Union on October 4.
Chou Enlai – This Chinese Communist Party leader is in the middle of his reign as People's Republic of China’s Premier.
Bridge on the River Kwai – This refers to the film adaptation of the 1954 novel by French writer Pierre Boulle. The film, which stars Alec Guinness, Sessue Hayakawa, Jack Hawkins and William Holden, receives seven Academy Awards.

1958

Lebanon – This Middle East country is swallowed up by a political and religious crisis.
Charles de Gaulle – This military leader, after the Algerian Crisis, becomes the first president of the French Fifth Republic through an election.
California baseball – This refers to the starting of the transfer of Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants to California, USA turning into Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants.
Starkweather Homicide – This refers to the killing spree in Nebraska and Wyoming in the USA by Charles Starkweather to eleven people that develop into a national fascination.
Children of thalidomide – This refers to birth defects among children, whose mothers had taken thalidomide, a sedative, hypnotic, and anti-inflammatory medication and to combat morning sickness as well.

1959

Buddy Holly (Before this line, Billy Joel sings “a-UH-uh-oh”, imitating the “hiccup” style of Buddy Holly) – This American singer, who is the pioneer of rock roll, passes away with Ritchie Valens and J. P. Richardson on February 3 after being boarded on plane, which crashes to a farmland at Clear Water, Iowa.
Ben-Hur – This refers to the Academy Award winning American film, which stars Charlton Heston and wins eleven awards.
Space Monkeys – This refers to Able (a rhesus monkey) and Miss Baker (a squirrel monkey), who flies into space aboard the Jupiter AM-18 and returns successfully, becoming the first living beings to arrive safely to Earth.
Mafia – This criminal secret society with Sicilian/American origin are in the center of attention for the FBI and the American public.
Hula hoops – This refers to the Wham-O hula hoops toy, which has reach 100 million in sales.
Castro (Fidel) – This Cuban revolutionary becomes the Prime Minister of Cuba after overthrowing the Batista government, leading Cuba into a one-party socialist republic.
Edsel is a no-go – After two years since it was launched, this Ford automobile ends production because of a marketing disaster, which development costs Ford $400 million.

1960

U-2 – This American spy plane flies in the Soviet Union and is shot down, which triggers the U-2 Crisis of 1960.
Syngman Rhee – This South Korean President is rescued by the CIA after a force resignation due to allegations of election manipulation and misusing more than 20 million US dollars of funds.
Payola – This refers to the payola, an illegal practice of payment by some recording companies to broadcasting networks to favour their artists or songs, which is publicized by the testimony of American TV personality Dick Clark before the US Congress and leads public disgrace of American disc-jockey Alan Freed.
And Kennedy (John F.) – This American politician is elected 35th President of the United States, beating Richard Nixon amid accusations of election fraud on November 8.
Chubby Checker - This African American singer releases his hit song “The Twist”, which is based upon the dance of the same name.
Psycho – This 1960 American thriller film by English director Alfred Hitchcock, based on Robert Bloch pulp novel and adapted by Joseph Stefano, becomes a milestone in graphic violence and cinema sensationalism.
Belgians in the Congo – Independence from Belgium is declared in The Democratic Republic of the Congo on June 30, where Joseph Kasavubu sits as President and Patrice Lumumba as Prime Minister.

1961

Hemingway (Ernest) – This American novelist takes his own life on July 2 after suffering from depression for a long time.
Eichmann (Adolf) – This Nazi military man is arrested in Argentina by Mossad agents for crimes against humanity.
Stranger in a Strange Land – This 1961 American science fiction novel written by Robert A. Heinlein becomes a best-seller with sexual freedom and liberation themes.
Dylan (Bob) - After a positive review by New York Times critic Robert Shelton, this American singer-songwriter, musician, poet and author signs a Columbia Records contract.
Berlin – This is the site where The Berlin Wall is constructed, separating West Berlin from East Berlin and the rest of East Germany.
Bay of Pigs Invasion – This refers to the unsuccessful attempt to invade Cuba and oust Fidel Castro by Cuban exiles backed by the US at a beach in the Bay of Pigs.

1962

Lawrence of Arabia – This Academy Award-winning American film, starring Peter O’Toole, is shown on December 16. This film is based on the life of British Soldier T.E. Lawrence, who was famous for his liaison role during the Arab Revolt of 1916-1918.
British Beatlemania – This refers to the fan fever towards the British quartet The Beatles, which Ringo Starr and Brian Epstein becomes drummer and manager, respectively, in 1962 and join the EMI's Parlophone label.
Ole Miss – This refers to the nickname of the University of Mississippi in the US, where rioting against racial segregation occurred upon James Meredith, an African American, enrolment in the University.
John Glenn – This American astronaut flies the “Friendship 7” on February 20, making him the first American to orbit the Earth and third person ever after Yuri Gagarin and Gherman Titov.
Liston beats Patterson – This refers to the fight of American boxers Sonny Liston and Floyd Patterson for the world heavyweight championship on September 25, which ends in a knockout on round-one.

1963

Pope Paul – This refers to the successor of Pope John XXIII of the Roman Catholic Church, who is elected on June 21.
Malcolm X – This refers to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, a Black Muslim Minister, who agrees on the Kennedy assassination through his media comments, leading him to the be banned from speaking publicly by the Nation of Islam.
British Politician Sex – This refers to the sex scandal by British politician John Profumo, who had an affair with Christine Keeler, denying it in the British House of Commons during questioning.
JFK, blown away, what else do I have to say? – This refers to US President John F. Kennedy assassination on November 22.

