I Don't Want to Be a Hero
Johnny Hates Jazz Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh, send me off to war
With a gun in my hand
But I won't pull the trigger
Our destiny is here
Beneath the red, white and blue
So lead me to the slaughter

Now don't be afraid
Come and join the parade
For the ultimate in sacrifice
It's an old-fashioned story

Of hope and of glory
A ticket for taking a life

[Chorus:]
I, I don't want to be a hero
I don't want to die for you
I don't want to be a hero

Oh send me off to war
In a far away land
I never knew existed
Subject me to the truth
To the horror and pain
Until my mind is twisted

And what if I fail
Will you put me in jail
For a murder I will not commit?
'Cause you don't understand
Till there's blood on your hands
That it's time to forget and forgive

[Chorus]

And those who return
Come back only to learn
That they're hated by those who they love
'Cause you don't understand
Till there's blood on your hands
That it's time to forget and forgive





[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Johnny Hates Jazz's song "I Don't Want To Be a Hero" deal with the topic of war and the pressures of society to conform to traditional notions of masculinity and heroism. The song begins with the singer being willingly sent off to war with a gun in his hand, but stating that he won't pull the trigger. Instead, he questions the glory and sacrifice associated with war, as he is being asked to take a life in the name of an old-fashioned story of hope and glory.


The chorus repeats the titular refrain of not wanting to be a hero and not wanting to die for others. The second verse explores the psychological toll of war, with the singer being subject to the truth, horror, and pain of a foreign land until his mind is twisted. He also questions the morality of being punished for not committing murder and highlights the lack of understanding from those who have not experienced the blood on their hands.


The song's concluding verses touch upon the sentiments of those who return from the war, their alienation from loved ones, and the importance of forgiveness in moving forward. Overall, "I Don't Want To Be a Hero" is a powerful commentary on the human cost of war and the societal pressures placed on individuals to conform to traditional notions of heroism.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh, send me off to war
The singer is willing to be sent to war.


With a gun in my hand
The singer is expected to carry a weapon while at war.


But I won't pull the trigger
The singer refuses to kill anyone even though he is asked to do so.


Our destiny is here
The artist wants to stay where he belongs instead of going to war.


Beneath the red, white and blue
The artist is referring to the American flag.


So lead me to the slaughter
The singer is comparing war to a slaughter since it involves killing.


Now don't be afraid
The singer is trying to encourage people to join the war effort.


Come and join the parade
The artist is inviting people to support the war effort.


For the ultimate in sacrifice
The artist is referring to dying in the war as the ultimate sacrifice.


It's an old-fashioned story
The artist believes the concept of war and sacrifice is outdated.


Of hope and of glory
The singer is saying that going to war is often glorified as an honorable thing to do.


A ticket for taking a life
The artist is saying that going to war is like being given a ticket that permits you to take someone else's life.


I, I don't want to be a hero
The singer does not want to become a hero by dying in the war.


I don't want to die for you
The singer does not want to die for the cause of the war.


I don't want to be a hero
The singer is repeating that he does not want to be considered a hero for going to war.


Oh send me off to war
The artist is repeating the idea of being willing to go to war.


In a far away land
The artist is referring to being sent to a foreign country to fight the war.


I never knew existed
The singer is saying that he's never heard of the place he's being sent to before.


Subject me to the truth
The singer is saying that going to war will expose him to the harsh truth about it.


To the horror and pain
The artist is referring to the emotional and physical pain of war.


Until my mind is twisted
The artist is saying that war has the potential to mentally affect someone's mind.


And what if I fail
The artist is concerned about the consequences of not meeting the expectations of war.


Will you put me in jail
The singer is asking if he will be punished for not following the orders of war.


For a murder I will not commit?
The artist is saying that he will not kill someone, and therefore will not commit murder.


'Cause you don't understand
The singer is telling others that they do not understand the true horrors of war.


Till there's blood on your hands
The singer is saying that people won't understand the consequences of war until they have actually experienced it firsthand.


That it's time to forget and forgive
The singer is saying that it's time to move on from war and forgive those who were involved.


And those who return
The artist is referring to soldiers who return from war.


Come back only to learn
The artist is saying that soldiers return home only to realize that they are not accepted by their loved ones.


That they're hated by those who they love
The singer is saying that soldiers feel rejected by friends and family when they come back from war.


'Cause you don't understand
The singer repeats that people cannot understand the difficulties of war unless they have experienced it personally.


Till there's blood on your hands
The artist repeats that people won't understand the true consequences of war until they have experienced it themselves.


That it's time to forget and forgive
The artist repeats this line, emphasizing the importance of moving on from war and showing forgiveness.


I, I don't want to be a hero
The artist repeats the statement about not wanting to be considered a hero for going to war.


I don't want to die for you
The singer repeats his belief that he should not have to die for the cause of war.


I don't want to be a hero
The artist repeats that he does not want to be glorified for participating in war.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CLARK DATCHLER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

lucanick1974

Oh, send me off to war
With a gun in my hand
But I won't pull the trigger
Our destiny is here
Beneath the red, white and blue
So lead me to the slaughter
Now don't be afraid
Come and join the parade
For the ultimate in sacrifice
It's an old-fashioned story
Of hope and of glory
A ticket for taking a life
I, I don't want to be a hero
I don't want to die for you
I don't want to be a hero
Oh send me off to war
In a far away land
I never knew existed
Subject me to the truth
To the horror and pain
Until my mind is twisted
And what if I fail
Will you put me in jail
For a murder I will not commit?
'Cause you don't understand
Till there's blood on your hands
That it's time to forget and forgive
I, I don't want to be a hero
I don't want to die for you
I don't want to be a hero

And those who return
Come back only to learn
That they're hated by those who they love
'cos you're not satisfied
Till the thousand will die
And your anger is paid for in blood

I, I don't want to be a hero
I don't want to die for you
I don't want to be a hero



All comments from YouTube:

Dead Ball Situation

These guys created some beautiful songs and this was one of them. I just wish we had this back again today. I miss the 80's

Terry Burton

You have cds and YouTube i love and live in the 80s

Fermin Castro

Me too...

Sam Greak

Look up fazzio death race or lost in thoughts both good songs FM attack which are bands race or darkwave/ synthwave

truth be told

nothing beats the eighties

marco maldotti

​@Fermin Castro ⁰p0

2 More Replies...

Janice Tehie

Phenomenal. The message is timeless. Such an incredible song and band.

Rex Remedy

Yes, it gets more current with time passing! Quite current indeed...

Miloš Marek

Absolutely!!!

Christian Dal

Just Great!

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