No Heroes
Kathy Mar Lyrics

Chorus: We are not the heroes, all the words we say can never change it
We cannot pretend to be heroes by just saying the right things

We are not the heroes, rewrite history or rearrange it
We cannot change history to fit our narrative

We are not 'the white hats', they are not 'the black'
There are no clear heroes and villains in war

And none of us on either side can save our children
No matter which side we are on, we cannot protect our children from the dangers of war

On the day that we attack
When war breaks out

I watch my babies sleeping, and they are barely two
The singer thinks about her young children

They look out on a universe that's magical and new
The world is exciting and full of promise for young children

I sit here and imagine, in this smug, heroic nation
The singer reflects on her country's pride in their military power

What my children will look like next year
The singer worries about the impact of war on her children's future

As they die of radiation
The singer fears for her children's safety in the event of a nuclear attack

We all move our missiles closer to our enemies, until
Countries engage in arms races, each side getting closer to the other

We are forced to use computers to decide just when to kill
There is a dangerous dependence on technology in modern warfare

But computers have no judgement, or no love or hope or fear
Technology cannot account for the complex emotions and decisions of war

So mistakes are that much easier
There is more room for error in decisions made by machines

And nightmares cluster near
There are many terrifying possibilities for the outcomes of war

I do not sing of spirits, so you're probably not scared
The singer does not sing about supernatural fears, so listeners may not be unsettled by her message

You couldn't do a thing about it, even if you cared
Even if listeners feel a sense of urgency around the issue, they may not be able to make a difference as individuals

You are helpless pawns of masters, or you're blind and deaf and dumb
People are often at the mercy of their governments and may not be fully informed or engaged in the actions taken on their behalf

And you're also not responsible ("all so" ? - C. ;-) )
Despite not having control over the situation, people may still carry guilt and fear about the consequences of war

For what surely has to come
For the inevitable results of violence and aggression

Some are dying of diseases, so we're proud that we're not ill
People may take pride in not being personally affected by one form of suffering, even as other forms of suffering continue

If we cannot push the button, it's not our fault bombs can kill
People may feel removed from responsibility for war and its effects if they are not directly involved in decision-making or violence

Though we never reach to help, we didn't make the stumbler fall
People may feel that they have not contributed to violence even as they don't intervene to prevent or alleviate its effects

When our children feel the atom's kiss
In the event of a nuclear attack

We'll share no blame at all
People may feel that they are not at fault for the catastrophe of war and its effects on future generations