1965

Birth control – This refers to the oral contraceptives, widely known as "the pill", that are extremely popular. Griswold v. Connecticut, a court case in 1965, challenges Connecticut law prohibiting contraceptives, which the Supreme Court of the United States rules that the US Constitution protected a right of privacy. In 1968, a Roman Catholic papal encyclical is released by Pope Paul VI to condemn birth control and consider it as a sin.
Ho Chi Minh - This Vietnamese revolutionary and statesman serves as President of Vietnam from 1954–1969.

1968

Richard Nixon back again - This former US Vice President wins the 1968 US presidential elections and becomes the 37th President of the United States.

1969

Moon shot - This refers to Apollo 11, the first manned spaceship to land on the moon, which makes American astronaut Neil Armstrong to be the first man to step on the moon.
Woodstock – This popular rock and roll festival in 1969 signifies the height of the counterculture movement.

1974

Watergate – This hotel in Washington D.C. is the place where a political scandal has sparked after a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters, leading to US President Nixon's resignation in 1974.
Punk rock – This refers to the musical genre that started by the Ramones and followed by the Sex Pistols in 1975.

1977 (The following two items, while later occurred than the next two 1976 items, come first in the song)

Begin (Menachem) – This Polish-Jewish head of the Zionist underground group the Irgun becomes Prime Minister of Israel in 1977.
Reagan (Ronald) – This American actor and future President of the United States attempts to run for president in 1976

1976 (The succeeding two items, while earlier happened than the two 1977 items, come after the two 1977 songs)

Palestine – This refers to the Palestine Liberation Organization that is included in Arab League.
Terror on the airline – This refers to a number of aircraft hijackings, in particular, the Air France Flight 139 hijack by Palestinians and the successive Operation Entebbe in Uganda.

1979

Ayatollahs in Iran - This refers to the Iranian Revolution of 1979 that installs Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini into power and overthrows the West-backed and U.S.-installed Shah.
Russians in Afghanistan – This refers to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan that leads to a ten-year war (1979 – 1989).

1983

Wheel of Fortune – This hit American television game show becomes the highest-rated syndicated program since 1983.
Sally Ride – This American astronaut becomes the first American woman in space.
Heavy metal, suicide – (Billy Joel explained that these two terms are one, just like "North Korea, South Korea" above). This refers to the musical genre that brings English heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne and the American band Metallica and British band Judas Priest to court by parents who charges the musicians of having hidden pro-suicide messages in their music.
Foreign debts – This refers to the considerable foreign debts (specifically to Japan) of the US due to constant trade deficits during 1980s period.
Homeless vets – This refers to American veterans of the Vietnam War, who are homeless and impoverished.
AIDS – This collection of symptoms and infections (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is first recognize in the 1980s. AIDS results to damage of the immune system, which is caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Crack - This refers to crack cocaine, a 1980s popular drug.

1984

Bernie Goetz - This refers to New Yorker vigilante, who, on December 22, shoots four young men that he believes to be threatening his life on a New York City subway in the US. Goetz is accused of attempted murder, but later acquitted.

1988

Hypodermics on the shore – This refers to the Syringe Tide in New Jersey from 1987 to 1988, where significant amounts medical waste is found washed up on beaches after being illegally dumped at sea.

1989

China's under martial law – This refers to the May 20 declaration of martial law in China, which permits the Chinese government to use force of arms to end the Tiananmen Square protests.
Rock and Roller Cola wars, I can't take it anymore! – This last term of the song refers to the competition between soft drink giants Coke and Pepsi, who use famous music stars for their campaigns to reach the young adult market.

We Didn't Start the Fire

Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnny Ray
South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe DiMaggio

Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon, Studebaker, Television
North Korea, South Korea, Marilyn Monroe

Rosenbergs, H Bomb, Sugar Ray, Panmunjom
Brando, The King And I, and The Catcher In The Rye

Eisenhower, Vaccine, England's got a new queen
Maciano, Liberace, Santayana goodbye

We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it

Joseph Stalin, Malenkov, Nasser and Prokofiev
Rockefeller, Campanella, Communist Bloc

Roy Cohn, Juan Peron, Toscanini, Dacron
Dien Bien Phu Falls, Rock Around the Clock

Einstein, James Dean, Brooklyn's got a winning team
Davy Crockett, Peter Pan, Elvis Presley, Disneyland

Bardot, Budapest, Alabama, Khrushchev
Princess Grace, Peyton Place, Trouble in the Suez

We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it

Little Rock, Pasternak, Mickey Mantle, Kerouac
Sputnik, Chou En-Lai, Bridge On The River Kwai

Lebanon, Charles de Gaulle, California baseball
Starkwether Homicide, Children of Thalidomide

Buddy Holly, Ben Hur, Space Monkey, Mafia
Hula Hoops, Castro, Edsel is a no-go

U2, Syngman Rhee, payola and Kennedy
Chubby Checker, Psycho, Belgians in the Congo

We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it

Hemingway, Eichman, Stranger in a Strange Land
Dylan, Berlin, Bay of Pigs invasion

Lawrence of Arabia, British Beatlemania
Ole Miss, John Glenn, Liston beats Patterson

Pope Paul, Malcolm X, British Politician sex
J.F.K. blown away, what else do I have to say

We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it

Birth control, Ho Chi Minh, Richard Nixon back again
Moonshot, Woodstock, Watergate, punk rock

Begin, Reagan, Palestine, Terror on the airline
Ayatollah's in Iran, Russians in Afghanistan

Wheel of Fortune, Sally Ride, heavy metal, suicide
Foreign debts, homeless Vets, AIDS, Crack, Bernie Goetz

Hypodermics on the shores, China's under martial law
Rock and Roller cola wars, I can't take it anymore

We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it