CLE ties in Fall Out Boy cover of hit Billy Joel song
(WJW) – Fall Out Boy released a cover of Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” Wednesday with some headlines right out of Northeast Ohio. And the band is getting a lot of mixed feedback.
The music video opens by saying the band is, “Covering newsworthy items from 1989-2023.” Billy Joel’s original version of “We Didn’t Start the Fire” was released in 1989.
The song includes many references such as “Tamir Rice,” and “LeBron James.”
Tamir Rice, 12, was shot and killed in November 2014 outside the Cudell Recreation Center in Cleveland.
Timothy Loehmann shot and killed Rice in November 2014 outside the Cudell Recreation Center, responding to calls that someone was waving a gun at people. Within seconds of two officers arriving, Loehmann opened fire on Tamir, believing he was reaching for the weapon, which turned out to be a toy gun.
Loehmann was fired from the department in 2017.
Meanwhile, Akron’s own LeBron James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the NBA Finals in 2016, breaking the Cleveland curse. He went on to continue playing legendary basketball.
Other topics mentioned in the new version include: “World Trade,” “Kanye West, Taylor Swift,” “Obama,” “Columbine,” “Twilight,” “Tiger King” and “Michael Jackson Dies.”
Fall Out Boy shared the news of their release on Instagram.
“I thought about this song a lot when I was younger,” Fall Out Boy said in the caption. “All these important people and events- some that disappeared into the sands of time- others that changed the world forever. So much has happened in the span of the last 34 years- we felt like a little system update might be fun. Hope you like our take on it…”
One thing commenters mentioned that they dislike about the song is that the band left out major headlines from that time period, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
“How’d you guys recreate We Didn’t Start The Fire and not mention the pandemic in the last few verses,” @bee_etta said on Instagram.
Others loved the song saying “STOP NO SERIOUSLY THIS IS AMAZING,” @kenzie_shay_ commented.
If you’re looking to see the band live, you’re in luck! Fall Out Boy will be performing at Blossom Music Center on July 18. Click here for tickets.
Source: WJW FOX 8 News Cleveland
