Fires need a spark to ignite and fuel to burn. In this seductive tune, Darius Rucker prompts his lover to remember that love is a decision, and keeping the passion ablaze is their responsibility.
Here, Rucker is inviting his sweetheart to let loose and enjoy the moment. He wants them to sip some wine, cuddle up close, and dim the lights. The song's all about passion and desire, and how a little spark can light up the fire between two lovebirds.
"It's a song about that time when you're sitting at home with your significant other or girlfriend or wife or boyfriend or husband or whatever, and you know it's time," said Rucker. "It's time to get down to business. That's what that song's all about."
So, let's drink what's left of this bottle of wine
Move a little closer 'til the sparks start flyin'
Turn the lights down low and pull the Conway off of the shelf
Then we'll dance through the kitchen and straight down the hallRucker tells his girl to spin a Conway Twitty album. Conway Twitty was a country singer who was famous for his love songs. The singer's proposing that Twitty's music can help create the perfect atmosphere for a night of romance.
The lyric "Pull the Conway off of the shelf," not only highlights the marks of romance but also marks another addition to Ben Hayslip's musical references to the country music legend. Hayslip has previously mentioned Twitty in his songs:
"
Honey Bee" by Blake Shelton
I'll be your Conway Twitty
You'll be my sugar, babyand "
I Can Take It From There" by Chris Young
I'm gonna put an old record on
Conway Twitty yeah girl I'd love to lay you down Dan Isbell, Ben Hayslip and Jacob Rice wrote this sensual song. "When I first heard 'Fires Don't Start Themselves,' the hook immediately got me," reflected Rucker. "The beginning of the chorus, 'Let's drink what's left of this' is classic '90s Country. I love it!"
Dan Huff produced the toe-tapping track. He added plenty of crunchy '90s country-style guitar to give it a solid foundation.
"I played sessions during the '90s, so I kind of know the landscape,"
Huff told Billboard. "To be true to that, I had to make sure that I didn't overstep into a type of production that takes away from that live feeling on the floor. There should be a bit of recklessness about it, and also, not too pristine, you know. I mean, in every respect, the parts shouldn't sound like everybody's rehearsed this thing for a month."
The musicians are:
Aaron Sterling: drums, percussion
Mark Hill: bass
Danny Rader: acoustic guitar
Kris Donegan: electric guitar
Rob McNelley: electric guitar
Paul Franklin: steel guitar
Stuart Duncan: fiddle
David Dorn: Hammond B3, piano
Josh Reedy: background vocals
Fiddler Stuart Duncan shared the solo section with the electric guitar, their notes battling amidst the syncopated chords. "I tend to like his fiddle playing when it resembles the recklessness of a rock guitar," said Huff. "I do remember humming and doing air fiddle to work with Stuart and give him some [ideas], but I don't give him too much because he always makes it better than what you suggest."
The creation of the song came down to a last-minute burst of inspiration. Ben Hayslip arrived at Jacob Rice's studio with nothing but a blank slate after brainstorming for ideas during his entire 35-minute drive.
"I get out my truck, and I'm walking down the sidewalk," he remembered to Billboard. "Soon as I hit the steps to walk up to Jacob's building - this never happens - but the title 'Fires Don't Start Themselves' literally popped into my head out of the blue. I had no idea where it came from."
Darius Rucker stars in the song's cinematic music video as a detective investigating a series of fires caused by a young couple whose passionate love ignites their town. While Rucker's role as a detective isn't unlike his guest spot on the ABC drama Big Sky, he channeled a different character: Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) from Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order: Organized Crime.
"When they told me I was going to play a detective, I put on my inner Stabler, because I'm such a Law and Order and CSI fan, so I put on my inner Stabler and went out and did it," he said. "And the girl I worked with, she was so fun; she was so funny. And you know that donut scene, when I see it, there's no words and it still makes me laugh every time I see it."
