Working Class Hero
Marianne Faithfull Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

As soon as you're born they make you feel small
By giving you no time instead of it all
Till the pain is so big you feel nothing at all
A working class hero is something to be,
A working class hero is something to be

They hurt you at home and they hit you at school,
They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool
Till you're so fucking crazy you can't follow their rules
A working class hero is something to be,
A working class hero is something to be

When they've tortured and scared you for twenty odd years
And then they expect you to pick a career,
But you really can't function, you're so full of fear, fear
A working class hero is something to be,
A working class hero is something to be

Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV, TV
And you think you're so clever and classless and free,
But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see
A working class hero is something to be,
A working class hero is something to be

There's room at the top they are telling you still,
But first you must learn how to smile as you kill
If you want to live like the folks on the hill
A working class hero is something to be,
A working class hero is something to be





A working class hero is something to be,
A working class hero is something to be

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Marianne Faithfull’s song Working Class Hero explores the struggles of the working class trying to navigate the oppressive systems and societal norms. The first verse, “As soon as you're born they make you feel small, By giving you no time instead of it all, Till the pain is so big you feel nothing at all” speaks to the idea that society defines our roles, place, and value from birth. The working class is conditioned to believe that they are not enough, leading them to experience pain and a diminished sense of self-worth.


The second verse describes how the working class is mistreated, abused, and oppressed by those in authority, “They hurt you at home and they hit you at school, They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool, Till you're so fucking crazy you can't follow their rules”. The working class is expected to conform to the rules and expectations of the system, eventually leading to feelings of craziness and disillusion.


The third verse, “When they've tortured and scared you for twenty odd years, And then they expect you to pick a career, But you really can't function, you're so full of fear, fear” speaks to how the working class is exploited for years and then, without support or resources, is expected to succeed in a corporate society. The lyrics communicate the idea that the working class is oppressed, manipulated, and dehumanized, emphasizing the importance of class identity and social justice in modern society.


Line by Line Meaning

As soon as you're born they make you feel small
From the moment you're born, the powers that be make you feel insignificant


By giving you no time instead of it all
They rob you of the time you need to grow and thrive


Till the pain is so big you feel nothing at all
They inflict so much pain that eventually you become numb to it all


They hurt you at home and they hit you at school
They abuse you at home and bully you at school


They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool
They resent intelligence and look down on those who are not as smart


Till you're so fucking crazy you can't follow their rules
Their expectations are so arbitrary and illogical that it drives you insane


When they've tortured and scared you for twenty odd years
The torment and intimidation lasts for decades


And then they expect you to pick a career
After all that abuse, they still have the audacity to demand you choose a career


But you really can't function, you're so full of fear, fear
But you're so damaged by their cruelty that you cannot function properly


Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV, TV
Distract you with religion, sex, and television to keep you complacent and unaware


And you think you're so clever and classless and free
You may believe you're intelligent, without social class, and have freedom, but in reality, you're trapped


But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see
Despite your dreams of upward mobility, society still considers you as just a common worker


There's room at the top they are telling you still,
They lure you with the promise of upward social mobility


But first you must learn how to smile as you kill
But to achieve that success, you must learn to hide your true nature and be willing to hurt others


If you want to live like the folks on the hill
If you want to live a privileged life like the elites


A working class hero is something to be
Yet, despite all the struggles and pain, being a working class hero is still an admirable thing


A working class hero is something to be
Being a working class hero should be celebrated and valued




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Winston Lennon

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

ezio dallago

Appena nasci ti fanno sentire piccolo
Non dandoti tempo invece di tutto
Finché il dolore non è così grande che non senti proprio niente
Un eroe della classe operaia è qualcosa da essere
Un eroe della classe operaia è qualcosa da essere
Ti hanno ferito a casa e ti hanno picchiato a scuola,
Ti odiano se sei intelligente e disprezzano uno sciocco
Finché non sei così fottutamente pazzo che non puoi seguire le loro regole
Un eroe della classe operaia è qualcosa da essere
Un eroe della classe operaia è qualcosa da essere
Quando ti hanno torturato e spaventato per vent'anni dispari
Poi si aspettano che tu scelga una carriera,
Ma non puoi davvero funzionare, sei così pieno di paura
Un eroe della classe operaia è qualcosa da essere
Un eroe della classe operaia è qualcosa da essere
Tieniti drogato con la religione, il sesso e la TV
E pensi di essere così intelligente, senza classi e libero
Ma per quanto posso vedere siete ancora dei fottuti contadini
Un eroe della classe operaia è qualcosa da essere
Un eroe della classe operaia è qualcosa da essere
C'è ancora spazio in cima che ci dicono ancora
Ma prima dobbiamo imparare a sorridere mentre uccidiamo
Se vogliamo vivere come la gente sulla collina
Un eroe della classe operaia è qualcosa da essere
Un eroe della classe operaia è qualcosa da essere
Un eroe della classe operaia è qualcosa da essere
Un eroe della classe operaia è qualcosa da essere
___


#MarianneFaithfull #WorkingClassHero #Live



All comments from YouTube:

Konrad Blades

A true Icon backed by a set of amazing musicians.

large biff

Love the entire Broken English album. It came with a rare parental advisory on the cover.

TheJamesOPhillips

the last track is an uplifting, spiritual track ;-) It's hard to believe it was originally conceived as a potential number for Tina turner.

large biff

@dave powell They are listed on the Broken English album. Just do a search for it to find out who they are Dave. Btw, I agree with you.

dave powell

LOVE TO KNOW WHO THE MUSCAINS ARE THEY ARE AMAZING

MannyScoots (CONSPIRANOID)

Man what a wonderful sound !

Jens Østergaard

BEST VERSION EVER ! ❤ ❤ ❤

Enzo Galli

GRANDE Marianne, voce stupenda, pezzo bellissimo!!!!

Chris Smith

The best version of Working Class Hero and only 40,876 views. @Marianne Faithful you are a incredible hero.

Mary Catherine

Marianne Faithfull and Leonard Cohen a Working Class Hero is something to be....2021 a working class hero is something to be!

More Comments

More Versions