Working Class Hero

Song infobox
Name = Working Class Hero


Artist = John Lennon with the Plastic Ono Band
Album = John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
Released = 11 December, 1970
track_no = 4
Recorded = September 26 - October 9 1970
Genre = Rock
Length = 3:48
Writer = John Lennon
Label = Apple/EMI
Producer = John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Phil Spector
prev = "I Found Out"
prev_no = 3
next = "Isolation"
next_no = 5"Working Class Hero" is a song from John Lennon's first post-Beatles solo album, 1970's "John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band".

Controversy

U.S. Representative Harley Orrin Staggers heard the song on WGTB and lodged a complaint with the FCC. The manager of WGTB faced a year in prison and a $10,000 fine, but defended his decision to play the song saying, "The People of Washington are sophisticated enough to accept the occasional four-letter word in context, and not become sexually aroused, offended, or upset." [cite book
last = Blecha
first = Peter
title = Taboo Tunes: A History of Banned Bands & Censored Songs
publisher = Backbeat Books
date = 2004
pages = 160-161
isbn = 0879307927] Other U.S. radio stations like WBCN banned the song for its use of the word "fucking". [cite book
last = Schechter
first = Danny
authorlink = Danny Schechter
title = The More You Watch, the Less You Know: News Wars/Submerged Hopes/Media Adventures
publisher = Seven Stories Press
date = 1997
pages = 106
isbn = 1888363800] In Australia, the album was released with the expletive removed from the song, with the lyrics censored on the inner sleeve. [cite book
last = Blaney
first = John
title = John Lennon: Listen To This Book
publisher = Paper Jukebox
date = 2005
pages = 59
isbn = 095445281X]

Notable cover versions

Infobox Single
Name = Working Class Hero


Artist = Green Day
Writer = John Lennon
from Album =
Released = May 1, 2007
Format = Digital download
Genre = Alternative rock
Length = 4:25
Label = Warner Bros./Amnesty International
Producer = Green Day
Last single = "The Saints Are Coming"
(with U2)
(2006)
This single = "Working Class Hero"
(2007)
Next single = "The Simpsons Theme"
(2007) | Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album =
Type = studio
prev_track = "Jealous Guy"
(Youssou N'Dour)
prev_no = 12 of Disc 1
this_track = "Working Class Hero"
(Green Day)
track_no = 1 of Disc 2
next_track = "Power to the People"
(Black Eyed Peas)
next_no = 2 of Disc 2

Green Day cover

In 2007, Green Day contributed a cover of the song to the "", which was released on June 12, 2007, proceeds from which help support Amnesty International's campaign to focus attention on the conflict in Darfur, Sudan. The song was subsequently released as a single and has an accompanying video for the track with director Samuel Bayer. [cite web|url=http://www.videostatic.com/vs/2007/week18/index.html#entry-33633126|title=SHOT: Green Day - Samuel Bayer, director|work=Video Static at Videostatic.com|accessdate=2007-05-13|date=2007-05-03] The single was released to radio on April 30, 2007 [cite web|url=http://www.greendayauthority.com/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1177955064&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&|title=Working Class Hero tomorrow|work=Green Day Authority at GreenDayAuthority.com|accessdate=2007-05-13|date=2007-04-30] and on iTunes on May 1, 2007.cite web|url=http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=246797|title=Green Day Included in All-Star Line-Up of Artists Featured on "Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur"|work=Market Wire at Marketwire.com|accessdate=2007-05-13|date=2007-05-01]

When asked why they chose the song, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong said, "We wanted to do 'Working Class Hero' because its themes of alienation, class, and social status really resonated with us. It's such a raw, aggressive song -- just that line: 'you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see' -- we felt we could really sink our teeth into it. I hope we've done him justice." The song wasn't all Green Day, though; the John Lennon version of the last song line, "If you want to be a hero, well just follow me" was included at the end.

Green Day performed it live at the "American Idol" Season 6 finale (dropping the offensive words). In accounts of the show, the Associated Press repeatedly and inaccurately called the song "A Working Class Hero Is Something to Be." Since then, the Green Day cover has been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance By a Duo/Group w/ Vocals.

Other covers

*Cyndi Lauper covered it live on "Lennon: A Tribute" in 1991.
*David Bowie's band Tin Machine recorded a version of the song on its 1989 debut album.
*Elbow covered the song for "Q magazine" in 2005.
*Jerry Williams covered the song in 1984 on his album "Working Class Hero".
*Manic Street Preachers recorded a cover of the song on its 2007 album "Send Away the Tigers".
*Marianne Faithfull covered the song on her 1979 album "Broken English".
*Then-New Zealand politician Marilyn Waring covered the song as a single in 1980. [ [http://www.gemm.com/q.cgi?forseller=ebanana&myrefno=45W21 gemm.com] ]
*Noir Désir, on the record "Liberté de Circulation" (2000).
*Ozzy Osbourne recorded a version for his 2005 collection "Under Cover".
*Antimatter covered the song live.
*Richie Havens covered the song for his 1987 album "Richie Havens Sings Beatles and Dylan".
*Roger Taylor covered the song on his 1998 album "Electric Fire".
*The Academy Is... covered the song in 2006 on its "From the Carpet" EP.
*Tina Dickow covered the song for Amnesty International's 'Make Some Noise' campaign (in Denmark).
*Marilyn Manson covered the song on the B-side of the "Disposable Teens" single.
*Racoon covered the song on their album "Before You Leave".

References

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