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Fall Out Boy release modern day version of We Didn't Start The Fire with updated lyrics

Home> Music

Updated 12:42 29 Jun 2023 GMT+1Published 12:40 29 Jun 2023 GMT+1

Fall Out Boy release modern day version of We Didn't Start The Fire with updated lyrics

The band have drawn on headlines from the last 30 years to create the new version

Emily Brown

Emily Brown

I guess it's time to move on from 'Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China [and] Johnnie Ray', because Fall Out Boy have taken it upon themselves to release an updated version of 'We Didn't Start The Fire'.

The iconic Billy Joel song will always be a fan favorite, not to mention the fact that knowing all of the words is an impressive party trick, but you have to admit that the lyrics are a little outdated.

Originally released in 1989, the song includes references to musicians, celebrities and politicians who have long since moved out of the spotlight - if they're even alive at all - meaning that a large majority of younger listeners have absolutely no clue who Joel is going on about.

Billy Joel released We Didn't Start The Fire in 1989.
Instagram/@billyjoel

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Case in point, one Twitter user wrote: "Just seen the lyrics for Billy Joel’s ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ for the first time ever and realised I have absolutely no idea who half the people are he’s talking about."

In a bid to bring the song into the 2020s, Fall Out Boy have now released their own version, packed to the brim with references to events and people that have made headlines over the last 30 years.

Sharing the decision on Twitter, the band, fronted by singer Patrick Stump, wrote: “I thought about this song a lot when I was younger. All these important people and events – some that disappeared into the sands of time –others that changed the world forever.

“So much has happened in the span of the last 34 years – we felt like a little system update might be fun. Hope you like our take on it."

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Fall Out Boy announce updated We Didn't Start the Fire.
Twitter/@falloutboy

It's a controversial move, and one that has sparked mixed responses. But before we get into those, check out some of the references for yourself.

The opening verse sings: "Captain Planet, Arab Spring / L.A. riots, Rodney King / Deep fakes, earthquakes / Iceland volcano.

"Oklahoma City bomb / Kurt Cobain, Pokémon / Tiger Woods, MySpace / Monsanto, GMOs / Harry Potter, Twilight / Michael Jackson dies / Nuclear accident, Fukushima, Japan / Crimean peninsula / Cambridge Analytica / Kim Jong Un / Robert Downey Jr., Iron Man."

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Have any of those on your bingo card?

Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man made the cut for the song.
Marvel Studios

The chorus for the track remains the same as the original, before it goes on to make reference to former president Barack Obama, iconic director Steven Spielberg, QAnon, the impeachment of Donald Trump and the cultural phenomenon that is Stranger Things.

Later, we also get mention of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

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After hearing the song, some music fans have argued there was no need for a new version, while others admitted they really enjoyed it.

"wtf why are people saying the Fall Out Boy update of ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire’ sucks?! This s**t unequivocally RULES like [get the f*ck out]," one person wrote.

There was one pretty major event that seemed to be overlooked - namely the coronavirus pandemic. But with the amount of chaos that's taken place over the last few decades, I suppose it would have been impossible for the band to mention everything.

Featured Image Credit: ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo/LANDMARK MEDIA / Alamy Stock Photo

Topics: Music, Celebrity

Emily Brown
Emily Brown

Emily Brown is UNILAD Editorial Lead at LADbible Group. She first began delivering news when she was just 11 years old - with a paper route - before graduating with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University. Emily joined UNILAD in 2018 to cover breaking news, trending stories and longer form features. She went on to become Community Desk Lead, commissioning and writing human interest stories from across the globe, before moving to the role of Editorial Lead. Emily now works alongside the UNILAD Editor to ensure the page delivers accurate, interesting and high quality content.

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