We Didn't Start the Fire - Billy Joel

We Didn't Start The Fire – Billy Joel

Music Review

 

We Didn't Start the Fire, by Billy Joel came out in 1989 and was a number 1 hit in the US, The music video is 4:06 long and mainly consists of an obscure narrative . The video, Directed by Chris Blum shows a family domestic kitchen that changes through time; Starting in 1940s with a utilitarian look, then to 1950s with the futuristic architecture, next is the 1960s with the OP art, then earth pastel colours and macramé in 1970s and then finally black lacquer with granite benches in 1980s. The constant revamp of this kitchen is to symbolise the movement and change in time, I thank that the aesthetics of the set are fantastic and really represent those years with detail.

“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”

In reference to time, the video links to the lyrics incredibly well, this is because the lyrics consist of major headlines from 1940s right through to the 1960s, for example “Marilyn Monroe”, “The Catcher in the Rye” and “England’s got a new Queen”. As Billy is singing the lyrics the kitchen and the family inside are constantly changing through the ages, for example; as I have mentioned, the kitchen is revamped, but also their clothes change, the hair styles transform and the children grow.

The video is broken into two locations, just like 'Clown' by Emile Sande. The First location is the domestic kitchen and the second is a room with a table that Joel sits at while iconic propaganda photographs burn behind him; hence the lyric 'Fire'. The Second room has a very different theme to the kitchen; the difference is in the atmosphere, for example, the kitchen is mainly calm and family orientated; however the room with the table is dangerous and crewel with fire. This connotes confusion and two sidedness that is often linked with most of the 20^th Century.

In terms of camera movement, the video is filmed with the camera mostly in lock down, I like this as sometimes the movement of the camera takes away the impact of the message from the singer.

I really like this music video from a both a historical side and the way that it has been produced, I like how there is an interesting video to match some interesting lyrics, The way that the famous headlines have been displayed in the room with the table is shown as both iconic moments and the past to be forgotten.

Great music video with interesting themes and ideas to represent the lyrics by Billy Joel

 

 

We Didn't Start the Fire - Billy Joel