Heroes
Bill & Gloria Gaither Lyrics

Where have all our heroes gone what's come over our great land
What has happened to our nation and its heroes?

America is still my home sweet home but where have all our heroes gone
Despite my love for my country, I can't help but wonder where all our heroes have gone.

I saw a group of boys the other day standing in the corner of a playground
I observed a bunch of boys huddled at a corner of a playground.

Looking and laughin' at a magazine
They were giggling and looking at a magazine.

And I overheard one of the boys said man is he ever cool
I eavesdropped on them and heard one boy say how cool someone was.

And he pointed to the man who's picture was on the magazine cover
He directed everyone's attention to the man whose photograph was on the cover.

And everybody kinda said under their breath yeah he's cool alright
Everyone murmured to themselves in agreement.

And I got sick to my stomach
All of this made me feel nauseous.

Because I'd seen the cover and the man that they were talking about Had instigated a riot in one of our major cities last summer
I had also seen the magazine cover and knew that the man they were adoring had caused a riot in a big city the past summer.

And the magazine was writing about how the police were unkind to him
The magazine was publishing an article alleging that the police were cruel to him.

The judges were not fair with him
The piece also claimed that the judges were biased towards him.

And how he talked back and slung his long hair about and cussed
The article described how he talked back, flicked his long hair, and used abusive language.

And did his things and they made him into a regular hero
Despite his actions, the magazine had deemed him a hero.

And inside this magazine was the story of a baseball player Who got involted with the gamblers
In the magazine, there was also a story of a baseball player who had gotten involved with gamblers.

Of the football player who said that football was not the end Just a mean to an end meanin' the girls and the good times
The piece also discussed a football player who believed that football was not the end goal, but a means to an end, which was the enjoyment of girls and good times.

And a story of a folk singer who proudly claims To be both a member of a party ailen to our government and a nontax payin' citizen
Lastly, there was a story about a folk singer who claimed to be a member of an anti-government party and refused to pay taxes.

These young boys read with open eyes and open minds
The young boys read the article with an open mind and paid attention.

And I thought to myself my God
All of this was very distressing for me.

Are these the people that these young boys look up to Are these their idols are these the heroes of the now generation
I couldn't help but wonder if these were the people whom these boys idolized and regarded as their heroes.

(America is still my home sweet home but where have all our heroes gone)

I had heroes when I was a kid we all did and our heroes did their thing too
When I was young, I had my own set of heroes, and they had their own unique qualities as well.

Like General Douglas McArthur who returned like he said he would Like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers who chased the bad guys right off the screen
There were heroes like General Douglas McArthur, who kept his promise, and Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, who protected people on the screen by defeating villains.

Like Lindberg who flew the ocean and Jesse Owens who showed Hitler And John Wayne and Gerry Cooper after all didn't they really win the war
There were people like Lindberg, who flew across the Atlantic, Jesse Owens, who made a statement to Hitler through his victory, and John Wayne and Gary Cooper, who played significant roles in films about the war.

And General Ike bless your soul cause he made us feel safe
Ike, our General, made us feel secure, and we continue to appreciate him.

We've killed some of our recent heroes the Kennedys and Kings
Unfortunately, we've lost some of our modern heroes, such as the Kennedys and Kings.

And even as great as their space feats are How many of the astronauts can you name huh how many
Despite their remarkable achievements in space, can you recall the names of all these astronauts?

My heroes were people like Joe DiMaggio who proved that nice guys can finish first And Stan Musian who never had an unkind word for anybody
People like Joe DiMaggio showed that it's possible to be kind and successful, and Stan Musial never spoke ill of anyone.

And Winston Churchill who's two fingers raised together meant victory Not just a let-your-enemy-have-it-all kind of artificial peace
Winston Churchill's famous victory sign was a symbol of triumph, not a sign of weakness or surrender.

This country needs a lotta things today friends But it doesn't need any one thing anymore than it needs some real heroes
Our country requires a lot of things, but nothing more than the presence of genuine heroes.

Men who know what it means to be looked up to by a griny faced kid Men who want to sign autograph books and not deal under the table Men who are willing to play the game with the people who made them heroes Men who don't mind putting on a white hat and saying thank you and please
Heroes who understand what it means to be looked up to by young children, who are genuinely approachable and play fair, and who embrace the public after becoming heroes.

I wish I knew more men that I'd be proud of for my son to look up to and say Daddy when I grow up I want to be just-like-him (Where have all our heroes gone)
I hope to find more people whom I can confidently direct my son to for inspiration and emulation.