It was always burning since the world’s been turning, which I guess is why Fall Out Boy have taken it upon themselves to update Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” for modern times. Listen to their inexplicable new cover below.
Joel’s infamous list song recounts the most important events of his life up until its release, covering the time period of 1949 to 1989. Fall Out Boy’s rendition picks up where the song left off, changing the lyrics to include newsworthy happenings from 1989 to 2023. Grab a limited edition 7-inch vinyl here.
From the jump, Pete Wentz, Patrick Stump, and company touch on political uprisings like the Arab Spring and LA Riots alongside terrorist attacks both foreign and domestic, including the Oklahoma City bomb and 9/11. They also mention climate change (“Polar bears got no ice”), the death of celebrities like Kurt Cobain and Michael Jackson, and conspiracy theories including Qanon.
On a lighter note, Fall Out Boy shout out cultural touchstones like Pokémon, Spongebob, and Harry Potter in addition to phenomenal athletes such as Michael Jordan, Lebron James, and the Williams sisters, as well as the 2016 World Series win of their hometown Chicago.
Covering “We Didn’t Start the Fire” isn’t Fall Out Boy’s only gag these days. The band recently put their latest album, So Much (For) Stardust, up for sale on a vinyl infused with their own tears (It’s called Crynyl). Looking ahead, they’ll appear on Taylor Swift’s Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). The pop punk veterans are also in the midst of a North American tour; grab tickets to a show here.
