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Inside the Fire (song)

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"Inside the Fire"
Single by Disturbed
from the album Indestructible
B-side"Perfect Insanity"
ReleasedMarch 25, 2008
RecordedFebruary 2007 – January 2008
StudioGroovemaster Studios in Chicago, Illinois
GenreAlternative metal[1]
Length3:52
LabelReprise
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Dan Donegan
Disturbed singles chronology
"Ten Thousand Fists"
(2006)
"Inside the Fire"
(2008)
"Perfect Insanity"
(2008)

"Inside the Fire" (alternatively known as "Devon")[2] is a song by American heavy metal band Disturbed. The song was released as the lead single from the band's fourth studio album, Indestructible (2008), on March 25, 2008, as a digital download. The song features suicidal themes, and, in May 2008, a music video was unveiled for the song. However, due to the involvement of suicidal themes in the uncensored music video, an edited version of the song and music video was released, in which these themes are absent.

On March 24, 2008, "Inside the Fire" debuted on more than sixty radio stations, quickly showing up on many significant music charts and reaching number 73 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number one on the Hot Mainstream Rock Chart. The single became nominated for a Grammy Award in the "Best Hard Rock Performance" category.[3] The song was featured in 2008 video game Madden NFL 09.[4] The single was certified gold in both the United States and Australia, and platinum in Canada.[5][6][7]

Interpretation

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According to vocalist David Draiman, the song is "a real racy song... about me standing over the body of my girlfriend, who just killed herself, and the Devil is standing over me, whispering in my ear to kill myself."[8]

Commenting further for The Pulse of Radio, Draiman stated, "it is based on a true story of my own where, when I was about 16 or so, I had a girlfriend of mine commit suicide," he said. "It was an unbelievably horrific and painful experience, and it was cathartic to make the song, and it really took me having a certain mindset to do it, and I had to wait 'til I was ready."[9]

Music video

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A music video for "Inside the Fire" premiered on May 2, 2008.[9] A suicide hotline phone number appears before the video, due to its nature and content, along with a message from vocalist David Draiman regarding suicide.[10] An "all-performance" version of the video premiered later, featuring no dark themes or messages.[11]

The video begins with a girl (assumed to be Draiman's girlfriend) hanging herself in her apartment. Draiman arrives at the apartment, only to find her dead. He cuts her down and places her body on a couch, taking in what has happened. He then cleans her in a bathtub. He goes back out to the room in which she hung herself, and looks out of the door, making sure no one is there. Mentally stricken, he takes a gun placed on the wall and aims the barrel into his own mouth and starts screaming. The camera then fades out and back in, showing Draiman restrained in a straitjacket, showing that he could not bring himself to commit suicide. The edited version of the music video, which does not feature any suicidal themes whatsoever, simply depicts Disturbed playing the song in a dark room, with the band members occasionally covered in blood.

Track listing

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Compact disc

All tracks are written by Disturbed

No.TitleLength
1."Inside the Fire"3:52
Total length:3:52

7" vinyl

No.TitleLength
1."Inside the Fire"3:52
2."Perfect Insanity"3:59
Total length:7:51

Digital download

No.TitleLength
1."Inside the Fire"3:52
Total length:3:52

United Kingdom digital download

No.TitleLength
1."Inside the Fire"3:52
2."Parasite"3:25
3."Stricken (Live At the Riviera)"4:27
Total length:11:44

Personnel

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Charts

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On March 24, 2008, "Inside the Fire" debuted on more than sixty radio stations.[12] The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number four on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.[13] It also peaked at number seventy-three on the Billboard Hot 100 and number sixty-seven on the Pop 100.[13] The song is Disturbed's sixth number-one hit on Mediabase's Active Rock charts.[14]

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[6] Gold 35,000
Canada (Music Canada)[7] Platinum 80,000
United States (RIAA)[5] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Grierson, Tim. "Top 10 Essential Alt-Metal Songs". About.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  2. ^ Indestructible (insert). Disturbed. Reprise Records. 2008.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ^ "Grammy 2009 Winners List". MTV. February 8, 2009. Archived from the original on February 15, 2009. Retrieved February 6, 2012.
  4. ^ Hayward, Andrew. "Madden NFL 09 Soundtrack Revealed". 1up.com. Archived from the original on December 4, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  5. ^ a b "American single certifications – Disturbed – Inside the Fire". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  6. ^ a b "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Canadian single certifications – Disturbed – Inside the Fire". Music Canada. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  8. ^ "In the Studio: Disturbed's David Draiman talks "Indestructible" new album". Rolling Stone. November 21, 2007. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  9. ^ a b "DISTURBED: 'Inside the Fire' video posted online". Blabbermouth.net. May 2, 2008. Archived from the original on December 4, 2008. Retrieved October 5, 2008.
  10. ^ "Disturbed creates unprecedented online demand at DeepRockDrive". Blabbermouth.net. May 15, 2008. Archived from the original on January 1, 2014. Retrieved October 16, 2008.
  11. ^ "DISTURBED: All-Performance version of 'Inside the Fire' video posted online". Blabbermouth.net. May 14, 2008. Archived from the original on May 25, 2024. Retrieved October 5, 2008.
  12. ^ "New DISTURBED catches 'Fire' on airwaves". Blabbermouth.net. March 28, 2008. Archived from the original on December 4, 2008. Retrieved August 20, 2008.
  13. ^ a b c d e "Disturbed: Chart history - Singles". Billboard.com. 2008. Retrieved October 4, 2008.
  14. ^ "DISTURBED's 'Inside the Fire' is ruling 'Active Rock' chart". Blabbermouth.net. August 11, 2008. Archived from the original on December 4, 2008. Retrieved August 20, 2008.