Fire In the Head
Background
1857 edition of Fleurs du Mal, proof of the title page with Baudelaire's annotations
The song began as an acoustic piece during The Tea Party's first Canadian tour featuring Roy Harper. Originally intended for Harper's next album, the band's addition of drums, bass, and guitar transformed it into the opening track and lead single from "The Edges of Twilight."
Jeff Martin has often cited Charles Baudelaire´s “Les Fleur du Mal” as a much read influence and the line “flowers of evil in my head” in “Fire in the Head” is an obvious reference to the title of this poem. What drew Jeff to Baudelaire is probably what draws so many, his ability to pluck beauty from the the jaws of decay, to find perfection in a garbage heap.
It’s a song about a man who holds his muse or ideal in a state of divinity. Further, it follows the character as he endures the extremes of his rites of passage.
Tom Cowan´s book "Fire In The Head"
The title of the song however, is drawn from Tom Cowan´s book of the same name (which also contains a chapter entitled “The Edges of Twilight”) and Tom probably got the title from the poem “The Song of Wandering Aengus” by W. B. Yeats which is about experiencing a vision or hallucination and starts with the lines “I went out to the hazel wood, because a fire was in my head…”. Since Jeff Martin has often said that the song was written about an LSD trip this connection to Yeats is especially appropriate although it could be coincidental. The book "Fire In The Head" is an exploration of shamanism using cross-cultural myths to explain the history and roots of the Celtic spirit.
Promo Poster
'Fire in the Head' was released as an official single and became a top 30 radio hit in Canada and Australia and also brought The Tea Party some attention in Europe and the USA. In Germany, the video was shown on the local music channel VIVA, which also featured advertisements for the album with the song in the background.
The Video will be a surreal but accurate journey into the
unconscious mind.
Video, director Dean Karr, who is also known for his work with TOOL, Marilyn Manson, Queens Of the Stonge Age and more shot the video for 'Fire In The Head' in the desert outside of Loas Angles. At this time the band was recording The Edges of Twilight in L.A.. Karr submitted a treatmenat, and it-'s fair enough to say, that not all of his ideas were realized. You can download the original Video Script here:
Releases
Promo (Europe)
01. Fire In The Head (Edit) 4:23
02. Fire In The Head
03. Inanna
04. Drawning Down the Moon
Label: EMI – 7243 8 82088 2 6
Format: CD, Single, Promo
Released: 1995
Promo (Europe)
01. Fire In The Head
02. The Badger
02. Sister Awake
Label: Chrysalis – CDTPDJ 2
Format: CD, Single, Promo
Released: 1995
Promo (USA)
01. Fire In The Head 5:29
02. Fire In The Head (edited version) 4:2
Label: Chrysalis – DPRO-19792
Format: CD Single, Promo
Released: 1995
Promo (Canada)
01. Fire In The Head 5:29
02. Fire In The Head (edited version) 4:2
Label: EMI Music Canada – CDPRO 1057
Format: CD Single, Promo
Released: 1995
Commercial Single (Australia)
01. Fire In The Head (Edit) 4:23
02. Fire In The Head
03. Inanna
04. Drawning Down the Moon
Label: EMI – 724388208826
Format: CD Single
Released: 1995
Cassette (New Zealand)
A1 Fire In The Head (edited version) 4:23
A2 Fire In The Head 5:29
B1 Inanna 3:48
B2 Drawing Down The Moon 5:26
Label: EMI – 8820884
Format: Cassette, Single, Promo
Released: 1995
Promo Shirt
video
Band commentary on the video
Bands Commentary