"And I had the idea of, like, to become a hero, do you need to be a martyr? Do you have so much good to give that it's too much for the world, and you get shot down - whether you're Bob Marley or John Lennon or Fred Hampton, or whoever it is?
The words came out pretty quick at that point. I finally had something to sing about."
The opening lyrics were triggered by Kiwanuka thinking about what it takes to become full-blown musical legend. He asked himself whether he has to create an alter ego or brand like Elton John or David Bowie for people to really sit down and listen to his music.
Am I a hero?
Am I a hero now?
Yeah
The thought of coming up with an alternative persona does not appeal to Kiwanuka. "I've taken so long just to be really happy with myself - the last thing I want to do is try to make up this new character," he explained to New York Times. "So 'Hero' is kind of posing that question: If I do all of these things, will I become this iconic big singer?"
Michael Kiwanuka told Mojo magazine that after Love & Hate's success, filmmakers sought to include its tracks on their soundtracks, which in turn inspired this song.
"My songs were being 'synced' to things like the James Baldwin documentary I Am Not Your Negro," he said. "I started to learn more about Baldwin's life and artistry, and also really got into the work of Gordon Parks - his movies but also his photography around the Civil Rights Movement, his portraits of poor black families in the south.
And when I started reading up on Fred Hampton of the Black Panthers, it helped unlock the lyrics to 'Hero,' which I'd be done a year earlier but couldn't get any further than the chorus. But thinking about Fred and the movement, the lyrics just poured out of me."
The poignant video, made by the sibling directing team CC Wade, pays homage to leaders and important figures of the Civil Rights movement in America. The directors did the treatment for the clip from Kiwanuka's synopsis of the song's subject matter. The singer explained to Q magazine:
"'Hero' is inspired by Fred Hampton, part of the Black Panther's in Chicago, a young guy who got murdered when he was 21, but, even in his short life, he was such an enigmatic speaker. The song is about the sadness of people that have so much to give but die young and it's almost like they know because they packed so much into such a short life. Why does it have to be like that? Especially at that time as a young black man, why did it always have to be that they lived so short?
So 'Hero' is thinking about Fred Hampton, but also what's happening on the news. Even in the last two weeks, It's still happening in America. So when I spoke to CC Wade I said I wanted to do something inspired by Hampton and the Black Panther's but make it really cinematic and they just ran with it. I'm so excited with the result."
Hero
Michael Kiwanuka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Am I a hero now?
Am I a hero?
Am I a hero now?
Yeah
Please don't shoot me down
I love you like a brotherIt's on the news again
I guess they killed another
Am I a hero?
Am I a hero now?
To die a hero
Is all that we know now
Oh, we all get told to go along
Oh, we know it's all for show
We know, we know
Am I a hero?
Am I a hero now?
To die a hero
Is all that we know now
Yeah
(Ooh, yeah)
(Ooh, yeah)
Am I a hero?
A fallen hero now?
Hear my sin Lord
Speak no evil now
Am I a hero?
My gun to reload now
A broken people
There go a hero now
The lyrics to Michael Kiwanuka's song "Hero" are a commentary on the societal pressure to be a hero and the consequences of failing to live up to that expectation. The lyrics express the singer's internal battle with the idea of being a hero and the societal pressure that comes with it through the repetition of the question "Am I a hero?" In the first verse, the singer pleads with the listener not to shoot them down as they love them like a brother, acknowledging the violence present in today's world. The second verse speaks to the idea that people are often told to go along with what is happening in society, even when it is just for show. The repetition of the phrase "we know" underscores the singer's understanding of the inauthenticity of societal expectations. The chorus continues with the question of whether or not the singer is a hero and the acknowledgement that dying as a hero is the only accepted way of being a hero.
The third verse adds a religious element to the song, as the singer asks for forgiveness and speaks of their gun needing to be reloaded. The final phrase, "there go a hero now" refers to the irony that in death, one can become a hero, even if they may not have been seen as such in life. Overall, the song expresses the tension between wanting to be a hero and living up to societal expectations while also recognizing the flaws in those expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
Am I a hero?
The singer is questioning whether or not he can be identified as a hero.
Am I a hero now?
The singer is questioning if his recent actions or current situation have elevated him to hero status.
Please don't shoot me down
The singer is pleading with someone, presumably an authority figure, not to harm him.
I love you like a brother
The artist has strong feelings for the person he is addressing and considers them a close companion.
It's on the news again
The media is reporting on yet another violent event that has occurred.
I guess they killed another
The singer assumes that the reported event resulted in someone's death.
To die a hero
The notion of dying in a courageous manner is commonly associated with heroism.
Is all that we know now
The artist suggests that the concept of dying heroically is all that remains to be admired in a world full of violent conflict.
Oh, we all get told to go along
The artist suggests that people are encouraged to conform to the status quo despite any moral misgivings.
Oh, we know it's all for show
The artist acknowledges that the message being presented is only meant to influence public perception, not enact actual change.
A fallen hero now?
The singer is questioning whether or not he can still be identified as a hero even though he has experienced defeat or hardship.
Hear my sin Lord
The artist is asking for forgiveness or guidance from a higher power.
Speak no evil now
The singer is asking for silence, possibly in reference to the consequences of his actions or the violence he has witnessed.
My gun to reload now
The singer implies that he is going to continue fighting despite the negative consequences.
A broken people
The singer suggests that society is fractured and divided.
There go a hero now
The artist implies that someone in the broken society could be viewed as a hero regardless of their actions.
Lyrics Ā© Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Brian Burton, Dean Cover, Michael Samuel Kiwanuka
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Glimmertwin32
When I first heard this I was drivingā¦.made me pull over and say just WOWā¦.BRILLIANT
@amirulaizad3380
I'm your hero, you are my apprentice š
@MaynardGKrebs-gv4vy
Michael is the greatest talent to come out in the last 20 years. I am 67 and have been listening to music since the womb. This young man "has it" and "gets it".....hard to explain but that's where I'm at.
@andreahauser9893
dobby glis is that you
@maricafaukovic1137
Rare talent with penetrating 60's soulful blues vibe
@JeanAtaide
Try and see black pumas too.
@farhanmadnoh236
Ko jgn lebih2 la sial
@davideverett5214
Old Soul!
@patiencebusingye1958
Uganda is proud of you Kiwanuka! child of the soilšø
@mavolaj-dauniverse8487
L u babe