My Hero (song)

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"My Hero"
Single by Foo Fighters
from the album The Colour and the Shape
Released	January 19, 1998
Format	CD
Recorded	1997 at Grandmaster Recorders in Hollywood, CA
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	4:20
Label	Roswell, Capitol
Producer	Gil Norton
Foo Fighters singles chronology
"Everlong" (1997) "My Hero" (1998) "Walking After You" (1998)

"My Hero" is the third single from the Foo Fighters' second album The Colour and the Shape. It was released as a single in 1998. According to Dave Grohl, the song is dedicated to ordinary, everyday heroes, as he himself never had musical or sports heroes growing up as a child.^[1]

The song was featured in the 1999 movie Varsity Blues, during the climactic scene of the final football game. It was also featured in the 2001 film Not Another Teen Movie, in a scene parodying the aforementioned Varsity Blues football game.

In a post-September 11 episode of CBS's 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. The 2006 album Sound of Superman features an acoustic cover of "My Hero" by Paramore.

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.

[edit] Music video

The music video was directed by Dave Grohl. It features a man running into a burning building to rescue valuables of various residents starting with a woman's baby, another woman's dog, and finally a picture frame of the first woman. In a humorous reference to the protection of identity in news and documentary footage, the eyes of both the baby and dog are blocked out. The video is shot in 3rd-person view and is presented in a continuous "one-take" shot; although, actual transitional cuts are disguised by smoke. During shots inside the building, the band can be seen playing. It is also the only Foo Fighters video to feature Franz Stahl, who replaced Pat Smear (although Stahl was a member of the Foo Fighters from 1997 to 1999, he did not appear in the "Walking After You" video in 1998, which featured only Grohl). It was also the third video to feature Taylor Hawkins.

[edit] Covers

The song was covered by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

The song was covered by Paramore for The Sound Of Superman.

The song was covered by Set Your Goals at the Hoodwink Festival in 2009.

[edit] Objection to use in 2008 Presidential Campaign

In 2008, the 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."^[2]

The McCain campaign has noted that the song was used properly under blanket licensing (which does not require the artist's permission), and all proper royalties were paid. ^[3]

[edit] Track listing

[edit] UK CD

1. "My Hero" - 4:21
2. "Baker Street" (Gerry Rafferty cover) - 5:39
3. "Dear Lover" - 4:34
4. Enhanced section Containing:
   • Everlong [Video]
   • Monkey Wrench [Video]

[edit] Japanese special edition

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" (acoustic live in Japan)

[edit] Credits

• Dave Grohl - vocals, rhythm guitar, drums
• Pat Smear - lead guitar
• Nate Mendel - bass guitar

[edit] Chart positions

[edit] References

[edit] External links