My Hero (song)

This article is about the Foo Fighters song. For the Blue Notes song, see Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes.

"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, post-grunge
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, though has been played live as early as 1995. 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] During Foo Fighters' appearance on VH1 Storytellers in 2009, Dave Grohl explained that the song was written while watching 1980s movies like Valley Girl. Grohl also stated that the song was written about Pete Stahl and Chip Donaldson, without even knowing it.

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. Part of the song is also heard in the 2010 buddy-cop comedy The Other Guys, when Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson jump to their death. The song is also featured in the Sofia Coppola's 2010 film Somewhere.

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.

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.

Music video

The music video was directed by Dave Grohl. It features a man running into a burning building to rescue 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 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. It is the only Foo Fighters video to feature guitarist Franz Stahl, who replaced Pat Smear (Stahl did not appear in the video for the next and last single from the album, 1998's "Walking After You", as it featured only Grohl).

Covers

The song has been covered by:

• Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.
• TheElement
• Paramore for Sound of Superman.
• Set Your Goals at the Hoodwink Festival in 2009.
• Beloved on their Live at the Cat's Cradle album.

Dave Grohl also played a solo version of it in Radio 1's live lounge

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]

Track listing

UK single

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]

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" (from the special acoustic live in Japan)

Australian single

1. "My Hero"
2. "Dear Lover"
3. "For All the Cows" (recorded @ Toshiba-EMI 3rd Studio 04/02/97)

107.3 WAAF: Survive This!

14. My Hero (Worcester Firefighters Tribute mix)

Released: 30 Oct 2000

Personnel

• Dave Grohl - vocals, drums, rhythm guitar
• Pat Smear - lead guitar (not shown in the music video)
• Nate Mendel - bass guitar

• Franz Stahl and Taylor Hawkins are in the video only

Chart positions

Chart (1998)	Position
Euro Hot 100 Singles	53
UK Singles Chart	21
U.S. Hot Modern Rock Tracks	6
U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks	8
Australian Singles Chart	74

References

1. ^ http://www.fooarchive.com/headwires/colourandtheshape.htm fooarchive.com
2. ^ Foos Fight McCain over film use, BBC News, 09/10/2008
3. ^ "Christopher Sprigman and Siva Vaidhyanathan - Cue 'Barracuda'". Washingtonpost.com. 2008-10-13. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/12/AR2008101201630.html. Retrieved 2011-11-08. 

External links

• "My Hero" Official music video on YouTube