"My Hero"
Australian variant of standard artwork
Single by Foo Fighters
from the album The Colour and the Shape
ReleasedJanuary 19, 1998
Recorded1997
StudioGrandmaster Recorders, Hollywood, CA
Genre
Length4:20
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Gil Norton
Foo Fighters singles chronology
"Everlong"
(1997)		 "My Hero"
(1998)		 "Walking After You"
(1998)
Music video
"My Hero" on YouTube

"My Hero" is a song by American rock band Foo Fighters. It was released in January 1998 as the third single from their second album, The Colour and the Shape (1997).[3][4] The song, which reached number six on the US Billboard Alternative Songs chart,[5] is a Foo Fighters classic[6] and a staple at the band's concerts.[7]

Background

Although the song was first released on The Colour and the Shape album in 1997, it was played live as early as 1995. On July 17, 1995, Grohl demoed the hit song for the first time by himself on an 8-track reel-to-reel in the basement of his Seattle home. The demo features Grohl singing and playing drums, bass, and guitars. Although the lyrics are not complete, the vocal melody is the same as the melody of the final studio recording of the song.[8] In the Foo Fighters 2011 documentary Foo Fighters: Back and Forth, bassist Nate Mendel states he knew the band had a future when he heard Grohl’s demo of "My Hero" “because the song was great”.

In a 1999 interview, Grohl said that the song is "'about heroes that are ordinary'" and added that he looks up to everyday people more than he looks up to celebrities.[9] During Foo Fighters' appearance on VH1 Storytellers in 2009, Grohl explained that the song was written while watching 1980s movies like Valley Girl. Grohl also stated that the band wrote the song about Pete Stahl and Chip Donaldson without even knowing it.

The recording of the song was done using two different drum tracks played back simultaneously for the introduction and verses.[10]

Music video

The music video for "My Hero"[11] was directed by Dave Grohl.[12] It features a man running into a burning building to rescue a woman's baby, another woman's dog, and finally a framed picture of the first woman. The eyes of both the baby and the dog are blocked out. The camera follows the man throughout the video, with his face never being shown. It is presented in a continuous "long take" format, although actual transitional cuts are disguised by smoke. During shots inside the building, the band is seen performing the song, seemingly unconcerned about the chaos around them.

Critical reception

"My Hero" is widely regarded as one of the Foo Fighters' best songs. "My Hero" was ranked by Entertainment Weekly as Foo Fighters' 14th-greatest song,[13] was ranked by Kerrang as Foo Fighters' seventh-greatest song,[14] was ranked by American Songwriter as the greatest Foo Fighters song,[15] and was ranked by Rolling Stone readers as Foo Fighters' fourth-greatest song.[16]

In the media

The song was featured in the movie Varsity Blues during the climactic scene of the final football game. The scene was later parodied in the 2001 film Not Another Teen Movie. The song also appeared in the 2010 films Somewhere and The Other Guys, when part of the song was heard during the scene where two characters (played by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson) jump to their death (the song ending rather abruptly when they hit the ground).

In a post-September 11 episode of CBS's The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (September 21, 2001), Grohl and bassist Nate Mendel performed an acoustic rendition of the song. A full group acoustic version is available on the 2006 live album and DVD Skin and Bones. An acoustic version was also performed live on The Howard Stern Show by Grohl in 1999. The 2006 album Sound of Superman features an acoustic cover of "My Hero" by Paramore.

My Hero was featured in the game Gran Turismo 2. The song, along with the rest of the album, was released as downloadable content for the Rock Band series of music video games on November 13, 2008.

It is also one of 38 songs included on the benefit album, Songs for Japan (compiled in response to the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami in Tōhoku), released on March 25, 2011.

Objection to use in 2008 presidential campaign

In 2008, Foo Fighters criticized the campaign of Republican presidential candidate John McCain for using their song at rallies without their permission. Foo Fighters responded to the incident, saying:

"It's frustrating and infuriating that someone who claims to speak for the American people would repeatedly show such little respect for creativity and intellectual property. . . The saddest thing about this is that 'My Hero' was written as a celebration of the common man and his extraordinary potential. To have it appropriated without our knowledge and used in a manner that perverts the original sentiment of the lyric just tarnishes the song."[17]

The McCain campaign asserted that the song was used properly under blanket licensing (which does not require the artist's permission), and all proper royalties were paid.[18]

The band played a stripped-down, acoustic version of the song during an appearance at the end of the 2012 Democratic National Convention,[19] in which McCain's opponent Barack Obama secured the presidential nomination.

Other versions

  • A live version recorded in Amsterdam February 29, 2000 was released on Live in Holland, Part Two.
  • A live version recorded at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles was released on both versions of Skin and Bones.
  • A live version filmed at Hyde Park on June 17, 2006 was released on the Live at Hyde Park DVD.
  • A live version filmed at Wembley Stadium on June 6, 2008 was released on the Live at Wembley Stadium DVD.
  • On September 3, 2022, Foo Fighters played a tribute concert to their late drummer, Taylor Hawkins, at Wembley Stadium. During that concert, the band played "My Hero" with Hawkins's 16-year-old son, Shane Hawkins, on drums. Video of the song went viral,[20][21][22][23] and the performance yielded a Drumeo Award for Drum Performance of the Year for Shane Hawkins.[24] According to Far Out, Shane Hawkins's drumming style was "uncannily similar" to that of his father, and the "powerhouse performance of ‘My Hero’ will go down as one of the stadium’s most emotionally charged songs ever witnessed".[23]

