That old adage about not fixing it if it ain’t broke certainly must have been ringing in the head of Sylvester Stallone as he prepared Rocky IV. Needing an anthem for the song’s soundtrack, he turned to Survivor, and they rose to the occasion once again for the franchise with the smash 1985 single “Burning Heart.”
What is the song about? How did the songwriters, Survivor’s Jim Peterik and Frankie Sullivan, relate it to what was going on in the film? And how did it solidify the simpatico relationship between the band, Stallone, and his most famous character? Here is the story of the origin and meaning of “Burning Heart.”
“Tiger” Tracks
Bill Conti’s iconic, horn-filled theme music for the first two Rocky films had been instrumental to their success. But Sylvester Stallone decided he wanted a rock song to introduce Rocky III. He easily could have gone for one of the biggest acts of the day, and, initially, he did. He had used Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” as placeholder music for the opening-credit sequence, but he couldn’t acquire the rights to the song.
Out of the blue, he contacted Survivor, who weren’t exactly household names at the time, with two low-selling albums under their belt. But Stallone had liked the toughness of some of the songs from their 1981 album Premonition, and decided to give them a try.
That was the right move, as the band came through with “Eye of the Tiger,” the perfectly punchy intro to the film that became a runaway No. 1 hit. But Survivor’s next album Caught in the Game failed to capitalize on the song’s success. To make matters worse, the band had to look for a new lead singer when vocal injuries prevented Dave Bickler from continuing.
The Search Is Over for Stallone
Jimi Jamison was recruited as lead singer for Survivor’s 1984 album Vital Signs, and he came aboard right as Jim Peterik and Frankie Sullivan hit their stride as songwriters. The album provided three Top-20 singles, and suddenly Survivor was one of the biggest bands in the world again. And the timing couldn’t have been better.
Stallone came calling once again to see if the band would deliver another song, this time for Rocky IV. When they had made “Eye of the Tiger,” Stallone had sent over film footage to which the band could write. In this case, Peterik and Sullivan only had the script for Rocky IV at their disposal. But that was more than enough, as Peterik explained to Songfacts:
“The story had the added dimension of international intrigue with Rocky being pitted against a giant Russian boxer. I soon realized that this battle was about more than just two fighters in a ring, but about the whole struggle between the ideologies of two rival nations. That became my focus as the lyric took shape. Rocky, once again, had to prove to himself and to the world that he had what it took to be champion.”
What is the Meaning of “Burning Heart”?
Two worlds collide, rival nations / It’s a primitive clash venting years of frustration. With those opening lines, “Burning Heart” lets us know what’s at stake. The lyrics, Is it East versus West or man against man? Of course, it’s a little of both, and Peterik and Sullivan’s words do a great job of touching on both angles.
“Burning Heart” also touches on the inner struggle the Rocky Balboa character endures during the film as he tries to get motivated to fight while grieving the loss of his friend: Know it’s you against you / It’s the paradox that drives us all. In the chorus, Jamison belts out the words meant to fire up Balboa—and the entire audience—for the fight ahead: In the darkest night rising like a spire / In the burning heart, the unmistakable fire.
“Burning Heart” came just shy of matching “Eye of the Tiger” as a No. 1 hit, stalling at No. 2 in early 1986. Nonetheless, it proved once again there was something about the sound and the message delivered by Survivor that made them the perfect pump-up music for the exploits of cinema’s most famous fictional pugilist.
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Photo by Ron Wolfson/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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