Musical Heroes
Required Post #2
Listen to some of the following songs:
Disposable Heroes by Metallica
Nobody’s Hero by Stiff Little Fingers
Hero by Mariah Carey
Hero by Chad Kroeger featuring Josey Scott
Hero by Nas
Heroes by David Bowie
Choose one of the previous videos and, in a 200-250 word response, discuss how the song describes a hero. This post is due on Thursday by the start of your class period.
January 13th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
A hero is said to be someone who sacrifices for the greater good of his/her people; someone who risks it all so that the lives of others can be protected. Disposable Heroes by Metallica is about people just like this. The song is about soldiers who are young and have a whole life ahead of them, yet choose to fight and die for those back home. They are 21-years-old, and very scared, but still choose to fight. They are the only sons of everyday people, the brothers of young kids, the future of the nation. They are everyday heroes who face very daunting odds, like death. However, when they are placed into battle, they act very human. They question why they are there, yet they still get to the front lines and perform heroically. They follow orders and kill the enemy.
The music video shows clips from Saving Private Ryan, a movie about World War II. The clips showed everyday, disposable heroes, who are often forgotten about. The men described where able to stand in a field filled with slaughter, looked around, and consciously push further into battle. These men were ruthless and “bred to kill, not to care.” They couldn’t give the enemy mercy because that wouldn’t have been heroic. The song does a great job at describing the difficulty of being a hero too, by questioning the basis for following orders and killing. But they still do it and kick ass.
January 13th, 2009 at 11:04 pm
I had to choose Mariah Carey. She is an angel and has the voice of a one as well. This song describes what exactly a great hero would be like. “Look inside your heart” is what Mariah kept repeating. This means that a hero will always be there for you and help you out in any way he has to. He or she will put themselves in harms way to protect you. This will also show the helpfulness of a hero, by reaching out a hand. A hero in this song is described as someone who will have the answers to your problems and someone who will strengthen you to carry on. When Mariah kept saying “find your way” throughout the song, she is expressing the hopefulness and how important it is to keep the faith. A hero will always do tell you to keep the faith. “Hold on, there will be a tomorrow”: this is what Mariah says as she describes a hero as someone who will never let go. They will never give up and quit. No matter what may be in there way. Beowulf did not quit when he spotted Grendel. A hero is someone who is fearless as well. They cast there fears aside as Mariah says and move on.
January 14th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
I chose the Song Hero by Mariah Carey. In the open lines of the song she says that “There’s a hero, if you look inside your heart.” She is saying that there is a hero in each and every one of us we just have to be brave and dig down and find this side of ourselves. If we look within ourselves rather that to outside sources then we can find the answers to our problems “and the sorrow that you know, will melt away”. She also says that when you find this “hero” inside you, then you can guide others to do the same and together we can make it through this life. This hero is just an ordinary man or woman just helping themselves and others to push forward.
January 14th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
For this blog post, I chose the song ‘Hero’ by Chad Kroeger featuring Josey Scott. In the song ‘Hero’, Chad Kroeger, or whoever wrote this song, describes a hero as someone who can save us. But at the same time, Kroger says “I’m not gonna stand here and wait”. This phrase could have two different meanings. From one viewpoint, Kroeger could mean that he is the hero, and he is not going to wait around; instead, he is going to get out there and save what needs to be saved. From the other viewpoint, Kroeger might mean that he doesn’t believe in heroes. Kroger says “I’m not gonna stand here and wait”; this could mean that he isn’t going to wait around for a hero to save the day. Kroeger is saying that he is going to step up, and take the situation into his own hands and save the day on his own, or get out of trouble on his own.
It is more likely that Kroeger is saying that he doesn’t believe in heroes or he doesn’t want to wait around to find out if he will be saved by a hero. He wants to get out of dodge on his own, and not leave his fate to the chance that a hero might or might not come to save the day. We see this point when Kroeger says “I’m not gonna stand here and wait. I’ll hold on to the wings of the eagles. Watch as we all fly away.”. I think Kroeger means by this that he is in a bad or dangerous situation, and that he isn’t going to wait for a hero to save him and he will instead fly away on the wings of an eagle (metaphor) and look back at the dangerous situation as he is flying away to safety.
