# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/61 "2018-01-14T21:43:35Z")
> [@LifeOnWry](#): > > About three and a half minutes too long? But that’s not important right now. ---
**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, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/62 "2018-01-14T21:59:56Z")
> [@WildBlueYonder](#): > > I just sing the songs, I dont care if it makes sense. > > Now what is the Horse with no name about?? Love both songs!! I been to the desert, too! ---
**Author:** ![dishsultan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@dishsultan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dishsultan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/63 "2019-02-16T02:54:34Z")
Let’s revive this dead horse, folks. Just found this: > **[Michael Martin Murphey's 'Wildfire:' Meanings And Rare Facts](https://groovyhistory.com/what-you-didnt-know-about-michael-martin-murpheys-wildfire)** > > Michael Martin Murphey's 'Wildfire,' released in 1975, tells the story of a man who is haunted by the ghost of a young woman, possibly Native American, who died while riding her horse Wildfire in a blizzard. The lyrics intrigued and puzzled fans,... I like the song. To each their own. Cheers. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/64 "2019-02-16T04:09:36Z")
You can’t make no money if you hit the ground. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/65 "2019-02-16T04:14:34Z")
> [@jimmmy](#): > > One other element: > > As a kid, this song creeped me out – I saw it more as a Ghost story – all that stuff about Owl’s hootin’ and “she’s coming for me I know” … > it always scared the crap outta me took it more threatening Yeah, when I first heard it when I was eight or so, I had the same reaction. But it was a good kind of scare. Imagining a love which transcended death kind of blew my mind, too. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/66 "2019-02-16T08:10:30Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > I actually like the song. Oh well. Thanks. I like it, too, Guin, but the lyrics don’t make a lot of sense. Oh, well, at they make more sense than “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia.” I’ve never been able to figure out that song. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/67 "2019-02-16T13:48:37Z")
> [@dishsultan](#): > > Let’s revive this dead horse, folks. Just found this: > > [Groovy History](https://groovyhistory.com/what-you-didnt-know-about-michael-martin-murpheys-wildfire) > > I like the song. To each their own. Cheers. Whoever wrote this was apparently unaware of that in the 70s, DJs often played the deep album cut rather than the single version. At a minimum, that gave them time to go off and smoke a joint or go to the john. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/68 "2019-02-16T15:06:14Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > Just keep the piano intro and outro, you can cut from the other parts of the song… And your wish has been granted. The pianist (Jac Murphy) did at least one solo album back in the day, and had a jazz trio as well. Here’s his Wildfire intro/outro as part of “[Prelude (Based on a Theme by Scriabin)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5KDU7NBEWo)”. Want more geekiness? There’s a YouTube comment that explains that the Wildfire snippet was recorded in E major but Jac’s solo recording is in D flat, which helps to answer the eternal question: "What Scriabin piece was Jac Murphy basing his intro on? (Prelude 11 number 15, which is in D flat). ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/69 "2019-02-16T15:16:16Z")
This is one haunting thread. Wiiiiiiiiiildfiiiiiiiiiire ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/70 "2019-02-16T15:18:15Z")
> [@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. Nah, you’d just have to re-plant by the light of the moon. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/71 "2019-02-16T16:44:53Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > Deadhorse, Alaska – I will drive to there one day. It’s only 3,500 miles from home… > When I go, I’ll have to be wary of any killing frost. At least I won’t have to pass through Nebraska. 🙂 But you should plan to go through [Kicking Horse Pass](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kicking_Horse_Pass). Also, I have trouble listening to the song. I’m lactose intolerant and the song is way to cheesy for me to handle. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/72 "2019-02-16T16:50:40Z")
Man, I _hate_ bustin’ sod. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/73 "2019-02-16T17:37:35Z")
> [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](#): > > I like it, too, Guin, but the lyrics don’t make a lot of sense. > > Oh, well, at they make more sense than “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia.” I’ve never been able to figure out that song. What don’t you understand? His sister killed his cheatin’ wife, and hid the body. She wasn’t counting on her brother being arrested, tried and hung for it that night. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/74 "2019-02-16T19:48:38Z")
