It's amazing how much things have changed since I was in high school. Billy Joel released this song in 1989, and my history teacher offered extra credit to anyone who defined all the historical references in the song. At the time, researching that would have been next to impossible (considering that some of the words are kind of hard to understand). Today, it takes about 5 seconds on Google.

 

Two links: The first is a photo-collage (sp?) http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu/~yeli23/Flash/Fire.html

 

The second defines all the pics http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Didn't_Start_the_Fire

 

This would have helped me get an A in AP History.

It's amazing how much things have changed since I was in high school. Billy Joel released this song in 1989, and my history teacher offered extra credit to anyone who defined all the historical references in the song. At the time, researching that would have been next to impossible (considering that some of the words are kind of hard to understand). Today, it takes about 5 seconds on Google.

 

Two links: The first is a photo-collage (sp?) http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu/~yeli23/Flash/Fire.html

 

The second defines all the pics http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Didn't_Start_the_Fire

 

This would have helped me get an A in AP History.

My son just got the same assignment today in his social studies class, only they just had to pick 2 of the things mentioned. After showing him how to use google, dogpile and wikipedia, NOW I find your post. Coulda saved us about 15 minutes! I'll tell him to add you as a footnote.

My son just got the same assignment today in his social studies class, only they just had to pick 2 of the things mentioned. After showing him how to use google, dogpile and wikipedia, NOW I find your post. Coulda saved us about 15 minutes! I'll tell him to add you as a footnote.

I'm sure the teacher will be impressed that Middle Buffalo is used as a source.

Thanks for posting this. I've always wondered about some of the things mentioned in the song, but never bothered to look them up. Now, I've got an understanding of everything mentioned in the song. :::