Uploaded January 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago

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To celebrate 30 years since Billy Joel's 1989 classic "We Didn't Start The Fire", enjoy this updated version covering major events in society and pop culture from 1989-2019.
Written and edited by Nib Oswald.

LYRICS
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Okay boomer, Christian Grey
Rob Schneider, Santa Fe
O.J. Simpson, Vote for Clinton
Goose hit Fabio
Neo-Nazi, Paris Hilton,
Super Saiyan, Peter Griffin
Richard Gere, Britney Spears
Canada, Trudeau

Frozen, Girls, dot com
Equal pay, Octomum
Mando, the Zinger Pie,
Margaret Thatcher, Lady Di
One full hour black screen
Bye Felicia, yass queen
Ray Romano, Tamagotchi
Aunty Donna, Queer Eye

We didn't stop the fire
Now the country’s burning
Murdoch boosts his earning
These climate change deniers
Are a bit misguided
May as well ignite it

Shot Bin Laden, covered up
Brazzers porn, 2 Girls 1 Cup
Um-br-ella, free Mandela
Legalised pot
iPhone, silicone
Hey Panini, Enron
Exit polls, opinion polls
Drop It Like It’s Hot

Weinstein, Sean Bean
Bathwater of Belle Delphine
SpaceX rocket, Anchorman
Walter, Jesse, this is Stan
Fargo, Joker steps
Ariana’s new ex
Prince disgrace, cyberspace
Colour of this blue dress?

We didn't stop the fire
Rather disconcerting
When there’s no averting
Temperatures creeping higher
We should all be frightened
As the noose is tightened

Milkshake duck, Apple Mac
Cosby scandal, drone attack
Thot, thicc, Family Guy
Twerk, eat hot chip and lie
Elton John, hashtag lol
Left Shark from Superbowl
Hot weather countrywide
Chicken of Kentucky Fried

J.K Rowling, All Star
Dance Monkey, Daria
And I oop, Mario
Four for you, Glen Coco
#MeToo, Sing for me
Unisex amenities
No deal Brexit sideshow
Bingeing The Sopranos

We didn’t stop the fire
If you’re on the journey
You should vote for Bernie
Things start to look quite dire
Keeping us divided
When it’s all one-sided

Tina Fey, 4chan
Stranger Things and Ayn Rand
Killed Steve Irwin
Leo’s nomination
Orwell’s 1984
Palestine / Israeli war
Netflix, Sean Penn
Uber Eats, #NotAllMen
Great wall, Thank U Next
Losing my religious sects
That shit cray, aint in Jay
What she order, fish filet?

We didn’t stop the fire
In these fumes we’re fuming
And our doom is looming
Drought leaves us even drier
We protest and riot
As they all deny it

Burning coal, Poe and Finn
Vote for Clinton back again
Hip hop, Thrift Shop
Jobs and Gates, bump stocks
My name’s Aegon, Columbine
Kevin Spacey’s hairline
PepsiCola in a can
Who is Kim Kardashian?

Michael Jordan, Betty White
Dicks out when Harambe died
Hypertext, cybersex
Wig snatched, thirsty betch
Hydro thermos VSCO straws
Spiderman is Marvel lore
Rick and Morty Szechuan sauce
What else do we have in store?

We didn't stop the fire
We’re so undiscerning
Got no yearn for learning
Soon we will all expire
With no-one to mourn
Will it still burn on, and on,
and on, and on, and on, and on…