"Superman (It's Not Easy)" is the title of a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Five for Fighting (stage name of American singer-songwriter John Ondrasik). It was released in April 2001 as the second single from his album America Town. The song was first released in 2000, but became popular after the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York, entering the Hot 100 charts at number 38 on October 27, 2001 and peaking at number 14. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 44th Grammy Awards in 2002.
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The lyrics are written in first-person from the superhero Superman's point of view. Although his name is never mentioned specifically, some allusions are made to Superman's costume ('a man in a funny red sheet,' i.e. Superman's red cape), powers, and origins. The narrator portrays himself as misunderstood and unsure rather than the god-like figure others see; he does not feel as powerful and perfect as people see him, and at the same time believes he is more than simply that heroic, unreal figure. Instead, he describes himself experiencing an ordinary man's struggles to understand himself, to live up to expectations, and fulfill his responsibilities, even while he is aware of how much greater his responsibilities are. Because of the way the lyrics run, it's possible both to apply them specifically to Superman as well as to anyone who feels others see him as a heroic figure, a 'superman.'
[edit] Music video
The music video was directed by Ramaa Mosley and premiered in June 2001.
[edit] In popular culture
The song was featured in the Superman TV series Smallville in episode "Stray" (1.16) in Season 1. At the end of the song's music video, John Ondrasik lies in bed with his own wife and son. In his 2010 comedy tour, Conan O'Brien sang a cover of the song by himself before Jim Carrey appeared in a Superman suit and the two men sang a duet.[1] It's also featured in on Dawson's Creek in season four, episode two, and on the second Dawson's Creek soundtrack. The song was the backing track to BBC Match of the Day's "The Story So Far", bringing the group stages of the World Cup to an end. An anonymous cover was played on the seventh series of The X Factor after Liam Payne's audition.[2] The singer of this version was speculated to be Joe McElderry, the winner of the previous series.[3][4] This turned out to be true when the tracklist for his debut album Wide Awake was revealed.
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John Ondrasik
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