Supuestamente podría tratarse de una cadena de conflictos amorosos, incluso no precisamente de pareja, sino de la pérdida de confianza en alguien. Donde una persona es engañada y segada del coraje, utiliza a una tercera para desquitarse o pasar el rato (el baile en la oscuridad). Precisamente es esta tercera persona quien relata la historia en la canción. Ahí describe la situación que está pasando de angustia y desesperación, lo que le lleva a buscar salidas falsas. De ahí aquellas palabras de reclamo
I get up in the evening And I ain't got nothing to say I come home in the morning I go to bed feeling the same way I ain't nothing but tired Man, I'm just tired and bored with myself Hey there baby, I could use just a little help You can't start a fire You can't start a fire without a spark This gun's for hire Even if we're just dancing in the dark Message keeps getting clearer Radio's on and I'm moving 'round the place I check my look in the mirror I wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face Man, I ain't getting nowhere Just living in a dump like this There's something happening somewhere Baby I just know that there is You can't start a fire You can't start a fire without a spark This gun's for hire Even if we're just dancing in the dark You sit around getting older There's a joke here somewhere and it's on me I'll shake this world off my shoulders Come on, baby, the laugh's on me Stay on the streets of this town And they'll be carving you up all right They say you gotta stay hungry Hey, baby, I'm just about starving tonight I'm dying for some action I'm sick of sitting 'round here trying to write this book I need a love reaction Come on now, baby, gimme just one look You can't start a fire Sitting 'round crying over a broken heart This gun's for hire Even if we're just dancing in the dark You can't start a fire Worrying about your little world falling apart This gun's for hire Even if we're just dancing in the dark