I recently saw the Ben Harper/Jennifer Nettles version of “I’m on Fire” at the Kennedy Center Honors which recognized the one and only “The Boss”, Bruce Springsteen, for his many contributions to American culture. I had never seen the actual Springsteen video from 1986. In most (if not all) of Springsteen’s videos, he sings. In this one, however, The Boss acts. And he does a phenomenal job. It makes sense though. How can you write incredibly soulful songs that connect to the core of humanity and not be able to enact those emotions?
After seeing this, would you call Springsteen an actor? I would, in addition to a singer, songwriter, musician, storyteller, activist, artist. He’s all of those things and more. We often get bogged down by labels. “I’m only this”, or “I’m just that.” But Bruce Springsteen shows that when you truly understand the purpose of what you’re doing, you can do anything. You’re no longer confined to the categories in which others or yourself place you. I don’t know if he meant to accomplish that, but it’s what I see when I watch this video, and each time I view it, I feel a little more free.
Click below to check out the live Ben Harper/Jennifer Nettles version.
Ben Harper and Jennifer Nettles perform "I'm on Fire" at the Kennedy Center Honors
Here are the lyrics:
Hey little girl is your Daddy home?
Did he go away and leave you all alone?
I got a bad desire.
I’m on fire.Tell me now baby is he good to you,
Can he do to you the things that I do?
I can take you higher.
I’m on fire.Sometimes it’s like someone took a knife baby
Edgy and dull and cut a six-inch valley
Through the middle of my soul.At night I wake up with the sheets soaking wet,
And a freight train running through the
Middle of my head.
Only you can cool my desire.
I’m on fire.