January 14th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
In the song Hero by Nas, he talks about a hero that is similar to the hero’s that we have studied in this class. The hero he talks about is someone who won’t back down. Someone that is not afraid to take on the ones who are hurting our society. He also talks of a hero that is from the people. In the video when he says he can close his eyes and still remember the bridge and block he grew up on. A true hero is one that knows what the people want because he is from them. Nas also talks about how the people need a hero because they need someone to believe in. We see this especially in Beowulf. He rises up when they need him the most and gives them hope. Nas says he “can’t leave them” because he gives them hope. I truly believe in almost everything this song says. I believe that the true hero’s rise form the people and give them what they want and need. Also the hero is someone who is willing to endure and push on despite hard times. Nas does a good job of portraying a hero in his song and mostly in his video. The only thing in his video is that everything is dark; this isn’t saying that he isn’t a hero it was just interesting to see a hero portrayed in dark.
January 14th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
When I took the time and listened to “Nobody’s Hero” by Stiff Little Fingers at first I thought this song was making fun of heroes, like they are tools. But I realized this is not a joke. We do subconsciously view heroes as tools. They are called upon to help normal people solve their problems. Now this is ok to have help, but people cannot over use their help. This song basically describes heroes as getting tired of doing “their jobs”, and how at a point they stop caring. This is a human feeling we do not normally associate with a “hero” persona. In fact in this song the hero is telling people to go and figure things out for themselves. After all, the lyrics go “I never wanted to be different, Didn’t ask to be nobody’s star.” These lines contradict our belief that heroes think they are great and terrific people. The song describes them with human traits. The song ends telling us to “be what you are.” This is very good advice for people. It tells us to grow up, do your best, and stop depending on others. My final though was that heroes are only there to help us out and start a larger job at task, we must continue the job by ourselves.
January 14th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
The song “Disposable Heroes” by Metallica is song describing a of war. The song is about a young 21 year old man who is bred to kill. A land of ruin and destruction is widespread and the young man is a killing machine with no fear. He rises from nothing to being a heroic solider killing endlessly piling up bodies to protection his land. HE does everything that is called of him in order to save his lands and will even die if it is called of him. He is a selfless hero with no fear of battle and conquers his enemies.
January 14th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
I decided to go with metallica’s eight minutes of glory, “Disposable Heroes” for several reasons. It was clearly the most enjoyable song and had the best music video, interlaced with cut scenes from one of the greatest movies of all time, “Saving Privet Ryan”. This ties greatly into the matter of the song itself, seeing as how the song is about soldiers who are seen as heroes, or at least should be seen as heroes, but that they are being horribly misused by some authoritative figure. They use lyrics such as, “Back to the front…you will die when I say”, acting as the figure, bringing forth a very negative connotation to the entire song. They also use lyrics to say what the soldiers are thinking, “I was born for dying” showing that soldiers, or heroes, are brainwashed into thinking that all they are good for is killing and dying.
P.S The guitar solo in the middle was sick, or ‘wicked’ as some might say, and made the entire experience that much more enjoyable.
January 14th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
In Nas’ song “Hero”, he depicts his version of a hero, someone who is not afraid to fight the power. Nas has never been afraid to be controversial or to call someone out. As basically an unknown rapper, he called out well-established, legendary New York rapper Jay-Z in a song titled: “Ether (F*ck Jay-Z)”. In “Hero”, Nas brings up such things as apartheid and questions whether or not he is able to say what he wants. Initially, Nas titled the album “Nigger”, but later withdrew the name. Nas says, “But people remember this, if Nas can’t say it think about these talented kids with new ideas being told of what they can and can’t spit.” He is saying that the originality of up and coming performers is being censored; therefore, halting the creativity of the youth. In the chorus, Nas says, “So in God’s Son we trust ’cause they know I’m gonna give ‘em what they want. They looking for a hero, I guess that makes me a hero,” which shows Nas’ belief that he is the hero the people are looking for. He is the man who will take on the record companies and fight for the right to creativity. The desired hero is one who will fight the power, one who will stand up for the people. Nas believes the people are calling for, and in need of, a hero, and he believes he is one to capture the role.
