Lyric discussion by mbhvisby 

Cover art for Burning Down the House lyrics by Talking Heads

The psychologist Carl Jung said that fire represents the process of psychological transformation so burning down the house is destroying one personality and creating another one, As you can see in the video one person takes over another. David Byrne said the song was about this in an interview for the BBC (but he looked high at the time).

Song Meaning

Thanks. I have always enjoyed this song (and find DB to be MOST talented), but I never really understood the lyrics. Talking Heads put on a GREAT concert, but NO encores! That was just plain wrong :)

Not Valid

thank you. man, so many of these "interpretations" are so off! but this was great and succinct.

That's a good possibility as well.