The Fire Down Below

Album: Night Moves (1976)
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  • Here comes old Rosie she's looking mighty fine
    Here comes hot Nancy she's steppin' right on time
    There go the street lights bringin' on the night
    Here come the men faces hidden from the light
    All through the shadows, ah, they come and they go
    With only one thing in common
    They got the fire down below

    Here comes the rich man in his big long limousine
    Here comes the poor man all you got to have is green
    Here comes the banker and the lawyer and the cop
    One thing for certain it ain't never gonna stop
    When it all gets too heavy
    That's when they come and they go
    They go
    With only one thing in common
    They got the fire down below

    Yeah, it happens out in Vegas happens in Moline
    On the blue blood streets of Boston
    Up in Berkeley and out in Queens
    And it went on yesterday and it's going on tonight
    Somewhere there's somebody ain't treatin' somebody right

    And he's looking out for Rosie and she's looking mighty fine
    And he's walking the streets for Nancy
    And he'll find her every time
    When the street light flicker bringing on the night
    Well they'll be slipping into darkness slipping out of sight
    All through the midnight
    Watch 'em come and watch 'em go, oh go
    With only one thing in common
    They got the fire down below
    Oh, burning down below

    Yeah, it happens out in Vegas happens in Moline
    On the blue blood streets of Boston
    Up in Berkeley and out in Queens
    And it went on yesterday and it's going on tonight
    Somewhere there's somebody ain't treatin' somebody right

    And he's looking out for Rosie and she's looking mighty fine
    And he's walking the streets for Nancy
    And he'll find her every time
    When the street light flicker bringing on the night
    Well they'll be slipping into darkness slipping out of sight
    All through the shadows
    Watch 'em come and watch 'em go, oh they go
    With only one thing in common
    They got the fire down below
    Oh, they got one thing in common
    They got the fire down below
    Oh, they got one thing in common
    They got the fire down below
    One, two, three Writer/s: BOB SEGER
    Publisher: O/B/O DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 17

  • Msrc Stromberg from Green BayJust curious who plays guitar on this song? Sure sounds like the late great Stevie Ray Vaughn? Anyone?
  • Justj from PhillyAlways thought it wast about redheads. Fire down below referring to red pubes.
  • Jj from WyomingI heard that Moline in this song is Moline Michigan which was known for the bar area near Grand Rapids. Not Moline, Illinois. Anyone know the truth? I grew up in Moline Illinois
  • Steve Johnson from Bay City MichiganSongfacts says "The Fire Down Below" wasn't released as a single. Actually it's the B side on Seger's single "Rock and Roll Never Forgets".
  • Art from Moline, IlMatt, yes, almost. I grew up in Moline and everyone would turn this song up, waiting to sing along with "it happens in Moline!" We always wondered how he picked our city to throw in there. Obviously being from Michigan, he made stops playing here. I believe they played at my parents bar once in 75 or 76, but cant verify that... Anyway, if anyone knows how he picked Moline, please share.
  • Rick from Los AngelesAlso covered by Tina Turner.
  • Kenny from DallasJeff Morris, the movie was Stone Cold Dead 1979 with Richard Crenna.
  • Lawrence from Livonia, MiYou're all wrong... I met Rosie at a K-mart store in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Did not believe her story until she came back from a Seger concert with her and the band in the restroom.
  • Steve from Philadelphia, PaThe fire down below doesn't refer to hell, it refers to the johnson's of the men.....
  • Erica from Columbus, OhKory, you're right on. I thought the same thing so I did a little research. Ain't Got No Money is a song written by Frankie Miller and released on his own album The Rock in 1975. Seger released The Fire Down Below a year later. Seger's cover of Ain't Got No Money was released in 1978...
  • Jeff Morris from Richmond, Vathere was a movie in which prostitutes were being murdreed, this movie featured "THE FIRE DOWN BELOW' song, i can not remember the name of the movie. does any one know the movie title.,
  • Kory from Grand Haven, MiThe arrangement and chord progression is virtually the same as "Ain't Got No Money" off his Stranger in Town Album.
  • Aaron from Dallas, Txwhen he says fire down below hes referring to hell, the only thing in commen is hells flames
  • Cody from San Antonio, TxI agree Matt, Segers vocals are really something amazing, in this song particularly.
  • Matt from Charleston, ScI love how, in this song, one time when he lets out "They got the fire down below!" You can almost see the needle in the recording booth pegging the red line.
  • Matt from Charleston, ScI wonder if this song has ever been considered as a theme song by the Moline, Illinois Chamber of Commerce? Well, perhaps the Moline Chamber of Ho's.
  • Ted from Loveland, CoThis song has been covered many different ways by the likes of Bette Midler, Luther Grosvenor,
    Juice Newton, Cher and German singer Klaus Lage (1983) with German lyrics: Wenns unterm Gürtel brennt.
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