"Original Fire" is a song by Americanhard rock bandAudioslave. It was released in July 2006 as the firstsingle from the albumRevelations.

"Original Fire"
Single byAudioslave
from the albumRevelations
Released	July 17, 2006 (2006-07-17)
Recorded	2006
Genre	Funk metal hard rock
Length	3:35
Label	Epic Interscope
Songwriter(s)	Brad Wilk Chris Cornell Tim Commerford Tom Morello
Producer(s)	Brendan O'Brien
Audioslave singles chronology
"Doesn't Remind Me" (2005) "Original Fire" (2006) "Revelations" (2006)
Music video
"Original Fire" onYouTube
Audio sample
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Over a year and a half after release, the song rose back into the UK Rock Chart, at number 11, and a week later climbed to the top 10 at number 6. It was also a substantial rock hit in the U.S., peaking at number 3 on theModern Rock Tracks chart and number 4 on theMainstream Rock Tracks chart, although it did not chart for several months.

GuitaristTom Morello described the song as hard-rocking, but with a '70sfunk andsoul influence. "It's a jam," he said. "It's one of those songs where the genesis was a riff that I had for a very, very long time and imagined it happening in a certain way. When we started jamming in the room, the song morphed into something completely different, completely unexpected and a lot better than I ever imagined it being."^[1]

Epic Records held a contest in which the participants had to identify all of the icons shown in the video (there was a list of names andsilhouettes given and you had to match them) and they had the chance to win copy of the albumRevelations, as well as a guitar signed by the band.^[2]

1. "Original Fire" (album version)
2. "Set It Off" (live at the Quart Festival)
3. "Gasoline" (live at the Quart Festival)

1. "Original Fire" (album version)
2. "Doesn't Remind Me" (live at the Quart Festival)

"Original Fire" has a strange guitar solo thatTom Morello describes as "monkey laughter." He performs this solo by setting his DOD Equalizer, deploying hiswah-wah pedal, depressing hiswhammy bar to make the strings slack and slapping the strings against the pickups, although, as shown in the music video, the same effect can be achieved by rapidly loosening and tightening the tuning peg if the guitar does not have a whammy bar. Tom later went on to jokingly describe the solo as an "ATROCITY".^[3]

Amusic video for "Original Fire" was also shot, and premiered onYahoo! Music.^[4] The video was directed byPaul R. Brown (who was the director of videos for bands likeStone Sour,Otep andMötley Crüe) and reflected on the lyrics of the song, "The original fire has died and gone, but the riot inside moves on." It featured the band playing with images of figures that are inspirational to the band, such asJohnny Cash,Martin Luther King Jr.,Che Guevara,Chuck D,The Clash,Bob Dylan,Wendy O. Williams,Peter Tosh,Jello Biafra,Bill Hicks,Lenny Bruce,Jim Morrison, theMillion Man March,Andy Warhol,Ozzy Osbourne,Janis Joplin,Joey Ramone,Randy Rhoads,Malcolm X,Glenn Danzig,Sonic Youth,Iggy Pop andNelson Mandela. "The video, in some ways, is about the thread of music and cultural figures with integrity that were important parts of our history – how all those streams flow together to where we are today," Morello explained.^[1]

• "Original Fire" (Official music video) onYouTube