# Why is "The Roof on Fire"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 27, 2004, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-roof-on-fire/271403 "2004-10-27T06:56:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-roof-on-fire/271403/1 "2004-10-27T06:56:00Z")
One can run across that line in many tunes. Mostly hip-hop, club dance, reggaeton, etc… My personal favorite appearance of the line is of course in the Bloodhound Gang song “Fire Water Burn”— but where did it come from? ---
**Author:** ![spiralscratch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@spiralscratch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spiralscratch)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-roof-on-fire/271403/2 "2004-10-27T07:22:53Z")
I remember the original song, but I can’t figure out the original artist nor the exact title. Google is not my friend tonight. I do know that the original is fairly old, going back to at least '84/85. (I remember middle school dances, at which the DJ would add this track in at the very end, much to the chagrin of the school staff chaperoning the event.) ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-roof-on-fire/271403/3 "2004-10-27T07:38:32Z")
Oddly enough, it is a favorite at fire company events. Then again, we’re odd. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_Holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a5b964/32.png) [@Mycroft\_Holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_Holmes)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-roof-on-fire/271403/4 "2004-10-27T10:19:47Z")
> [@spiralscratch](#): > > I remember the original song, but I can’t figure out the original artist nor the exact title. Google is not my friend tonight. > > I do know that the original is fairly old, going back to at least '84/85. (I remember middle school dances, at which the DJ would add this track in at the very end, much to the chagrin of the school staff chaperoning the event.) Yep, it’s from 1984. It’s from the song “The Roof is On Fire” from Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three (how’s that for old school :D). But if you ask me they got the idea from the Parliament song “Give up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)” which came out in 1975. Oh, and I can heartily recommend the album it came from (Mothership Connection). Funk can’t get any funkier than that album. I guess you could say I agree with the line “Make my funk the P.Funk” ---
**Author:** ![paulberserker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@paulberserker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paulberserker)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-roof-on-fire/271403/5 "2004-10-27T10:32:49Z")
Isn’t there a Beastie Boys version of it floating about too, from around 87 or so? We don’t need no water anyway. ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-roof-on-fire/271403/6 "2004-10-27T16:27:23Z")
> [@Mycroft Holmes](#): > > Yep, it’s from 1984. It’s from the song “The Roof is On Fire” from Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three (how’s that for old school :D). But if you ask me they got the idea from the Parliament song “Give up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)” which came out in 1975. Oh, and I can heartily recommend the album it came from (Mothership Connection). Funk can’t get any funkier than that album. I guess you could say I agree with the line “Make my funk the P.Funk” The same song also inspired the Talking Head’s classic “burning down the house” ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-roof-on-fire/271403/7 "2004-10-28T20:10:53Z")
> [@Darth Nader](#): > > Why is “The Roof on Fire”? Obviously, because they’ve decided they don’t need no water but, rather, plan to let the motherfucker burn. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-roof-on-fire/271403/8 "2004-10-28T21:07:54Z")
:: Snort ::