Speaking of 70’s songs that are wayyyyyy weirder if you listen to the lyrics: “Angie Baby” You live your life in the songs you hear On the rock and roll radio And when a young girl doesn’t have any friends That’s a really nice place to go… On a side note…I swear I’ve read a DC adaptation of this in one of their 70’s horror books. Just literally taken from the lyrics with probably only the name changed. And it works fine. I’ve also read what seemed to be a literal take on “In the Year 2525” in one of the 60’s sci-fi anthology comics. And that also worked very well. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/75 "2019-02-16T22:19:13Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > What don’t you understand? > > His sister killed his cheatin’ wife, and hid the body. She wasn’t counting on her brother being arrested, tried and hung for it that night. What don’t I understand? The whole thing! If you don’t read the lyrics (which do help clean up the mystery, but let’s assume this is still the 70s) as we did not have easy access to when the song was new, this verse starts the confusion rolling: Andy Wolloe said “Hello” And he said “Hi, what’s doin’, Wo?” “Seth, sit down, I got some bad news, it’s gonna hurt” He said “I’m your best friend and you know that’s right” “But your young bride ain’t home tonight” “Since you been gone she’s been seein’ that Amos boy, Seth " Well, he got mad ‘n’ he saw red and Andy said “Boy, don’tcha lose your head” " 'cause to tell ya the truth, I been with her myself” First, the verse suffers from pronoun trouble. Who is “he”? He seems to shift from the brother to Andy. And it isn’t clear she is singing “Seth”. Not a common name, and it sounds more like “[he] said, sit down I got some bad news…” and "“She’s been seein’ that Amos boy sick”, or alternately, “that Amos boy’s” first name is Seth. Then there’s this couplet: And he saw Andy lyin’ on the floor In a puddle of blood and he [Andy?] started to shake Listening to the radio, did Andy start to shake? He’s dead, isn’t he? Call an ambulance! So we start out confused, then we get to the “what planet does Vicki live on” part. How stupid was the brother. He obviously went to kill Andy, then when he finds him dead, he fires a shot to “flag down” the police. How stupid was that? As we saw, deadly stupid. How stupid was the police - did the ballistics match? They couldn’t, because there’s no time for little sister to go shoot Andy and get the gun back before brother gets home. Why did the judge rush the judgement of the brother? Why would he care? Why did little sister hide/dispose of brother’s wife’s body, but leave Andy there to be found? Why did the judge have bloodstains on his hands? By the lyrics, his hands were bloody before the murder. How fast WAS this trial? Arrest to execution in one evening? Why was the defense lawyer bad? What did he gain by being corrupt? (In a one day trial and execution, did he even have a chance to get paid?) What does little sister think she’s doing? She kills the wife and Andy (but not “that Amos boy”) but then leaves a trail of evidence that points right to her brother. Did she want him dead, too? Wildfire is as clear as the night air compare to Vicki’s Southern Gothic mess. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/76 "2019-02-16T23:06:07Z")
wildfire/frost/scissors ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/77 "2019-02-16T23:11:18Z")
That’s nothing like _Frost/Nixon_, is it? ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/78 "2019-02-16T23:49:04Z")
I didn’t hate 'Wildfire" (first heard it in Tahoe one winter, and it was the long version with the piano solos), but someone upthread said they like the song “Honey.” Now, that’s a baaaaaaaaaaad song. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/79 "2019-02-17T04:39:42Z")
“Wildfire” is indeed cheesy. But the rest of the album (Blue Sky, Night Thunder) is great. [Carolina In The Pines has more of that tasty piano](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeqybuUvp6A) (hang in there til the one minute mark… never thought I’d love banjo and piano playing off each other). Though my favorite is from the previous album… [“Geronimo’s Cadillac”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cWC9A0qp1c): _They put Geronimo in jail down south, Where he couldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth… Took all their land and they won’t give it back. And they sent Geronimo a Cadillac._ ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154/80 "2019-02-17T12:53:37Z")
[Moderating] **Dale Sams** , posting the full lyrics of a song is a copyright violation. Short excerpts are allowed, under Fair Use, so I’ve edited your post accordingly. If you have a link to somewhere else that has the lyrics, you can post that instead. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-song-wildfire-about/152154.md?page=5)