January 14th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
In “Hero,” Mariah Carey describes a hero as anyone who is willing to look inside their heart and realize that they can overcome any fear or trouble that they have. When people look inside themselves, they become a hero with “the strength to carry on.” Even if they have lost all hope, just by looking inside themselves they are able to not be afraid of what they are, melt away their sorrow and get rid of the emptiness they feel. A hero doesn’t let anyone take their dreams away even if they seem impossible, because if you don’t dream you will never be fulfilled. Mariah Carey’s hero is someone who doesn’t give up on themselves and follows their dreams no matter what other people think.
January 14th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
Mariah Carey’s song “Hero” is a song that mostly talks about how the true hero is inside of every human being. Mariah Carey talks about how if we look inside and find the hero, the sorrow will melt away. This is a universal hero theme. Hero’s take away the pain, or they kiss it away. The song goes on to say that a hero will come along and cast away your fears. This is what heroes do. Beowulf killed Grendel and, in doing so, cast away the fears of the Danes. Then she again says that people should look inside themselves to find the true hero. The song says that when no one reaches out a hand, you can find love in yourself. Again, a big part of being a hero is having the ability to love. She says that dreams are hard to follow. This is true of heroes. Many times the hero will find himself as an outcast. At the end of the most recent Batman movie, batman finds himself having to be the scapegoat for Harvey Dent. This turns the public against him, which leaves batman as an outcast hero. This song talks about the hero within, the outcast hero, and the hero as a lover. These are all archetypes of a hero.
January 14th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
In the song “Hero” by Chad Kroeger, the hero in it is Spider-Man from the first movie. In the video, Spider-Man is created from a nerd high school kid and turned into a hero. From there on, the Hero in the video is always there when the people need him to be there. In the song however, one of the lines says, “And they say that a hero can save us. I’m not gonna stand here and wait.” From this singing in the song, it doesn’t seem like the Hero is not being there for the people of the city. Instead it is taking him longer time to get there, than when the people want him to get there. For the rest of the video, the Hero fights the evil enemy, who in this case is the Green Goblin. Like all other heroes, this one has a main enemy that he fights in the end of the movie. The next set of verses from the song don’t seem to match what the hero in the video is doing. “Now that the world isn’t ending, it’s love that I’m sending to you.
It isn’t the love of a hero, that’s why I fear it won’t do.” What the lyrics are saying here is that it isn’t love from the Hero that he is sending. So what would be the point of the Hero in this video then if he isn’t sending his love to the people of the city?
January 14th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
The song ‘Hero’ by Chad Kroeger portrays a hero as a savior. The song characterizes a hero as one who faces “a world full of killing and blood spilling.” According to the song, a hero is able to “save us” and is also “watching us.” He also says that he’s not going to wait for the hero, which may imply that he wants to step up and be a hero himself. This is easily applicable to the video clips from Spider-man. The city, in the movie Spider-man, faces villains who cause chaos and in the process, would kill many people if not for the slick timing of Spider-man, who watches over the civilians from the tops of buildings. I think the song may be even more appropriate for the movie Batman Begins because in the movie, Gotham City faces utter destruction with criminals ruling the streets. Bruce Wayne could have lived a comfortable life because of his wealth and charm with the ladies but chooses to take on the corrupt law enforcement. He works tirelessly, living a double life and bringing his childhood fear of bats to the criminals he confronts. Batman also is faced with the decision of allowing the city to be destroyed so that it can start over, but he instead decides to be the city’s “savior.”
