Burn 'Em All

Album: We Were Cowboys (2020)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Kameron Marlowe wrote "Burn 'Em All" with the Nashville scribes Aaron Eshuis, Brinley Addington and Joey Hyde. He explained the meaning in a Pandora Stories feature.

    "We wrote that on a Friday," he said. "I think we pitched out six different titles. Nothing was sticking. We were in a rut, had no idea what we were going to write, and Joey pitched out the title 'Burn 'Em All,' like a 'live up the weekend' thing, have a good time. We were so brain dead from the week we had, so we said, 'That's where we're at. We're ready for the weekend, ready to have a good time.'

    The chorus flowed but the verses we had to fight for a little bit. We ended up writing that in six hours, so we were really done by the time we finished it."
  • Marlowe grew up in Kannapolis, North Carolina and worked in the area for a car dealership as he was getting started in music. In 2018 he took some time off from work to compete on The Voice - he didn't win but got a lot of exposure. He kept working until he finally landed a record deal and moved to Nashville in 2020. That blue-collar lifestyle informed "Burn 'Em All."

    "The song goes out to the frontline workers and the people who are putting in their 9-5 every day," he said. "It's for people that are over the workweek and ready to have a little fun. Having that home town, 9-5 job that felt monotonous every day, I know exactly what it's like to want some time off to enjoy with my buddies."
  • The music video was directed by Jeff Johnson and shot at the Franklin Forge in Franklin, Tennessee. They went with a literal interpretation of the song, with all the working folks meeting at a bonfire to relax and have some fun. Marlowe's love interest is played by Tia Booth of The Bachelor.
  • The song was released in the summer of 2020 when much of the world was still under lockdown from the pandemic. According to Marlowe, the video pays tribute to frontline workers - you'll see a medical worker and a firefighter portrayed in the clip.

    The video was shot using social distance protocols, which is why there isn't a big crowd at the bonfire.
  • "Burn 'Em All" was Kameron Marlowe's second single, following "Giving You Up." It was released in 2020 and included that year on his self-titled EP, then added to the tracklist of his debut album, We Were Cowboys, in 2022.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Sarah Brightman

Sarah BrightmanSongwriter Interviews

One of the most popular classical vocalists in the land is lining up a trip to space, which is the inspiration for many of her songs.

Al Kooper

Al KooperSongwriter Interviews

Kooper produced Lynyrd Skynyrd, played with Dylan and the Stones, and formed BS&T.

Reverend Horton Heat

Reverend Horton HeatSongwriter Interviews

The Reverend rants on psychobilly and the egghead academics he bashes in one of his more popular songs.

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TV

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TVSong Writing

Shows like Dawson's Creek, Grey's Anatomy and Buffy the Vampire Slayer changed the way songs were heard on TV, and produced some hits in the process.

Van Dyke Parks

Van Dyke ParksSongwriter Interviews

U2, Carly Simon, Joanna Newsom, Brian Wilson and Fiona Apple have all gone to Van Dyke Parks to make their songs exceptional.

Richard Marx

Richard MarxSongwriter Interviews

Richard explains how Joe Walsh kickstarted his career, and why he chose Hazard, Nebraska for a hit.