Let's update "We Didn't Start the Fire"

Cafe Society
1

This song by Billy Joel has always been one of my favorites-as a history buff, especially. Since it was made in what, 1990, there’s probably a lot that should be added. If the song were to be made nowadays, or a sequel were penned, what events, people, etc, would be included?

Some suggestions to get the ball rolling: (And anyone who wants to write their own parody lyrics, feel free!)
-Iran-Contra
-Oliver North
-“Read My Lips”
-Bill Clinton
-Monica Lewinsky
-Seattle/grunge
-Kurt Cobain
-Michael Jackson
-Columbine
-911

2

There was a version on Dr. Demento many years ago called I Didn’t Fart, You Liar! I looked up the lyrics, but I didn’t see some that I remembered; so I think there might be another parody out there.

3

Here are my contributions:

[ul]
[li]Desert Storm[/li][li]Iraq[/li][li]Fall of the Berlin Wall/German reunification[/li][li]Internet/Dot-com bubble[/li][li]Dolly the Sheep[/li][/ul]

I know there are a lot more, but there you go.

Robin

4

[li]Shuttle crash[/li][li]Paris Hilton[/li][li]Princess Di[/li][li]Tsunami[/li][li]Katrina[/li][*]India/Pakistan/N. Korea get the Bomb

5

Lyrics as sung:

*Bush appoints Dr. Rice
Tampa Bay wins on ice
Kim Il Sung gets the bomb
Fight another Viet Nam

We didn’t start the fire…*

Sgt Schwartz

6

We didn’t start the fire, II
Apologies to Billy Joel

George Bush, Saddam Hussien, Jefferey Dahmer, O.J.
Jesus vs. Santa Claus, Fran’s a hurricane

Real World/ Road Rules, Tim McVeigh, Richard Jewell,
Dot-com speculators, “Master your domain?”

Lewinsky’s in the Pentagon, Jordan’s back; Jordan’s gone
Napster users, JFK Junior and the Y2K bug

CHORUS
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

PHEW --! Someone else take it.

7

My contribution Not entirly sure I remeber the rythym though:

Enron scandal, Powell resigns, Lance wins seven, steroid fines;
Mutant mice, Taliban gone, SARS virus,XFL bombs.
Boston finally wins.

Smoking bans,Genome maps, Obese kids,Eminem raps;
Atkins Diet, Viagra drug, Housing prices,Chunnel dug.
Rwanda tribal war.

8

9/11 planes hijack; Osama’s bad attack
Crash into Pentagon; and World Trade Towers gone
New York City still goes on

9

“No one thought you did, you Long Island Lounge Lizard.”

Okay that’s not really an update, so much as a reponse.
The song just throws out events of the past 50 years, without commentary, in imabic pentameter with the first beat missing. Usually two to a line, sometimes one, and occassionally one to two lines, like

JFK blown away
What else do I have to say
(Nothing, please don’t say anything more. Get off the radio and make room for something of greater topical importance, like “My Prerogative”)

Kurt Cobain, a noisy gun
Monica, Sore Loserman

California dark of night
Enron turned off all the lights
People booing Michael Moore
He won’t shut up about the war

10

The only parody I recall hearing on the Dr. Demento Show was “We Love Barney Fife,” a tribute to Andy Griffith’s bumbling deputy (duh).