Love → Building on Fire

Infobox Single
Name = Love → Building on Fire


Artist = Talking Heads
from Album =
B-side = "New Feeling"
Released = 1977
Format = 7" single
Recorded = 1977
Genre = New Wave
Length = 2:57
Label = Sire Records
Writer = David Byrne
Producer = Tony Bongiovi & Lance Quinn
Certification =
Last single = -
This single = "Love → Building on Fire" (1977)
Next single = "Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town" (1977)
Misc =

"Love → Building on Fire" is a Talking Heads song released as a single in 1977. The single preceded the band’s first full album, and was later included on their compilation album "Sand in the Vaseline". The song did not appear on any of the band’s original studio albums, but a live recording made it onto their live album "The Name of This Band is Talking Heads".

Track listings

# "Love → Building on Fire" - 2:57
# "New Feeling" - 3:09

Credits

The song was written by David Byrne. The original recorded version was produced by Tony Bongiovi.

Artistic Impressions of the Song

Jerry Harrison called "Love → Building on Fire" one of his favorite songs to play live, despite the fact the song was recorded before he joined the band. However, he felt that the best live performances were never recorded. [Liner notes to Sand in the Vaseline.]

Lyrics

The first verse of the song talks about the love of the vocalist and the listener of the song, followed by the internal contradiction that it is not love.

:"When my love ":"Stands next to your love, ":"I can't define love ":"When it's not love. "

The end of each verse contrasts with the previous part. A horn section punctuates the verses and the chorus. The song compares love to a building on fire, perhaps as if to explain how the singer knows "it’s not love."

:"It's not love. ":"It's not love. ":"Which is my face, ":"Which is a building,":"Which is on fire. "

Later References to the Song

The Talking Heads titled their second album "More Songs About Buildings and Food". Along with the song "Don’t Worry About the Government", "Love → Building on Fire" is one of the original songs about buildings that is referred to in the title. The album title is itself a clever illumination of the originality of the band, as love songs are more typical subject matter for rock music, but with a built in tongue in cheek irony because "Love → Building on Fire" is actually about both subjects.

Confusion Caused by Use of Arrow in Title

"Love → Building on Fire" is often represented on the internet using the title "Love Goes To Building on Fire". There is some debate among those who feel that this interpretation overreaches.

References