Paper in Fire
"Paper in Fire" | ||||
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Single by John Cougar Mellencamp | ||||
from the album The Lonesome Jubilee | ||||
B-side | "Never Too Old" | |||
Released | August 15, 1987 (1987-08-15) | |||
Studio | Belmont Mall Studio, Indiana | |||
Genre |
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Length | 3:51 | |||
Label | Mercury | |||
Songwriter(s) | John Mellencamp | |||
Producer(s) | John Mellencamp, Don Gehman | |||
John Cougar Mellencamp singles chronology | ||||
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"Paper in Fire" is a song by American rock singer John Mellencamp, released on August 15, 1987, as the first single from his ninth studio album The Lonesome Jubilee.
The song was a commercial success, reaching number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and the Canadian Singles Chart, and charted on various European singles charts.
Mellencamp biographer David Masciotra called it a "ferocious song" that is the "aural equivalent of a wild beast breaking out of its cage." [3] Masciotra describes it as having a libertarian theme.[3] Mellencamp has said that the song is about his uncle Joe Mellencamp, who could be cruel to others and his own worst enemy, saying that "'Paper in Fire' is about Joe, and the family's ingrained anger...It is tragic when families don't grow up."[3]
Cash Box said that "AOR will undoubtedly benefit from this one - as will Top 40 radio, music video saturation is guaranteed."[4]
Track listing
- 7" single
- "Paper in Fire" – 3:53
- "Never Too Old" – 3:45
- CDV single
- "Paper in Fire" – 3:48
- "Never Too Old" – 3:43
- "Under the Boardwalk" – 3:51
- "Cold Sweat" – 3:23
- "Paper in Fire" (video) – 3:57
Charts
Weekly charts
Chart (1987) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Singles Chart[5] | 13 |
Canadian Singles Chart[6] | 1 |
New Zealand Singles Chart[7] | 16 |
South African Singles Chart[8] | 8 |
UK Singles Chart[9] | 86 |
US Cashbox[10] | 10 |
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[11] | 9 |
U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
Year-end charts
Chart (1987) | Position |
---|---|
Australia (Kent Music Report)[12] | 79 |
References
- ^ Pollock, Bruce (18 March 2014). Rock Song Index: The 7500 Most Important Songs for the Rock and Roll Era. Routledge. p. 276. ISBN 978-1-135-46296-3.
- ^ Himes, Geoffrey (July 22, 1992). "JOHN MELLENCAMP". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
- ^ a b c Masciotra, David (2022). Mellencamp: American Troubadour. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 99–100, 140. ISBN 9780813195582.
- ^ "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. August 22, 1987. p. 8. Retrieved 2022-09-11.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Every Number One Single 1983-1999". The Record. David Farrell and Associates. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
- ^ "charts.nz – John Cougar Mellencamp – Paper in Fire". Retrieved 2011-05-18.
- ^ "South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1969 - 1989 Acts (M)". www.rock.co.za. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- ^ "The Official Charts Company – John Cougar Mellencamp". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2011-05-10.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2014). Cash Box Pop Hits 1952-1996. Sheridan Books, Inc. ISBN 978-0-89820-209-0.
- ^ "John Mellencamp History". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 2011-05-18.
- ^ "Australian Music Report No 701 – 28 December 1987 > National Top 100 Singles for 1987". Australian Music Report. Retrieved 11 December 2019 – via Imgur.
- v
- t
- e
- Chestnut Street Incident (1976)
- A Biography (1978)
- John Cougar (1979)
- Nothin' Matters and What If It Did (1980)
- American Fool (1982)
- The Kid Inside (1983)
- Uh-huh (1983)
- Scarecrow (1985)
- The Lonesome Jubilee (1987)
- Big Daddy (1989)
- Whenever We Wanted (1991)
- Human Wheels (1993)
- Dance Naked (1994)
- Mr. Happy Go Lucky (1996)
- John Mellencamp (1998)
- Rough Harvest (1999)
- Cuttin' Heads (2001)
- Trouble No More (2003)
- Freedom's Road (2007)
- Life, Death, Love and Freedom (2008)
- No Better Than This (2010)
- Plain Spoken (2014)
- Sad Clowns & Hillbillies (2017)
- Strictly a One-Eyed Jack (2022)
- Orpheus Descending (2023)
- Life, Death, Live and Freedom (2009)
- Performs Trouble No More Live at Town Hall (2014)
- Plain Spoken: From the Chicago Theatre (2018)
- The Best That I Could Do 1978–1988 (1997)
- Words & Music: John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits (2004)
- On the Rural Route 7609 (2010)
- Other People's Stuff (2018)
- "I Need a Lover"
- "This Time"
- "Ain't Even Done with the Night"
- "Hurts So Good"
- "Jack & Diane"
- "Crumblin' Down"
- "Pink Houses"
- "Lonely Ol' Night"
- "Small Town"
- "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A."
- "Paper in Fire"
- "Cherry Bomb"
- "Check It Out"
- "Pop Singer"
- "Wild Night"
- "Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)"
- "Just Another Day"
- "Peaceful World"
- "Walk Tall"
- "Our Country"
- "My Sweet Love"
- "What Say You" (with Travis Tritt)
- Discography
- George Green
- Farm Aid
- Falling from Grace (1992)
- Ghost Brothers of Darkland County (2012)
- Elaine Irwin
- Meg Ryan