‘The Flame’ is a power ballad released in 1988 by the American rock band Cheap Trick and the first single from their tenth album Lap of Luxury. It was written by songwriters Bob Mitchell and Nick Graham. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 1988, becoming the band's only number one hit. It also reached number one in Australia and Canada.
During the recording of the Lap of Luxury album, Epic Records asked Cheap Trick to work with outside songwriters, a request which guitarist Rick Nielsen, the band's main songwriter, was apprehensive about. Prior to being offered to Cheap Trick, ‘The Flame’ was first offered to British blues rock singer Elkie Brooks, who turned it down. ‘The Flame’ was written by Nick Graham, a former member of the British rock band Atomic Rooster, and Bob Mitchell.
Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos recalled that ‘The Flame’ was offered to the band by the vice president of Epic Records along with the Diane Warren song ‘Look Away’; "He told us he had these two songs and they're both gonna be #1. He goes, 'We got one for you and one for the group Chicago, but you can have first choice.' He said, 'I think the one 'The Flame' would be good for you guys.' The other one was 'Look Away,' and it sounded like some girl singing on the demo. We really didn't like that song anyway, so 'Sure, we'll do 'The Flame.' We're game.'" Reportedly, the band disliked the song at first; Rick Nielsen disliked the song so much on first hearing that he yanked it from the tape player and ground the cassette beneath his boot heel. In 2021, Nielsen emphasized that he did not dislike ‘The Flame’ and thought there was "Probably more good than bad on it."
Considered as the band's comeback album, following the commercial failure of the 1986 album The Doctor, Lap of Luxury spawned three top 40 hit singles and one minor hit single. After ‘The Flame’ topped the American Billboard Hot 100, a cover of Elvis Presley's ‘Don't Be Cruel’ peaked at #4. The third single ‘Ghost Town’ continued the commercial success, peaking at #33 whilst the fourth single ‘Never Had a Lot to Lose’ peaked at #75. The album opener ‘Let Go’ also peaked at #32 on the American Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. The success of ‘The Flame’ brought the group out of a years-long commercial slump and back into music industry prominence. It was the band's only number one single in America. It also became the band's first hit on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, reaching #29 there; ‘Don't Be Cruel’ then hit #32 on the AC chart.
Label – Epic
Songwriters – Bob Mitchell, Nick Graham
Producer – Richie Zito
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]Another night slowly closes in
And I feel so lonely
Touching heat freezing on my skin
I pretend you still hold me
[Pre-Chorus]
I'm going crazy, I'm losing sleep
I'm in too far, I'm in way too deep over you
I can't believe you're gone
You were the first, you'll be the last
[Chorus]
Wherever you go, I'll be with you
Whatever you want, I'll give it to you
Whenever you need someone
To lay your heart and head upon
Remember after the fire, after all the rain
I will be the flame
I will be the flame
[Verse 2]
Watching shadows move across the wall
Feels so frightening
I wanna run to you, I wanna call
But I've been hit by lightning
[Pre-Chorus]
Just can't stand up for fallin' apart
Can't see through this veil across my heart over you
You'll always be the one
You were the first, you'll be the last
[Chorus]
Wherever you go, I'll be with you
Whatever you want, I'll give it to you
Whenever you need someone
To lay your heart and head upon
Remember after the fire, after all the rain
I will be the flame
I will be the flame
[Guitar Solo]
[Pre-Chorus]
I'm going crazy, I'm losing sleep
I'm in too far, I'm in way too deep over you
You'll always be the one
You were the first, you'll be the last
[Chorus]
Wherever you go, I'll be with you
Whatever you want, I'll give it to you
Whenever you need someone
To lay your heart and head upon
Remember after the fire, after all the rain
I will be the flame
I will be the flame
[Outro]
Whatever you want, I'll give it to you
Wherever you go, I'll be with you
And whatever you want, I'll give it to you
Oh, whatever you want, I'll give it to you