Other early versions included those by Tommy Tucker, Mitchell Ayres, and (in Britain) Vera Lynn.
The song, with its open line "I don't want to set the world on fire / I just want to start a flame in your heart..." became especially popular after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.
[5] The song was later recorded by Betty Carter, Frankie Laine, Brian Hyland, Anthony Newley, Suzy Bogguss and others.
In the "Treehouse of Horror XVII" episode of The Simpsons, the Ink Spots' rendition of the song is played as a post-apocalyptic scene brought about by alien invasion fades into the end credits.
[14][15] In the 2023 film All of Us Strangers, Adam's father (Jamie Bell) plays a recording of the Ink Spots' version, explaining to his son (Andrew Scott) that "this was your grandad's favourite."