January 14th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
I watched the music video for Hero by Nas. This song incorporates many of the themes we have been discussing in class. In this song a hero is defined by a character that the people can believe in. The “people” are obviously in some sort of crisis or situation and they need a hero to inspire them and “give ‘em what they want.” There is also one line that describes the “hero” as Nas says, “hate him or love him for the same reason.” This reminded me of many heroic characters in books and movies. For example, in The Dark Knight, Batman is seen as a villain throughout most of the movie. He himself said that he is not the hero Gotham wants, but the hero it needs. In Spiderman, Spiderman, is perceived by the public in the beginning of the movie as a virtuous hero. However, as the movie progresses his reputation as a hero begins to fade. The hero Nas is speaking about is obviously a character who is hated by some and loved by other much like Spiderman and Batman. Overall, Nas exhibits a hero as someone who is hated and loved, someone who is going to give the people what they want, and someone the people need.
January 14th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
I chose the song by Nas called Hero. The song uses the word hero as a word to give people hope from the streets. In the song, Nas calls himself the hero. He talks about how the people are looking for a hero and that makes him their hero. I feel Nas views himself this way because since a lot of rappers come from the street where things can be bleak. These rappers are seen as successful and make people feel they have a chance to improve their current status. Nas has also been an influence for many recent rappers which is another reason he could be seen as a hero. Also in the song he talks about how he can still feel all the things from back in the streets and can see the dreams that his old friends never lived. He is the role model to getting out of the hood. Another reason Nas can be seen as a hero is because he has done things the right way. Many rappers have gotten in trouble with drugs or violence, while Nas has only gotten into a couple arguments with other rappers such as Jay-Z. That’s why Nas has been looked up to in his community.
January 14th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
“Hero” by Nas is a song that explains why Nas is a hero. He has been through many hardships through his life before he became the “cleanest rapper”. He knows that young men look up to him and strive to become an “exotic lady eye-catcher” like he is and have the “chains that he possesses. He tells about his past when he “used to be train robbin” and growing up in the ghetto. He shows that he can come out on top in his life by becoming such a successful rapper. He also shows that he is a strong warrior and can protect people when he says “come at me, im’a rip your shoulders off”. He also shows that he is willing to fight for the justice of young kids when he says “try telling little kids what they can and can not spit”. This shows that Nas will be the rebel he needs to be to protect the kids of the world. He is a hero because people hate and love him like all heros. People are “looking for someone to believe in” that hero that everyone is looking to believe in is NAS!!
January 14th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Hero- Chad Kroeger
The general message of this song seems to be one that undermines the hero and communicates resentment or distrust for him. The chorus of the song “And they say that a hero can save us. I’m not gonna stand here and wait” seems to imply that the writer does not have faith in the hero. However, it should be noted that the hero is recognized as having exceptional talents or abilities. This can be discerned from the line “it’s love that I’m sending to you. It isn’t the love of a hero, that’s why I fear it won’t do”. The love of the hero is actually greater than the love of the writer, so one could make the case that the writer is simply jealous of the superior nature of the hero, knows it, and yet is trying to tear down the reputation of the hero with the overall theme of the song. Of course, the actual video for this song contrasts with this message somewhat due to the fact that the hero in it, Toby Maguire, is one of the most loveable, adorable characters in Hollywood. It is a well-known fact that looking into his baby-blue peepers for too long can cause a person to perform random cartwheels of ecstasy. So to utilize Toby for this video dampens the effects of the lyrics a bit.
January 14th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
Disposable Hero by Metallica is a song about war. The man hero in this particular song is the general idea of a soldier; there is no specific hero due to the fact that each and every hero is bred to be a hero. These heroes are not individuals, but just things made to kill. The hero is described as a soldier made of clay, which can be disposed of at any time. These soldiers are nothing more and nothing less than empty because they are trained to serve and do as they are told. Metallica’s description explains the life of this hero by being completely planned out, and there is nothing that this hero can do to change it. The hero/soldier does as he is told and is not afraid of death because that is how he is trained. Constantly the hero is told to come back to the front which leads the listener to believe that while describing the hero, the hero is out in action doing what he has been educated to do. This hero is a person that is willing to do as he is told, and is not scared of what he is going to face with the following of these commands.
