Fire

We had a major house fire in October, 2006. It took a couple of years to recover, but in the end everything came out better than I could have expected. I wrote this in March 2007 while I was still working on plans for the rebuild. Not only did I get a new house, I got a couple of songs as well. The other one is Permits.

The track was recorded at Strings in Emeryville, CA on May 16, 2007. That night the band didn't come and the staff put on a show instead. This was my contribution.

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Lyrics

My guts were churning and I could not sleep that night.

We had an awful fire and it gave me an awful fright.

No one was injured, no one was even there.

No one was injured, we weren’t even there.

When the fireball blew out the front and went straight up in the air.

The fire crew was on it, they knocked it down in nothin’ flat.

They even saved my new guitar, now what you think of that.

At first they called it arson, but then they said “more likely, paint.”

I’d like to know what started it, but I know I really cain’t.

Our friends they all came running, just to see what they could do.

All our friends came running, just to see what they could do.

You know that made us feel so good, boy I’m telling you.

I went and called my agent ‘bout my ‘surance policy.

I went and called my agent ‘bout my insurance policy.

And to my great amazement it was ‘bout as good as it could be.

Gonna get a free remodel – brand new kitchen brand new roof.

And you know that when I build it back I’m gonna build it fireproof.

We’ll have to knock some walls down, rebuild some widows and some doors.

But we really didn’t lose much, could have lost a whole lot more.

I didn’t want no fire, but I know that in the end.

If I’ve gotta have a fire I’ve gotta make that fire be my friend.

My guts were churning and I could not sleep that night.

We had an awful fire and it gave me an awful fright.

We had an awful fire but it’s gonna be all right.