# What is the song "Wildfire" about? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [February 1, 2003, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154 "2003-02-01T20:29:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2018, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/41 "2018-01-12T19:47:20Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > At least the horse had a name and the heat wasn’t hot. This is true. However the “killing frost” should have only killed the tomatoes and not a woman and a full grown horse. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2018, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/42 "2018-01-12T20:16:59Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > I use the outro to ad-lib some of my own lyrics, along the lines of: "You went out in the cold and now you’re dead, should have looked after that horse… You said you would but he ran off, you might have tried a hamster first… If you had he’d be alive and so would you and so would I but now we’re screwed and that’s the end…It was so cold…Dead horse. Deadhorse, Alaska – I will drive to there one day. It’s only 3,500 miles from home. Map: [https://goo.gl/maps/qKMicBwfk5K2](https://goo.gl/maps/qKMicBwfk5K2) When I go, I’ll have to be wary of any killing frost. At least I won’t have to pass through Nebraska. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2018, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/43 "2018-01-12T22:59:24Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > This is true. However the “killing frost” should have only killed the tomatoes and not a woman and a full grown horse. The suppressed the verse with Death of Horses. NEIGH. COME WITH ME. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2018, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/44 "2018-01-12T23:19:35Z")
Ooops. Wrong thread! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2018, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/45 "2018-01-13T00:16:04Z")
Had to stop by and see in case it wasn’t about a horse. I don’t know why I thought it was about a horse, I don’t think I’ve heard the entire song, all I know is the refrain with one long drawn out name. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2018, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/46 "2018-01-13T01:03:16Z")
> [@Srsly\_Dad](#): > > The horse (or pony) may have died, but this twice revived zombie lives on. And the thread called Wiiiiiiildfiiiiiiiire! ---
**Author:** ![Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Backwater_Under_Duck)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2018, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/47 "2018-01-13T02:27:16Z")
Wiiii, ii, iiii, ii, Wildfire… ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2018, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/48 "2018-01-13T13:27:10Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > This is true. However the “killing frost” should have only killed the tomatoes and not a woman and a full grown horse. I imagine if you were a farmer, a killing frost would be a pretty devasting event, one that would bring on a year or more of hard times. And maybe if you died in a blizzard during those hard times, your ghost might come to other farmers during their hard times. Or something . Or maybe it just rhymed with “lost”. I like the song, the “killing frost” lyric is a little weak but aside from that it has a eerie western vibe. But I like MMM. ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2018, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/49 "2018-01-13T20:29:40Z")
I only have this to add to the thread: about a week ago I was on the local bus heading to the Metro. The gentleman next to me was mostly mumbling to himself, but would occasionally lean across the aisle to the women sitting there and say things about the government wanting to steal his social security number and other nonsensical things. We, being experienced commuters, ignored him. But all of a sudden he leaned over to me and, clear as a bell, said “The horse named WILDFIRE.” I came thisclose to laughing, he was so sincere about it. Amusing that this thread was revived. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2018, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/50 "2018-01-13T20:37:51Z")
Killing Frost should be an 8th level Druid spell. Take one damage every round for 12 hours. Damage cannot be prevented by fire, Wild or otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2018, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/51 "2018-01-13T23:55:00Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Ooops. Wrong thread! Were you intending to post to a different thread on “killing frost” killing tomatoes, women and horses?😕 ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/52 "2018-01-14T00:17:44Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Were you intending to post to a different thread on “killing frost” killing tomatoes, women and horses?😕 Nope. It was a post about The Big Bang Theory in the wrong thread. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/53 "2018-01-14T01:13:42Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > It’s about two minutes too long. Just keep the piano intro and outro, you can cut from the other parts of the song. I like the song, and it’s been an earworm these last couple of days. The piano parts, not _Wiiiiiiiiillldddfffiiiiiiiirrre_. Again: [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7VPxzkD6XVc](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7VPxzkD6XVc) (after another listen) Hey Bob, on second thought, I change my mind. I don’t want you cutting any part of it. It’s perfect as it is. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/54 "2018-01-14T02:13:33Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Killing Frost should be an 8th level Druid spell. Take one damage every round for 12 hours. Damage cannot be prevented by fire, Wild or otherwise. On the other hand, there should totally be a low-level “wildfire” spell that doesn’t take many magic points, and mostly just causes a loss of a turn while the hit character wanders around in a daze-- advantage is that you can hit a group at once. It can be blocked nearly 100% by the “killing frost” spell, but that one requires more MP. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/55 "2018-01-14T02:17:27Z")
An “earworm” spell might be kinda cool. All the character can hear in their head is a song, and can’t perform any incantations, so a magic-user can only hit with a weapon until taking the hard-to-find “anti-earworm herb,” or undergoing a full heal. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/56 "2018-01-14T02:56:12Z")
I’ve always loved the story’s imaginary in Wildfire. It can mean a lot of different things depending on your mood and perspective. There’s an abstractness that I appreciate. It’s like the great impressionists paintings. You think you understand the imaginary of a Renoir or Monet’s water lilies but there’s much more there than a group of people at a luncheon or a bridge and flowers. You feel something when you look at those paintings. It’s like your drawn into that moment in time. Wildfire has that same ethereal feeling. There’s more to the story than is being told. You want to find that woman and get her back safely home. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/57 "2018-01-14T07:08:09Z")
This song always reminds me of the time I lived in Taos. MMM lived there too. We took our kids to school at the same time. He always showed up in full regalia - fringed leather jacket, tons of turquoise jewelry and a fancy hat. To drop his kid off at school! I saw him a few times at the video store too. Same thing. Dick. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/58 "2018-01-14T12:01:13Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > I imagine if you were a farmer, a killing frost would be a pretty devasting event, one that would bring on a year or more of hard times. And maybe if you died in a blizzard during those hard times, your ghost might come to other farmers during their hard times. Or something . Or maybe it just rhymed with “lost”. > > I like the song, the “killing frost” lyric is a little weak but aside from that it has a eerie western vibe. But I like MMM. Maybe she was killed by Killian Frost, local cattle baron trying to drive them off their land so he can make a fortune when the railroad goes through? And why does she turn into some sort of Angle of Death, coming to collect the narrator of the song? It didn’t even sound like they were particularly close when she was alive, as he always talks about her in third person. i.e. “they say she died…” ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/59 "2018-01-14T12:35:02Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Maybe she was killed by Killian Frost, local cattle baron trying to drive them off their land so he can make a fortune when the railroad goes through? > > And why does she turn into some sort of Angle of Death, coming to collect the narrator of the song? It didn’t even sound like they were particularly close when she was alive, as he always talks about her in third person. i.e. “they say she died…” Yep, they don’t know each other. But he wants to escape “sodbustin” and these “hard times”. I don’t think she is the angel of death, but death got her already and she’s on that mystical horse. He’s mesmerized by her, and he wants to ride away together with her to rise above the hard times. On Wiiiiiiiillldddfffiiiiiiiirrrrre. ---
**Author:** ![WildBlueYonder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WildBlueYonder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildBlueYonder)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/60 "2018-01-14T21:34:52Z")
I just sing the songs, I dont care if it makes sense. Now what is the Horse with no name about?? Love both songs!! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154.md?page=4)