Burning Lyrics
I've been burnin', yes, I've been burnin'
Such a burden, this flame on my chest
No insurance to pay for the damage
Yeah, I've been burnin' up since you left
[Verse 1]
I've been smokin', oh, more than twenty a day
Blame it on rebellion, don't blame it on me
Wish I was younger back to the nineteenth of May
I had an open mind, swore to never change
[Pre-Chorus]
Funny how time goes by
Had respect for myself, that river ran dry
You reached a limit, I wasn't enough
It's like the fire replaced all the love
[Chorus]
I've been burnin', yes, I've been burnin'
Such a burden, this flame on my chest
No insurance to pay for the damage
Yeah, I've been burnin' up since you left
[Verse 2]
Oh, if you ever called, I will run straight back
Give you my forgiveness and the shirt off my back
No friends to turn to, yeah, I messed up that
Wish we could smoke again just for a day, oh
Funny how time goes by
Had respect for myself, that river ran dry
You reached a limit, I wasn't enough
And it's like the fire replaced all the love
[Chorus]
I've been burnin', yes, I've been burnin'
Such a burden, this flame on my chest
No insurance to pay for the damage
Yeah, I've been burnin' up since you left
[Outro]
Yeah, I've been burnin' up since you left
Oh, I've been burnin' up since you left
About
“Burning” sees Sam Smith reconcile themself to the break up of an important relationship, and the pain and unhappiness that it caused them. They have also said that the song is about fame, the pressures of a lifestyle for which they were utterly unprepared, and found difficult to cope with. They believed that this undermined their attempts to form a fulfilling relationship.
Sam uses fire as a symbol for the emotional pain and hurt. In their October 5, 2017 Beats 1 interview with Zane Lowe, Sam described the song as the “core” of The Thrill of It All. They also revealed that there are “only four songs” on the album about themself and their romantic life —“Burning” seems to be one of them.
The song, first aired on 26 October 2017 on BBC Radio 1 Annie Mac Show, is a spare, deceptively simple arrangement that showcases Sam’s voice. The backing piano, played by Reuben James, and the gospel-style chorus in the final verse provide appropriately subtle, subdued accompaniment.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
Just hours before “Burning” was released, Sam Smith tweeted:
I can’t explain how healing it is to have ‘Burning’ out in the universe. That song came from a place of so much confusion and heart ache at the time when I was writing it, I didn’t like myself. I didn’t respect myself. I still struggle everyday with just being myself but to be able to use music as therapy, and to put my heart into songs like burning, and then to give those words to you well, that is the fucking coolest & most overwhelming feeling in the world. Thank you for all listening to me bloody moan about my heart.
