Burning Bright (Field on Fire)

Album: Not the Actual Events (2016)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This blazing track is filled with distortion that abates in the chorus, as Trent Reznor sings, "Break through the surface and breathe."

    There is plenty of apocalyptic imagery:

    The flies come roaring out
    And will surround the entire world
    And blacken out the sky and every last one of you
    Like a plague of locusts


    And liberation through destruction:

    I am forgiven, I am free
    I am the field on fire


    There is not likely a concrete interpretation of this song; Reznor describes the Not the Actual Events EP as "unfriendly" and "impenetrable."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Adele

AdeleFact or Fiction

Despite her reticent personality, Adele's life and music are filled with intrigue. See if you can spot the true tales.

80s Video Director Jay Dubin

80s Video Director Jay DubinSong Writing

Billy Joel and Hall & Oates hated making videos, so they chose a director with similar contempt for the medium. That was Jay Dubin, and he has a lot to say on the subject.

Female Singers Of The 90s

Female Singers Of The 90sMusic Quiz

The ladies who ruled the '90s in this quiz.

Jeff Trott

Jeff TrottSongwriter Interviews

Sheryl Crow's longtime songwriting partner/guitarist Jeff Trott reveals the stories behind many of the singer's hits, and what its like to be a producer for Leighton Meester and Max Gomez.

Tom Waits Lyrics Quiz

Tom Waits Lyrics QuizMusic Quiz

Pool balls, magpies and thorns without roses - how well do you know your Tom Waits lyrics?

Hardy

HardySongwriter Interviews

The country hitmaker talks about his debut album, A Rock, and how a nursery rhyme inspired his hit single "One Beer."