Update on “We Didn’t Start the Fire” Following Bardot’s Death
Billy Joel’s iconic song “We Didn’t Start the Fire” has seen an update since the recent passing of Brigitte Bardot, who died on Sunday at the age of 91.
This 1989 track features a list of 59 notable figures, both celebrated and controversial, who Joel highlighted as significant to the mid-20th century. With Bardot’s death, only three of those individuals mentioned remain alive. Recently, a graph shared on Reddit illustrated the names featured in the song.
Among those referenced are famous personalities like Harry Truman, Doris Day, Johnny Ray, Walter Winchell, Joe DiMaggio, Richard Nixon, Marilyn Monroe, and more. The list continues with figures such as Dwight Eisenhower, Queen Elizabeth II, Rocky Marciano, Albert Einstein, and Fidel Castro, to name a few. Notably, among the living today are musicians Bob Dylan and Chubby Checker, both 84, alongside Bernie Goetz, who is 87 and was involved in a notable incident on a New York subway in 1984.
Joel, during a 1994 Q&A at Oxford University, shared that the inspiration for the song came during a conversation with John Lennon’s son, Sean. He recounted how, after turning 40, he met a young friend of Lennon’s who expressed frustration about the current state of the world. It made Joel reflect on his own youth, marked by events like the Vietnam War and civil rights struggles.
Initially, Joel didn’t think much of the song’s quality. However, he appreciated the way it connected decades of history, spanning from 1949 to 1989. He mentioned that the song had an “interesting symmetry” as if it wove together important moments of the time.
Brigitte Bardot, who left us this Sunday, was not just a celebrated French actress and model of the 50s and 60s known for films like “And God Created Woman” and “La Vérité,” but also an animal rights advocate. The Brigitte Bardot Foundation released a statement expressing sorrow over the loss of its founder, highlighting her commitment to animal welfare after her distinguished career in film.
