Fire Woman

"Fire Woman"
Single by the Cult
from the album Sonic Temple
B-side"Automatic Blues"
Released20 March 1989
Genre
Length5:11
LabelBeggars Banquet
Songwriters
ProducerBob Rock
The Cult singles chronology
"Wild Flower"
(1987)		 "Fire Woman"
(1989)		 "Edie (Ciao Baby)"
(1989)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Number OneStarStarStar

"Fire Woman" is a song by British rock band the Cult, written by singer Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy. It was the first single released from their fourth studio album, Sonic Temple, and was subsequently featured on all of the Cult's compilation/greatest hits albums, as well as being a steady fixture of the band's live performances.

"Fire Woman peaked at No. 2 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and No. 46 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached No. 1 on New Zealand's Recorded Music NZ (then RIANZ) chart and No. 15 on the UK Singles Chart. Two remixed versions of the song were released as B-sides or promos—the "LA Rock Mix" and the "NYC Rock Mix". Astbury claims the eponymous "fire woman" is a universal symbol, along the lines of a primary element.

Track listings

UK 7-inch single

A Side: "Fire Woman"
B Side: "Automatic Blues"

UK 12-inch single

A Side: "Fire Woman", "Automatic Blues"
B Side: "Messing Up the Blues"
A Side: "Fire Woman (LA Rock Mix)"
B Side: "Fire Woman (NYC Rock Mix)"

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) Platinum 80,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ) Gold 15,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Cover versions

Crush 40, best known for their contributions to Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog video game series, featured a cover of "Fire Woman" as the ninth track on their 2009 compilation album The Best of Crush 40 - Super Sonic Songs and as the tenth track on their first live album, Live!.

References

  1. ↑ "News". Record Mirror. 11 March 1989. p. 6.
  2. ↑ Rolli, Bryan (1 July 2021). "Top 30 Glam Metal Albums". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  3. ↑ Breihan, Tom (20 September 2023). "The Alternative Number Ones: The Cure's "Fascination Street". Stereogum. Retrieved 8 May 2026.(Subscription required.)
  4. ↑ Adeva (22 March 1989). "Spot the Spin: The Cult – "Fire Woman" (Beggars Banquet)". Number One. No. 300. London: IPC Magazines Ltd. p. 42. ISSN 0266-5328. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024 – via Flickr.
  5. 1 2 "Fire Woman by The Cult". Songfacts. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  6. ↑ "The Cult – Fire Woman". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  7. ↑ "Top Singles. Volume 50, Issue 6 (1989-06-05)". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  8. ↑ "Eurohart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 15. 15 April 1989. p. 16. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  9. ↑ "The Cult | IRMA". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  10. ↑ "The Cult – Fire Woman" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  11. ↑ "The Cult – Fire Woman". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  12. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 8/4/1989 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  13. ↑ "The Cult Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  14. ↑ "The Cult Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  15. ↑ "The Cult Chart History (Mainstream Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  16. ↑ "End of Year Charts 1989". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  17. 1 2 "1989 The Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 101, no. 51. 23 December 1989. p. Y-58.
  18. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – The Cult – Fire Woman". Music Canada. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  19. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – The Cult – Fire Woman". Radioscope. Retrieved 12 January 2025. Type Fire Woman in the "Search:" field and press Enter.