House on Fire (Rise Against song)

"House on Fire"
Single by Rise Against
from the album Wolves
Released	January 9, 2018 (2018-01-09)
Studio	Rock Falcon, Nashville, Tennessee
Length	3:15
Label	Virgin
Songwriter(s)	Tim McIlrath
Producer(s)	Nick Raskulinecz
Rise Against singles chronology
"The Violence" (2017) "House on Fire" (2018) "Broken Dreams, Inc." (2020)

"House on Fire" is a song by the American rock band Rise Against. The song was released on January 9, 2018 as the second single from their eighth studio album, Wolves.^[1] Originally made available as a pre-release buzz track on May 21, 2017, the song was written by lead singer Tim McIlrath about the perils of fatherhood.^[2]

In an interview with Matt Pinfield on the 2 Hours with Matt Pinfield podcast, lead singer Tim McIlrath stated that "When you hear it you might hear a kind of classic love-and-loss-like love song... but the song actually is about becoming a parent. I like to think I have the world figured out, but once you throw a 13-year-old daughter your way you realize, I have nothing figured out. And this is an incredible challenge that's at the same time worth it."^[2]

Loudwire stated that the song was built around a "driving drum and guitar beat powering a majority of the song, allowing for the occasional pull back to let Tim McIlrath's raspy yet commanding vocals take the attention."^[3]

On January 9, 2018, "House on Fire" was officially sent for adds on alternative radio stations.^[1]

On January 9, 2018, a music video for the song was also released. The video was directed by Daniel Carberry and revolves around a grandfather's love for his granddaughter.^[4] The granddaughter is gifted with the ability to control fire, which goes awry as her grandfather must venture through the fire in order to save her; the members of Rise Against make a cameo appearance at a café watching the news and helping the grandfather on his way. The video's press release states that it represents "the innocence of early childhood giving way to the tumultuous coming-of-age years" and "how personal relationships can also have an impact on our world."^[5]