I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire

About I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire

"I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire" is a pop song written by Bennie Benjamin, Eddie Durham, Sol Marcus and Eddie Seiler. It was written in 1938, but was first recorded three years later by Harlan Leonard and His Rockets. It was covered by several musicians and groups, most successfully by Horace Heidt on Columbia Records, whose version reached number one on the US pop chart; and by The Ink Spots on Decca, whose version reached number 4 on the same listing. Other early versions included those by Tommy Tucker, Mitchell Ayres, and (in Britain) Vera Lynn. The song, with its lyrics starting with "I don't want to set the world on fire/ I just want to start a flame in your heart..." became especially popular after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. The song was later recorded by Betty Carter, Frankie Laine, Anthony Newley, Suzy Bogguss and others. It is also featured in the Open world adventure game series Fallout (series) From the game studio Bethesda Softworks. more »