The Story Behind ‘The Fire Down Below’ By Bob Seger
A Popular Track
Featured on Bob Seger’s breakthrough album Night Moves, “Fire Down Below” tackles the controversial topic of prostitution. The lyrics talk about customers from different walks of life – banker, lawyer, rich or poor because apparently, “all you got to have is green” and the only thing they have in common is to satisfy “the fire down below”. Lyrically, it’s a standout in his catalog because he rarely sang directly about sex.
Seger drew inspiration from Scottish singer-songwriter Frankie Miller’s “Ain’t Got No Money” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Rattlesnake Shake”. He explained to Uncle Joe Benson on the Ultimate Classic Rock Nights radio show, “I was a big fan of Frankie Miller. We’re very similar in the way we approach rock ’n’ roll… I heard a song called ‘Ain’t Got No Money’ and I liked that swampy middle-rock thing.”
“Vocally, I was probably inspired by Frankie,” he added. “But band-wise, I think it was inspired by ‘Rattlensnake Shake’ by Fleetwood Mac – Peter Green and those [guys]. I always loved that song.”
He recorded it with his Silver Bullet Band.
Although “The Fire Down Below” was never released as a single, it still became one of his most popular and enduring songs. It’s also a staple on classic rock radio stations and regularly shows up in his live repertoire.