Not All Heroes Wear Capes
Owl City Lyrics


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He doesn't fight crime
Or wear a cape
He doesn't read minds
Or levitate
But every time my world needs saving
He's my Superman
Some folks don't believe in heroes
'Cause they haven't met my dad

He loves his workshop
And rock 'n roll
He's got a hot rod
And a heart of gold
And you could say he's a man of few words
But he talks a lot within
And even though I'm a little taller
I still look up to him

He built me a house in the arms of a tree
He taught me to drive and to fight and to dream
When he looks in my eyes I hope he can see that
My dad's a hero to me

Rust ridden fenders
And doors full of dings
Somehow he can fix about anything
I didn't think he knew how to cry
'Til our dog died that year
He doesn't always say I love you
But I can hear him loud and clear

He built me a house in the arms of a tree
He taught me to drive and to fight and to dream
When he looks in my eyes I hope he can see
That my dad's a hero to me

He built me a house in the arms of a tree
He taught me to drive and to fight and to dream
When he looks in my eyes I hope he can see
That my dad's a hero to me

(My dad's a hero)
(My dad's a hero)
(My dad's a hero)
My dad's a hero to me

(My dad's a hero)
(My dad's a hero)




(My dad's a hero)
My dad's a hero to me

Overall Meaning

The song "Not All Heroes Wear Capes" by Owl City is a tribute to the singer's father. The lyrics convey the idea that heroes can take many forms, and not all of them have supernatural abilities or wear superhero costumes. The first stanza of the song conveys this message by contrasting traditional superhero tropes with the singer's father. The father doesn't fight crime, wear a cape, read minds, or levitate, yet he is a hero in his own right. The second stanza continues this theme by highlighting the father's qualities and interests: his love for his workshop, rock 'n roll, and his hot rod. Despite being a man of few words, the father has imparted valuable lessons to the singer, such as teaching him to drive, fight, and dream.


The chorus of the song is a powerful declaration of the father's heroism. The singer states that every time his world needs saving, his father is his Superman. Even though some people might not believe in heroes, the singer knows that his dad is a hero to him. The last stanza touches upon the father's emotional depth, revealing that he knows how to fix just about anything, including the singer's broken heart when their dog died. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the father's importance in the singer's life.


Overall, "Not All Heroes Wear Capes" is a touching tribute to fatherhood and the ways in which everyday acts of love and support can make someone a hero in the eyes of their children.


Line by Line Meaning

He doesn't fight crime
He may not be a superhero


Or wear a cape
He doesn't have to wear a costume to be someone's hero


He doesn't read minds
He may not be a mind reader or a psychic


Or levitate
He may not have supernatural powers


But every time my world needs saving
He is always there for me when I need him the most


He's my Superman
He is my hero


Some folks don't believe in heroes
Some people don't believe heroes are real


'Cause they haven't met my dad
They haven't met my dad, who is my hero


He loves his workshop
He has a passion for his work


And rock 'n roll
He likes listening to rock music


He's got a hot rod
He has a cool classic car


And a heart of gold
He has a kind and compassionate heart


And you could say he's a man of few words
He may not talk a lot


But he talks a lot within
But he has a lot of wisdom and perspective to share


And even though I'm a little taller
Despite being taller than him


I still look up to him
I still admire him and respect him


Rust ridden fenders
His car may be old and rusty


And doors full of dings
His car may have dents and scratches


Somehow he can fix about anything
He has great mechanical skills and can fix almost anything


I didn't think he knew how to cry
I didn't think he cried often


'Til our dog died that year
But when our dog died that year, he showed his emotions


He doesn't always say I love you
He may not express his emotions with words often


But I can hear him loud and clear
But I know he loves me anyway


He built me a house in the arms of a tree
He built me a treehouse


He taught me to drive and to fight and to dream
He taught me important life skills and encouraged me to pursue my dreams


When he looks in my eyes I hope he can see
I hope he sees how much I appreciate him


That my dad's a hero to me
That my dad is my hero




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Adam Young

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

James Mannette

I lost my father to illness 5 years ago when I was in high school. I think about him every day.