January 14th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
In Hero by Nas, the rap artist does not portray a hero in the classic sense. Nas’ hero is not a Knight in shining armor or someone who sacrifices himself to save someone he loves. Nas’ hero is far from a “a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability” as Merriam-Webster dictionary does. His description of a hero in his song is a person who is “young, rich, and flashy” and “a g,” “a pimp,” and “a gansta.” The person that he is trying to describe in this song is himself. It is the person that he aspired to be as a young kid and finally became, and achieved his ultimate goal of being a great rapper. Also, as someone the people can believe in. In his opinion, he is a hero to the youth. He describes himself as one who used to be “train robbing, face covered in stocking” and “Now they shut down the stores when I’m shopping” which shows his rise to stardom. These words exemplify the fact that he came from poor beginnings and is now a huge success. In this song, Nas’ hero is not a noble person, who has done great deeds, but a man that people can aspire to be.
January 14th, 2009 at 11:24 pm
Nas, being the creative lyricist that he is, really depicted his definition of a person being a hero. He says that the citizens of a city can hate and love the hero for the same reason. An example of this is in Batman. The people of Gotham City hated that he was a vigilante, running the city at night; but, they loved that fact that he did that to fight crime and keep them safe. Nas also states that many hero’s face the decision to stop fighting crime or whatever it is that they do that makes them so great but they don’t because he/she realizes no matter how much some people may hate him, he knows that he is helping out. Nas states that a hero gives people something to believe in. When in danger, they have a glimmer of hope that they one that they believe in will come for them and save them. Everybody, no matter their size or age, has a person in which they look up too. In order to be a hero, you must be one step ahead of your opponent so that they always have the upper hand. Nas touches on that a little when he says “I can see more clearly, that’s why they fear me.” Nas has a pretty good grasp on what a hero is.
January 14th, 2009 at 11:39 pm
Nas’ song Hero has a lot of the archetypal qualities of a hero that we have discussed in class. His song displays him to a more of an urban culture and what is accepted as a role model or ideal hero in an urban setting. He talks about his look and the swagger that he carries himself with in the chorus. In the first verse he talks about what he was before he became a hero or leader and the roots he was brought up from. In the second verse Nas raps about what will happen to anyone who steps to or challenges him, “rub the grip…come at me ill rip your soldiers in half.” He goes on to rap about who he leads and considers him a hero (the people where he is from). He also mentions other real heroes to him and how the commercialized versions of these people have corrupted the real thing. In verse three Nas raps about being, “the only rebel since the beginning” and how record sales don’t matter to him and that spitting the truth is what’s most important to him
January 15th, 2009 at 12:29 am
When picking a song, I chose Stiff Little Finger’s Nobody’s Hero because I have not really listened or heard of them before. After hearing them, their definition of a hero was quite different than most songs. To them, there is not a special person that comes in to save the day or a person that does amazing things. In fact, when faced with a hard decision or situation, the only person you should look at is yourself because you are someone that can do amazing things, even if you are not aware of it. As they say in their song, you must take control of the situation because that is when you find out who you truly are. In the chorus, they reinforce the fact that you don’t have to be someone’s hero are conform to a definition but just do things for you and no one else. Lastly, the song tells the listener to never look at someone for help because it is never up to them to fix things for you and if you ever find yourself asking someone else for help, it is unfair to them because it is your mess. And even if you fail, you will learn from the experience and grow as a person.
January 15th, 2009 at 12:30 am
I chose the song “hero” by Chad Kroeger, I chose this song because its hero references are rather vague and must be dug out of the lyrics and then compared to a more familiar heroic theme. The first quote is “I am so high, I can hear heaven. Oh but heaven, no heaven don’t hear me”. This quote refers to the hero’s self-doubts and shortcomings, saying that he can hear-and therefore knows-what he is supposed to be, but for some reason can’t become that yet, he isn’t ready. Another quote that shows something very similar is “It isn’t the love of a hero, that’s why I fear it won’t do”. This one says that the hero doesn’t feel worthy to be with the one he loves as he hasn’t proven himself to be the hero she deserves(kind of relating to the Enrique Iglesias song). The last quote is “I’ll hold on to the wings of the eagles. Watch as they all fly away”. I like this quote because it reminds me of the church song “On Eagles’ Wings”, this is because I feel they both have to do with sacrifice and a higher power, as God raises you up on Eagles’ Wings, he holds on to them. Since that church song refers to death, this line refers to someone the hero lost, or the hero himself making the ultimate sacrifice, although unwillingly since he is hanging on to the eagles rather than being lifted up by them.
January 15th, 2009 at 12:36 am
Mariah Carey’s song Hero gives off different models of what a hero is, different from society’s examples. In society, a hero is someone who saves others, who is strong, and who may have a special power or can do something special to overcome an obstacle; although, Mariah Carey’s hero is very different from the mundane examples. Instead of there being only one or a few heroes, Mariah sings about how everyone is and cane be a hero; a hero in a sense that one can overcome their personal struggles such as love, fear, and/or other obstacles that are prohibiting the hero to reach their goal. Her version of a hero always has the “strength to carry on” and can “cast” their “fears aside;” doing these actions would help one to “survive,” thus making themselves a hero in their own eyes. To deal with the issue of love, Mariah’s hero is able to search within themselves and be able to cast away all of their “emptiness” that they feel when being hurt or not loved. Mariah concentrates on a person being able to control their emotions unlike society’s explanation of a hero – “a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities” (dictionary.com). In essence, Mariah sings about everyone being a hero; that one person just has to search within themselves to triumph over their problems, thus making themselves a hero.
January 15th, 2009 at 12:43 am
Mariah Carey’s song Hero, heroes are described as being saviors. They come and save you when you are in trouble. Not only do they save you when you are in trouble but they also give you the hope to continue going forward in your life. Heroes erase all of our fears from our lives and give us the courage to continue on with the challenges that life presents us. Heroes give strength to those around them; they help people to believe in themselves and in others. Heroes are portrayed as an inspiration in this song bringing hope to others. Heroes are a source of hope to people and can help them get out of tough times. Mariah Carey also sings about how in everyone there is a hero. That if you look deep enough in yourself then you will find the hero that you have been looking for. Heroes are not only superheroes with super powers but can also be normal people who save you from a rough time. A hero can be a friend, a mentor, or even yourself. Heroes are described as saviors in the song, they save us from pain, and a sense of inspiration and strength in our lives.
January 15th, 2009 at 10:55 am
The song “Hero” by Chad Kroger discusses the role of a hero in a violent world. At the beginning of the song, the singer says that he can hear Heaven, but Heaven cannot hear him. Heaven cannot hear all of the problems in the world. He says that the world is a very violent place and that love is not enough to make things better. With all the “killing” and “blood spilling,” there has to be a true hero to bring peace. The chorus of the song, however, implies that there are no heroes to be found. This is why he says “I’m not gonna stand here and wait.” He will fly away with the eagles to get away from the violence. The singer then says that he is sending his love to someone, but because he is not a hero, the love is not enough. He once again states that a real hero is needed, not simply love. Even though there is plenty of love in the world, there is still hate and violence according to the singer. At the end of the song, he describes the eagles flying away as they watch. Eagles are usually represented as heroic or powerful creatures. Their absence may represent the lack of a hero in the world described by the singer. A hero, according to the singer, will be able to take away all of the violence in the world.