Track listings

UK single

  1. "My Hero" - 4:21
  2. "Baker Street" (Gerry Rafferty cover) - 5:39
  3. "Dear Lover" - 4:34
  4. Enhanced section Containing:

Japan special edition maxi single

  1. "My Hero"
  2. "Requiem" (Killing Joke cover)
  3. "Drive Me Wild" (Vanity 6 cover)
  4. "Down in the Park" (Gary Numan cover)
  5. "Baker Street" (Gerry Rafferty cover)
  6. "See You" (acoustic)
  7. "For All the Cows" (Live at Toshiba-EMI Ltd on 2 April 1997 in Japan)

Australian single

  1. "My Hero"
  2. "Dear Lover"
  3. "For All the Cows" (Live at Toshiba-EMI Ltd on 2 April 1997 in Japan)

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[37] 3× Platinum 210,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[38] Gold 30,000‡
Mexico (AMPROFON)[39] Gold 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[40] Platinum 600,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ Yglesias, Matthew (21 May 2007). "The Ultimate Nineties Alt-Rock Playlist". The Atlantic. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  2. ↑ "The 79 Best Alternative Rock Songs Of 1997". Spin. 2017-04-25. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
  3. ↑ Childers, Chad (May 20, 2023). "26 Years Ago: Foo Fighters Release 'The Colour and the Shape'". Loudwire.
  4. ↑ "Foo Fighters 'The Colour and the Shape' Turns 25". Boston's ROCK 92.9. May 20, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Foo Fighters". Billboard.
  6. ↑ "Watch Hayley Williams join the Foo Fighters for 'My Hero'". faroutmagazine.co.uk. June 19, 2023.
  7. ↑ Childers, Chad (July 28, 2021). "Foo Fighters' 'My Hero' Is Influencing Themes of 'Ted Lasso'". Loudwire.
  8. ↑ "Dave Grohl Residence (Dave Grohl)". Foo Fighters Live. July 17, 1995.
  9. ↑ "The story behind the Foo Fighters song 'My Hero'". faroutmagazine.co.uk. January 19, 2023.
  10. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Learn to play the drum intro to My Hero by Foo Fighters". YouTube.
  11. ↑ "Foo Fighters - My Hero (Official HD Video)". YouTube. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Foo Fighters: My Hero (Music Video)". FilmAffinity.com. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  13. ↑ Loftus, Johnny (January 19, 2023). "The best Foo Fighters songs, ranked". EW.com.
  14. ↑ Law, Sam (July 3, 2020). "The 20 greatest Foo Fighters songs – ranked". Kerrang!. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  15. ↑ Uitti, Jacob (November 24, 2021). "The Top 10 Foo Fighters Songs". American Songwriter. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Readers' Poll: The 10 Best Foo Fighters Songs". Rolling Stone. February 20, 2013.
  17. ↑ Foos Fight McCain over film use, BBC News, 09/10/2008
  18. ↑ "Christopher Sprigman and Siva Vaidhyanathan - Cue 'Barracuda'". Washingtonpost.com. 2008-10-13. Retrieved 2011-11-08.
  19. ↑ "Foo Fighters Strip Down With Acoustic Set at DNC". rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone. 2012-09-07. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  20. ↑ Barnes, Sara (September 6, 2022). "Watch Taylor Hawkins' 16-Year-Old Son Play a Powerful Tribute to His Late 'Foo Fighters' Dad". My Modern Met.
  21. ↑ "Taylor Hawkins' Son Shane Joins Foo Fighters on the Drums". TheWrap.com. September 3, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Taylor Hawkins' 16-year-old son pounds the drums during powerful tribute to his dad". Los Angeles Times. September 4, 2022.
  23. 1 2 "10 things we learned from the Taylor Hawkins tribute show". faroutmagazine.co.uk. September 4, 2022.
  24. ↑ Wilkes, Emma (February 4, 2023). "Taylor Hawkins' son Shane wins award for drum performance at tribute concert". NME.com.
  25. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  26. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. January 31, 1998. p. 12. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  27. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  28. ↑ "Foo Fighters: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  29. ↑ "Foo Fighters Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard.
  30. ↑ "Foo Fighters Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard.
  31. ↑ "Foo Fighters Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
  32. ↑ "Foo Fighters Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  33. 1 2 "Foo Fighters". Billboard.
  34. ↑ Foo Fighters - Billboard Canada Rock (part 2) billboard.com. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  35. ↑ "Airplay Monitor Best of '98: Mainstream Rock Tracks" (PDF). Airplay Monitor. Vol. 6, no. 52. December 25, 1998. p. 34. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  36. ↑ "Airplay Monitor Best of '98: Modern Rock Tracks" (PDF). Airplay Monitor. Vol. 6, no. 52. December 25, 1998. p. 36. Retrieved December 26, 2023. Alternative Airplay was previously called Modern Rock Tracks
  37. ↑ "ARIA October 2023 Single Accreditations" (PDF). dropbox.com. ARIA. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  38. ↑ "Brazilian single certifications – Foo Fighters – My Hero" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  39. ↑ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved September 3, 2020. Type Foo Fighters in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and My Hero in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  40. ↑ "British single certifications – Foo Fighters – My Hero". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
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