This song is so incredibly powerful in so many aspects ... while my dad may not have built tree-houses, he helped me build many school projects and other fun toys. My dad loved working in his work shop and tinkering around with small engines. My dad let me drive his dump truck down pit roads, and run other heavy equipment when he'd take me to work. My dad fixed everything and anything around the house, and built 80% of our house on his own.


I'm now 21, and going to school at the U.S. Air Force Academy with aspirations of becoming a pilot. I wouldn't have gotten to where I am without my dad's ferociousness, tenacity, and perseverance. I'm working hard every day to impress my hero.


Thank you for being my hero, dad. I love and miss you so much!

**Edit: Wow, thank you all for the incredible comments and support! Reading each and every one of your words brought both tears and a smile to my face. I currently am less than 100 days out from graduating from the Air Force Academy and commissioning as a Second Lieutenant. About a month ago I received the amazing news that I have been selected to attend pilot training after graduation to become a U.S. Air Force pilot! Life is so good. :)



Daniela Acosta

He doesn't fight crime
Or wear a cape
He doesn't read minds
Or levitate
But every time my world needs saving
He's my Superman
Some folks don't believe in heroes
'Cause they haven't met my dad
He loves his workshop
And rock 'n roll
He's got a hot rod
And a heart of gold
And you could say he's a man of few words
But he talks a lot within
And even though I'm a little taller
I still look up to him
He built me a house in the arms of a tree
He taught me to drive and to fight and to dream
When he looks in my eyes I hope he can see that
My dad's a hero to me
Rust ridden fenders
And doors full of dings
Somehow he can fix about anything
I didn't think he knew how to cry
'Til our dog died that year
He doesn't always say I love you
But I can hear him loud and clear
He built me a house in the arms of a tree
He taught me to drive and to fight and to dream
When he looks in my eyes I hope he can see
That my dad's a hero to me
He built me a house in the arms of a tree
He taught me to drive and to fight and to dream
When he looks in my eyes I hope he can see
That my dad's a hero to me
My dad's a hero to me
My dad's a hero to me



All comments from YouTube:

Parmesh Yadav

When stupid songs get Grammy awards While this is the pure music. Keep up the good work.

Yosé

Let's be honest, other than the sentimental value of its theme--which resonates deeply with me as well--this song is musically basic.

SportsMusicMovie Fan

@Yosé it sounded good, it has sentiments, the words you can feel, the melody is catchy but basic chords....

Is it not what makes it great? I mean music isnt about difficult riffs, complicated solos,

It can be simple but a very nice listen..

The beatles had really simple musics and yet... 😁😁

Shocking Pikachu

@SportsMusicMovie Fan Sometimes it is the simple songs that resonate with people more than complex ones. I like that Owl City just makes music they enjoy, experimenting with songs like "Fireflies" to see what works and doesn't. It takes one song to get you famous, but talent to keep people interested in the music. Simple chords can be used to great effect with the correct strum pattern, tempo and lyrics. Complexity doesn't make great songs. It is talent, planning and the elements of a song that makes it good

Mej Nyle

Truth.

Sree ganesh s pillai

Doesn't matter if its simple, sometimes simple thing can move our heart much more than other complicated things. Ed sheeran is an example most of his old songs are simple but yet more touching than the songs that wins Grammy's and other awards. Well I love this simple song.

50 More Replies...

Mikyla G

My dad passed away tonight. I showed this song to him three years ago and he cried. He really is my hero, I don’t want to live without him. I love you dad, thank you for everything.

Sua Lih

Sorry for your loss
Hold tight sis. It's gonna get better

Ishan katoch

Stay strong ❤️

William Lange II

You keep him alive by talking about him and now we all know you had a great Dad.

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