January 15th, 2009 at 11:05 am
I chose Hero by Chad Kroeger featuring Josey Scott because I felt that it was the best song that describes a hero. The thing that really caught my attention was that while they were singing the song there were video clips of Spiderman that would pop up, and he is an obvious hero. In this song they tell about a hero that can save us. In the first verse they say that love would save us. This line seems true, how can love harm people, but in the next line they sing, “Look what love gave us. A world full of killing, and blood-spilling.” In the next verse he says that the world is ending and he is sending his love to who ever he is singing this song to. He has one doubt though because his love is not the love of a hero. My favorite part of the song is how they sing about the eagles in the chorus. When people think of an eagle they think of a majestic hero-like bird. I think the song is really about a man trying to love, but with so much hate in the world there is not enough love to overcome it so we need a hero. He sings that he is not going to stand here and wait. At first I thought he meant he wasn’t going to wait for a hero, but then I thought about it and I think he means he is not going to wait for the world to fall apart and everyone can watch him leave, holding on to eagles wings.
January 15th, 2009 at 11:13 am
Mariah Carey’s song “Hero” is the perfect modern day work detailing a hero. Mariah says that the hero is within you, and if you look you’ll find it. She says “a hero lies in you.” Heroes are characterized by going through hardships and enduring great struggles. Knowing the classic definition of a hero Mariah sings that a strong hero will come and carry you through your struggles. A hero is naturally a savior. It is ironic that in Mariah’s depiction of a hero the savior turns out to be the within the listener. You can “cast your fears aside” once you find the hero within yourself. Mariah’s song is uplifting and encouraging because when she says “be strong” the listener is naturally going to be a lot stronger. Then she says that once you are strong you’ll find the truth. As a recurring journey in literature a hero is in search of knowledge, in Mariah’s song the truth is knowledge. Being your own hero you are finding knowledge and the truth.
January 15th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
In the song, Disposable Heroes by Metallica, the theme of heroes is obviously seen throughout the song. The song describes a hero that is alone after all of the battles have been fought and everyone has died. It gruesomely describes the details of war in an honest manner. It characterizes the soldier, or heroes, as being bred for killing and nothing else, only to follow the leader regardless of how dangerous the mission may be. The chorus describes this hero as alone and without any friend but his rifle.
This song does a good job describing most of today’s heroes actually. They do not live the positive, fun lives that Hollywood makes it look like they do. Instead they live honest yet depressing lives on the “killing fields”. They face death on a daily basis without any question or refusal. In the song, their lives are described as fearless and loyal, which was decided at their birth; they had no choice in the matter- they were simply “born for dying”.
I can agree with the song that heroes lead a dangerous, loyal, and sometimes depressing life. I disagree with their claim that these soldiers were born for dying; the soldiers in the US military have all chosen to be where they are and they are not all destined to die.
January 15th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
I picked the song Hero written by Nas. This song represents a struggle people face everyday, and how we as a people look for heros in our own lifes to give us a sense of hope and protection. Also, the real strength a hero has inside his heart. Nas is a rebel, he does not rap about the average thing. He is a very deep individual that is recognized as one of the best rappers. He could care less if his ratings are low, all he wants to do is be a voice to the people who towards him as a role model.
The the charaxteristics of a hero expressed in his song is clear. It is talking about his own personality, and how he sees himself as a hero. A man who writes, and puts his music out because it has a message to the public. He lives his life as a man who tries to live a good life, he does not back down from any obstacle he might face in his life, no matter the situation. He is not the typical rapper. He lets his music speak for him. He’s not materialistic. Nas shows courage, a strong will, and the type of person that can inspire people to do good in the world and not waste their talents. He wants to be Hip Hops hero in a sense.
January 15th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
I listened to both Mariah Carey and Nas’ songs about heroes and I noticed a few things about the way they described a hero. In each song, the artist references the ability to be a hero yourself, and makes it seem like being a hero is not all that difficult. Their descriptions of heroes don’t really follow the archetypes that are often seen in literature, rather they seem to establish a more contemporary definition.
