Burning Benches

{{Refimprove|date=December 2020}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Burning Benches

| cover = Burning Benches.jpg

| alt =

| caption = 2-track CD cover

| type = single

| artist = Morning Runner

| album =
Wilderness Is Paradise Now

| B-side = Them Folk

| released = 20 February 2006

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Rock

| length = 4:08 (radio edit)

| label = Parlophone
Faith & Hope

| writer = Ali Clewer, Tom Derrett, Matthew Greener and Chris Wheatcroft

| producer = John Cornfield

| prev_title = Have a Good Time

| prev_year = 2005

| next_title = The Great Escape

| next_year = 2006

| misc = {{Extra album cover

| header = Alternative cover

| type = single

| cover = Burning Benches CDRS6683.jpg

| border =

| alt =

| caption = Maxi-CD cover

}}

}}

"Burning Benches" is a song by English rock band Morning Runner and was the fourth track on their 2006 debut album Wilderness Is Paradise Now.{{cite web |last1=Discogs |title=Morning Runner – Burning Benches |url=https://www.discogs.com/Morning-Runner-Burning-Benches/master/257498 |website=Discogs |accessdate=8 October 2020}} The song was also released as the lead single from that album on 20 February 2006, peaking at #19 in the UK Singles Chart (see 2006 in British music).

The single enjoyed a large amount of success on the radio, reaching the BBC Radio 1 B List, as well as being made single of the week by Steve Lamacq, Scott Mills, and Colin and Edith.

The song was, according to the band, not so much about love as it was about obsession. Lead singer Matthew Greener said, "It sounded a bit too lovely, which is why we made it louder towards the end, we wanted to mess it up a bit." It was inspired by the surreal David Lynch horror film Eraserhead, in which the main character Henry Spencer watches and listens to the Lady in the Radiator sing about finding happiness in heaven.