The Prodigy’s “Firestarter” Lyrics Meaning
Lyrically this The Prodigy song is undoubtedly very brief. However, that does not mean that it is lacking in overall effectiveness.
The writing of “Firestarter” is primarily attributed to renowned The Prodigy vocalist Keith Flint (1969-2019). As some of you are surely aware, flint is a stone that was used in the days of old to ignite fires. And in this track Keith is ascribing similar attributes to himself. However, this is not meant to be taken literally, as in he being an arsonist, even if some interpreted the “Firestarter” music video as an allusion to such. That being said, what the song actually alludes to is Keith Flint’s fiery personality, specifically as a performer when he is on stage.
In addition to the above, The Prodigy also attributes the characteristics of a “firestarter” to the listening audience also. So even though the song originated as a tribute to Flint’s own personality, it ultimately serves as a shoutout to all people who revel in their ability to raise hell.
Facts about “Firestarter”
- A total of 8 songwriters are given songwriting credits on this track. The Prodigy’s Liam Howlett and Keith Flint are among these 8 songwriters.
- Four members of the English synth-pop group Art of Noise are credited as writers on this song. These members are: Paul Morley, J. J. Jeczalik, Anne Dudley, Gary Langan and Trevor Horn. The primary reason these members of Art of Noise are credited as writers is because The Prodigy used a sample of the band’s 1984 song “Close (to the Edit)”.
- American singer-songwriter Kim Deal of The Breeders fame is also credited as a co-writer. Deal received songwriting credit on this track because The Prodigy also sampled The Breeders’ “S.O.S.” in “Firestarter”.
- Liam Howlett entirely handled the production of “Firestarter”.
- On March 18, 1996, “Firestarter” was released as the first single from The Prodigy’s third studio album, The Fat of the Land.
- Prior to”Firestarter”, Keith Flint had never sung on The Prodigy’s single since he was initially only the band’s dancer.
- The official music video for “Firestarter” was shot in an abandoned underground tunnel in London. Noted English music video director Walter Stern directed the clip. Speaking to Q magazine, Howlett revealed that the band was forced to shoot the video in black and white because of financial constraints.
- To date, this remains one of The Prodigy’s most successful singles.
How did “Firestarter” perform on the global charts?
It peaked at number 1 in certain countries, including Finland, the United Kingdom, Norway and Hungary. On the US Billboard Hot 100, it managed to climb to number 30.
Did “Firestarter” win a Grammy Award?
No. However, the album, The Fat of the Land (on which it appears) was nominated for a Grammy at the 1998 Grammy Awards. It’s noteworthy to mention that till date, The Prodigy hasn’t won a Grammy Award.
RIP Keith flint. Thank you to the Prodigy for the best music in the world, prodigy music indeed. Also, special thank for this post!
Yeah,you are right!!
It was interesting to read the story behind firestarter and that it was not meant to be about physical aggresion. It just occurred to me though that it would make a perfect backing track for a video of Putin addressing the masses with clips of the devastation in Ukrain running behind him.
Same here, but I was thinking about the probable hidden meaning of this song in a different way. The biggest firestarter in the modern history is America and Keith was giving us a pretty clear message by wearing a specific bomber. Thanks for authors of that post now I know that isn’t true)
Echo – Loud and clear – Psychosomatic agency – 2023!
Go virtue signal somewhere else.