In Mariah Carey’s song, she sings about a softer and more emotional type of here. She emphasizes that “there’s a hero if you look inside your heart,” and she sings about finding “love” within yourself. At the same time, she emphasizes the needing “strength to carry on,” and casting “your fears aside,” which are characteristics closer to the traditional description of a hero.
Nas take even more liberties with his description of a hero. While he does say that “the people need someone to believe in,” he immodestly calls himself a hero. By doing this he somewhat downplays the outstanding qualities that a hero usually has. As he continues to describe himself in the song, the most outstanding quality that he seems to posses is being a “distinguished gentleman.”
January 16th, 2009 at 1:01 am
In “Heroes” by David Bowie the word hero is used to described the way their love can survive under any circumstances. They are heroes because even though nothing keeps them together they “can beat them” all. When he says “we can beat them” he is talking about all those problems that couples have that can sometime ruin relationships. Heroes have this amazing ability to succeed under the worst circumstances the same way their love can survive even though nothing really holds them together. He also calls himself king which can sometimes be parallel to hero. When he mentions the dolphins an their amazing swimming skills he is giving himself a trait. The song makes their love a hero and they are also heroes for keeping that love.
January 19th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
By Definition a hero is “a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities”, Metallica has another definition for the hero. Their song “Disposable Heroes” describes not your average hero more of a hero that is a soldier, a person with no recognition as the song says “soldiers made of clay” therefore the life of a disposable hero. In Metallica’s song “Disposable Heroes”, they display the life of a hero, looked down upon society and taught only to kill rather love. The hero depicted is somewhat an “anti-hero”. In other words a hero who is unrecognizable as such to the public or a hero whose actions are so conflicted to the point that they are tangled in between good and evil. The hero is a slave, simply used for cause war and chaos and nothing else. No family, no friends, no heart, and no soul, these heroes are living breathing machines breed to destroy. Since they are machines, these heroes are disposable in the sense that once their deed is done they have no place in the world at all. In many ways the song illustrates everything hero is not. Despite the fact that these soldiers don’t fully fill the definition of a hero they do, risk there life for others, that should count for something.
March 8th, 2009 at 11:30 am
At first glance, “Nobody’s Hero” by Stiff Little Fingers appears to be a song about the Defiant Aint-Hero archetype. Given the background of punk and its notions to go against society, lines like “don’t wanna be nobody’s hero/star” seem to indicate an opposition toward the idea of a hero or even a positive figure, but looking deeper one can see that the song is much more positive. The message of the song challenges everyday people to forge their own path as opposed to idolizing the ideals, beliefs or actions of those they consider to be heroes or stars (and by extension, those people themselves). It brings forth the fact that no one “has all the answers” and expresses remorse toward this unfair reliance. In reality, the only thing that separates us from those whom we rely on is some sort of knowledge they possess or initiative they take. The message goes against the classic definition of a hero as being required to possess an extraordinary or unique trait(s); rather, we all have the ability to be a hero. We must simply realize this and take the initiative ourselves to act upon our ideals or beliefs.
Word Count:198
March 8th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Nas’s song hero is a rap song that describes what to him is the definition of a hero. The song itself somewhat makes him out as the hero he is describing by illustrating the fight he’s gone through, the doubters he’s faced, and the struggles he’s overcome. The song describes a hero as a person that, “the people can believe in,” a person that the people can look up to and admire, a person such as Nas. Nas’s jewelry and all his stuff are symbolic of his success however, they also higher his hero status because they are reasons that people love him and hate him. Furthermore, the song goes on to describe a hero as someone who goes against the flow and doesn’t let the doubters get him down just as Nas himself doesn’t by still making hits while being criticized by the press. The song also describes a hero as a person who, like Nas is, is living the dreams of people who never had a chance too. By living the dreams of other people and doing what they thought he couldn’t, Nas becomes a hero because he gives hope and inspiration to those who have yet to fulfill their dreams and to those who don’t believe they can.