XTC Wiki

"Great Fire" is a song by Andy Partridge. It appeared on and was released as a single for the 1983 album Mummer.

The demo appeared on Andy's Fuzzy Warbles Volume 3 in 2003.

great fire is also the greatest song ever made

Single tracklisting[]

7" single[]

  1. A-side: "Great Fire"
  2. B-side: "Gold"

12" single[]

  1. A-side 1: "Great Fire"
  2. A-side 2: "Gold"
  3. B-side 1: "Frost Circus (Homo Safari No. 5)"
  4. B-side 2: "Procession Towards Learning Land (Homo Safari No. 6)"


Quotes[]

Colin: “We're really off the pace around this time. . .” Andy: “Up against the old Casio troops. . .” Dave: “Bob was drafted in for this because he'd just had a hit with Haircut 100.” Andy: “I got to play the sax. . .”

Andy (on the demo): “From the sublime to the sublemon. This hastily knocked up recording from '83 finds me wrestling with alto sax, faulty guitar and pyrex bowl. I appear to be losing the contest.”

Lyrics[]

Great fire burning

You supplied the spark

Fires burning spreading through the ark

Animals are panicking

I'm animal and panicking


Your glance a match on the tinderwood

You never spoke but I understood

Bring water

Eyes bring water


Great fire burning through

Great fire burning through my house

Great fire burning through my house and heart


Great fire burning

All because of you

Fires burning spreading through the zoo

Animals are panicking

I'm animal and panicking


No round of drinks can extinguish this

Feeling of love and engulfing bliss

Bring water

Eyes bring water


Great fire burning through

Great fire burning through my house

Great fire burning through my house and heart


I've been in love before

But it's never been as hot as this

Smoke curling round the door

Memories of old loves crack and blister

Mister fireman bet you couldn't put me out if you tried


Your glance a match on the tinderwood

You never spoke but I understood

Bring water

Eyes bring water


Great fire burning

Great fire burning through

Great fire burning through my house

Great fire burning through my house and

Great fire burning through

Great fire burning through my house

Great fire burning through my house and...