Landlord Starts Fire While Playing Famous Billy Joel Song
metaphor: a way of speaking where we talk about one thing as if it were another, to make a comparison. This is not a literal comparison but helps us understand or describe something in a creative way. For example, saying “He’s a rock” doesn’t mean he’s made of stone, but that he’s strong and dependable.
On May 18th, landlord Travis Carlson started a fire in his own apartment building. When the emergency team arrived they found the building surrounded by flames and a loud song coming from the landlord’s apartment. It was Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” Carlson was arrested for arson. It was unclear why he chose that song. Did he misunderstand the song’s message?
Billy Joel wrote the number 1 pop song, “We Didn’t Start the fire” in 1989. The fire he sings about is a metaphor for the changes and problems happening in the world.
In the chorus of the song, Joel says:
We didn’t start the fire
It was always burning, since the world’s been turning
We didn’t start the fire
No, we didn’t light it, but we tried to fight it
This means the younger generation isn’t responsible for the state of the world. They inherited the problems from earlier generations.
Travis Carlson faces a possible 20 years in prison for starting the fire. It’s unlikely the song will help him in court.
Listen to the song below.
Sample sentences
1. The sunrise is a common metaphor for hope and a new beginning.
2. In her song, she used a ship in a storm as a metaphor for struggles in life.
3. The book used a garden as a metaphor for personal growth and development.
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Duluth landlord started apartment on fire while blaring “We Didn’t Start The Fire”