There are two versions of this song, one with an orchestral background and one without.
The song was the result of a collaboration between Kroeger and Scott. Scott told Yahoo!'s entertainment news service LAUNCH. "He had the idea for the song 'Hero' so I came up to Vancouver and met him. He pitched me the idea, and I thought that was pretty dope. So we sort of tweaked it, together, laid down some harmonies on it, and played everything from congas to acoustics on it."
Matt Cameron, who played drums on the track did not appear in the music video and cited family issues as the reason. He was replaced with Our Lady Peace drummer Jeremy Taggart.
Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell was originally picked to play the solo (later played by Connolly), but pulled out because he was concentrating on his solo album. He did however contribute a song to the soundtrack called "She Was My Girl".
The music video consists of the band playing on top of a building in New York City, with footage of the movie spliced in between, and was directed by Nigel Dick.
Reviewing the song for NME, Imran Ahmed drew a strong comparison to "How You Remind Me", Kroeger's 2001 international breakthrough with Nickelback, calling the formula for both "Commercial grunge + MOR sensibility = Nu-MOR hit."
The song was featured on the soundtrack to Spider-Man and became a cross-genre hit in mid-2002, peaking at number one on the Billboard Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock charts, number three on the Billboard Hot 100, and also winning considerable airplay at contemporary hit radio, hot adult contemporary and modern adult contemporary radio formats. "Hero" became 4× Platinum in the U.S. and 8× Platinum in Canada. It also did well in the United Kingdom, peaking at number four.
Hero
Chad Kroeger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am so high, I can hear heaven
Whoa, but heaven, no, heaven don't hear me
And they say
That a hero could save us
I'm not gonna stand here and wait
I'll hold onto the wings of the eagles
Someone told me
Love would all save us
But, how can that be
Look what love gave us
A world full of killing
And blood spilling
That world never came
And they say
That a hero could save us
I'm not gonna stand here and wait
I'll hold onto the wings of the eagles
Watch as we all fly away
Now that the world isn't ending
It's love that I'm sending to you
It isn't the love of a hero
And that's why I fear it won't do
And they say
That a hero could save us
I'm not gonna stand here and wait
I'll hold onto the wings of the eagles
Watch as we all fly away
And they're watching us
They're watching us
As we all fly away
And they're watching us
They're watching us
As we all fly away
And they're watching us
They're watching us
As we all fly away
The chorus of the song, "And they say that a hero could save us," represents the desire that many people have for someone, or something, to come and rescue them from difficult situations. However, the singer, who is "so high" that he can "hear heaven," realizes that what he is hearing is not the answer to his prayers. He feels like he is not being heard by heaven, and the line "but heaven, no, heaven don't hear me" shows how isolated he feels.
The lyrics also explore the idea that love, which many believe can save the world, has not been successful at doing so. The singer sees a world full of suffering, death, and destruction and realizes that love has not fixed it. He fears that the love he is sending to someone will not be enough to save them, but instead, he holds onto the hope that they will all "fly away" together.
Overall, the lyrics in "Hero" reveal a struggle to find hope in a world that can be dark and unforgiving. The singer grapples with the idea of heroism, love, and salvation, ultimately leaving the message that we must hold onto hope and keep moving forward, even when times are tough.
Line by Line Meaning
I am so high, I can hear heaven
I am so intoxicated with drugs or alcohol that I feel as though I am spiritually elevated and can communicate with a higher power.
Whoa, but heaven, no, heaven don't hear me
Despite feeling connected to a higher power, I am acknowledging that my struggles and suffering have not been answered by any higher power.
And they say
That a hero could save us
I'm not gonna stand here and wait
I'll hold onto the wings of the eagles
Watch as we all fly away
Although people often believe that a single heroic figure can rescue us from our problems, I would rather take my fate into my own hands and escape with whoever else is willing to join me.
Someone told me
Love would all save us
But, how can that be
Look what love gave us
A world full of killing
And blood spilling
That world never came
Despite being told that love could serve as a panacea for society's dysfunction, the reality is that love has not saved us from the violence and suffering that we see in our world today.
Now that the world isn't ending
It's love that I'm sending to you
It isn't the love of a hero
And that's why I fear it won't do
Although the world might not be in an apocalyptic state, I am still choosing to send love to those around me. However, I don't believe that my love is that of a heroic figure and therefore am not sure if it will make a difference.
And they're watching us
They're watching us
As we all fly away
As we are escaping from our problems, whether it is through drug use, love or any other method, the outside world is still keeping an eye on us, perhaps with judgement.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Chad Kroeger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind