Fire On The Mountain

Long distance runner, what you standing there for?
Get up, get off, get out of the door
You're playing cold music on the bar room floor
Drowned in your laughter and dead to the core
There's a dragon with matches that's loose on the town
Take a whole pail of water just to cool him down

Chorus
Fire, fire on the mountain
Fire, fire on the mountain
Fire, fire on the mountain
Fire, fire on the mountain

Almost ablaze, still you don't feel the heat
It takes all you got just to stay on the beat
You say it's a living, we all gotta eat
But you're here alone, there's no one to compete
If mercy's in business, I wish it for you
More than just ashes when your dreams come true

[chorus]

Long distance runner, what you holding out for
Caught in slow motion in a dash to the door
The flame from your stage has now spread to the floor
You gave all you had, why you want to give more?
The more that you give, the more it will take
To the thin line beyond which you really can't fake

[chorus]

1. On at least one occasion, Jerry sang "Wrong way runner" instead of "Long distance runner."

2. Occasionally, Jerry sang "with one foot out the door" instead of "what you holding out for."

3. The rehearsal version on Terrapin Station features very different verses:

Long distance runner, what you standing there for?
Drowned in your laughter, dead to the core
Get up get on, get out of the door
Gave all you got, why you wanna give more?
Out of the rat trap, and under the wire
Too close to skidding right into the fire
Dragon with matches, cut loose on the town
A whole pail of water don't even cool him down

Fire on the mountain, is running around
Never gets up, and never come down
Wrong way runner, one foot on the door
Caught in slow motion in a fall to the floor
Maybe he's making for the famous once more
Maybe he's loaded, and dying to pour
The more that he gives, the more it would take
To the thin line beyond which you really can't fake

Here's another number for the key to the door
Step on it, in line for one more
Said no, substitute
Dressing up phony in a cowboy suit
Gettin' much harder to please that crowd
When the music is quiet but you're yelling out loud
Put it down heavy, strip it down clean
Got to lay it down dirty, play it back clean