I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire
{{Short description|Pop song written in 1938}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2018}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox song
| name = I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire
| type = song
| artist =
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| alt =
| border = yes
| caption =
| written = 1938
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| genre = Pop
| length =
| writer =
- Bennie Benhamin
- Eddie Durham
- Sol Marcus
- Eddie Seiler
| producer =
| misc =
}}
"I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire" is a pop song written by Bennie Benjamin, Eddie Durham, Sol Marcus and Eddie Seiler.
Originally written in 1938,{{Cite book |last=Tyler |first=Don |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hSCfBQAAQBAJ&q=%22i+don%27t+want+to+set+the+world+on+fire%22&pg=PA257 |title=Hit Songs, 1900-1955: American Popular Music of the Pre-rock Era |date=June 15, 2007 |publisher=McFarland & Company |isbn=9780786429462 |page=257}} the song was first recorded three years later by Harlan Leonard and His Rockets.{{Cite web |title=I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire {{!}} VERSIONS |url=https://secondhandsongs.com/work/80495/versions#nav-entity |access-date=February 23, 2023 |website=SecondhandSongs.com}} It was covered by several musicians and groups, most successfully by Horace Heidt on Columbia Records, whose version reached number one on the US pop chart; and by The Ink Spots on Decca in 1941,{{Cite book |last=Rosalsky |first=Mitch |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L4ghJfL5iBIC&dq=I+don%E2%80%99t+want+to+set+the+world+on+fire+1941&pg=PA321 |title=Encyclopedia of Rhythm and Blues and Doo-Wop Vocal Groups |date=2002 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-8108-4592-3 |language=en}}{{Cite web |year=1972 |title=Pop Chronicles 1940s Program #6 |url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1633232 |access-date=February 23, 2023 |website=University of North Texas Digital Library}} whose version reached number four on the same listing. Other early versions included those by Tommy Tucker, Mitchell Ayres, and (in Britain) Vera Lynn. The song, with its open line "I don't want to set the world on fire / I just want to start a flame in your heart..." became especially popular after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.{{Cite web |title="I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire" |url=http://epc.buffalo.edu/authors/bernstein/books/girly-man/fire-sheet-music.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180112035420/http://epc.buffalo.edu/authors/bernstein/books/girly-man/fire-sheet-music.html |archive-date=January 12, 2018 |website=Electronic Poetry Center |publisher=SUNY Buffalo}}
The song was later recorded by Betty Carter, Frankie Laine, Brian Hyland, Anthony Newley, Suzy Bogguss and others.
In popular culture
In the 1949 Ealing comedy film Passport to Pimlico, after it is discovered that Pimlico is technically part of the Duchy of Burgundy, a rendition of the song is performed in celebration of the fact that British 'Pub' licensing laws no longer apply to Pimlico.
In the "Treehouse of Horror XVII" episode of The Simpsons, the Ink Spots' rendition of the song is played as a post-apocalyptic scene brought about by alien invasion fades into the end credits.{{Citation |title="The Simpsons" Treehouse of Horror XVII (TV Episode 2006) - Soundtracks - IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0831240/soundtrack/ |access-date=2023-03-26 |language=en-US}}
In the first part of the 1971 Doctor Who episode “Terror of the Autons”, the Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) sings the song whilst in the TARDIS, but is interrupted by the console catching fire. He continues to hum the tune after he exits the TARDIS.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=CzWEKv0PvJ89r_it&v=pNy2rFflO_E&feature=youtu.be |title=First appearance of Jo Grant - Doctor Who: Terror of the Autons - BBC |date=2011-05-09 |last=Classic DW |access-date=2024-10-29 |via=YouTube}}
= Samples =
This song was quietly sampled by thrash metal band Megadeth on their song "Set the World Afire"{{Cite web |date=June 9, 2022 |title=MEGADETH {{!}} SO FAR SO GOOD... SO WHAT |url=https://www.metalnerdery.com/episodes/megadeth-so-far-so-good-so-what |access-date=23 February 2023 |website=metalnerdery.com}}{{Cite web |last=Christopher |first=Michael |date=January 19, 2018 |title=Why Megadeth Struggled Through 'So Far, So Good ... So What!' |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/megadeth-so-far-so-good-so-what/ |access-date=February 23, 2023 |website=Ultimate Classic Rock}} on their 1988 studio album So Far, So Good... So What!
The song was also sampled by Joji (musician) in his song "Asian Pizza" on his PG3* album.{{Cite web |title=Pink Guy – Asian Pizza |url=https://genius.com/Pink-guy-asian-pizza-lyrics}}{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tybgyk3hfoM |title=ASIAN PIZZA |date=2017-08-04 |last=TVFilthyFrank |access-date=2024-11-10 |via=YouTube}}{{Cite web |title= Pink Guy's 'Asian Pizza' sample of The Ink Spots's 'I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire' |url=https://www.whosampled.com/sample/517643/Pink-Guy-Asian-Pizza-The-Ink-Spots-I-Don%27t-Want-to-Set-the-World-on-Fire/ |access-date=2024-11-10 |website=WhoSampled}}
The Ink Spots cover
{{Infobox song
| name = I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire
| type = song
| artist = the Ink Spots
| B-side = Hey Doc!
| released = October 1941
| recorded = August 27, 1941
| length = 3:07
| label = Decca
}}
The Ink Spots' 1941 version has been featured in numerous media.
The cover has been featured prominently in the Fallout series of media. It can be heard in the Bethesda Softworks video games Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 on the in-game radio.{{Cite web |last=Chism |first=Carlos |date=November 10, 2015 |title=The Full Diamond City Radio Playlist From Fallout 4 |url=https://gameranx.com/features/id/31595/article/fallout-4-s-diamond-city-radio-playlist/ |access-date=February 23, 2023 |website=gamersnx.com}}{{Cite web |last=Connellan |first= Shannon |date=April 13, 2024| title='Fallout's music might be polarizing, but here's why it's perfect| url=https://mashable.com/article/fallout-soundtrack-music-tv-show}} The cover was also used in the trailer and pilot episode of the first season of the 2024 television show Fallout.{{Cite web |date=7 March 2024 |title=Fallout - Official Trailer |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-mugKDQDlg&t=68s |access-date=8 March 2024 |website=Youtube |publisher=Prime Video}}{{Cite web |last=Berry |first=Alex |date=2024-04-11 |title=Here's every song on the 'Fallout' soundtrack |url=https://www.nme.com/news/tv/heres-every-song-on-fallout-soundtrack-3616495 |access-date=2024-04-21 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}
The cover was featured in the ending scene of the 2009 animated short film Logorama.
In the 2023 film All of Us Strangers, Adam's father (Jamie Bell) plays a recording of the Ink Spots' version, explaining to his son (Andrew Scott) that "this was your grandad's favourite".
References
{{Reflist}}
{{The Ink Spots}}
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Category:Songs written by Bennie Benjamin
Category:Songs written by Sol Marcus
{{1940s-song-stub}}