Heroes
Peter Gabriel Lyrics


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I, I will be king
And you, you will be queen
Though nothing will drive them away
We can beat them, just for one day
We can be heroes, just for one day

And you, you can be mean
And I, I'll drink all the time
'Cause we're lovers, and that is a fact
Yes we're lovers, and that is that
Though nothing will keep us together
We could steal time just for one day
We can be heroes for ever and ever
What d'you say?

I, I wish you could swim
Like the dolphins, like dolphins can swim
Though nothing, nothing will keep us together
We can beat them, for ever and ever
Oh we can be Heroes, just for one day

I, I will be king
And you, you will be queen
Though nothing will drive them away
We can be Heroes, just for one day
We can be us, just for one day

I, I can remember (I remember)
Standing, by the wall (by the wall)
And the guns, shot above our heads (over our heads)
And we kissed, as though nothing could fall (nothing could fall)
And the shame, was on the other side
Oh we can beat them, for ever and ever
Then we could be Heroes, just for one day

We can be Heroes
We can be Heroes
We can be Heroes
Just for one day
We can be Heroes

We're nothing, and nothing will help us
Maybe we're lying, then you better not stay
But we could be safer, just for one day





Oh-oh-oh-ohh, oh-oh-oh-ohh, just for one day

Overall Meaning

The song Heroes by Peter Gabriel is a tribute to the courage it takes to be different in an oppressive society. The opening lines “I will be king and you will be queen” suggest the potential for change and the idea of standing out. The following line “Though nothing will drive them away” reflects the challenges of being different but they can be overcome even if it’s just for one day.


The second verse talks about the power of love and how it can conquer all, even if it’s just for a day. The line “Though nothing will keep us together” suggests the fleeting nature of love, but that doesn’t stop them from living in the moment and being heroes for that time. The lyrics “What do you say?” encourage the listener to also join in and be a part of this transformation.


The third verse compares humans to dolphins and the singer wishes that the person he is addressing could swim like them. This implies that dolphins are free and can move with ease and grace, which reflects the freedom and escape the song is representing. The chorus resounds this message with “We can be heroes just for one day” and the conviction grows, leading to the climax “We're nothing, and nothing will help us. Maybe we're lying, then you better not stay. But we could be safer, just for one day.” The final line suggesting even if they’re lying about being heroes, they can still be safe just for one day.


Line by Line Meaning

I, I will be king
I want to be in control


And you, you will be queen
You will be by my side and have power too


Though nothing will drive them away
Our opposition will not easily be defeated


We can beat them, just for one day
For one day, we can overcome any challenges


We can be heroes, just for one day
We can make a difference for a brief period of time


And you, you can be mean
You can act out of character and be ruthless


And I, I'll drink all the time
I will escape my problems with alcohol


'Cause we're lovers, and that is a fact
Our romantic relationship is undeniable


Yes we're lovers, and that is that
Our love is important and cannot be ignored


Though nothing will keep us together
External factors may cause our love to falter


We could steal time just for one day
We could temporarily disregard our problems for a day


We can be heroes for ever and ever
We can be remembered as heroes forever


What d'you say?
Are you willing to accept this challenge and join me?


I, I wish you could swim
I wish you had the strength to face your fears


Like the dolphins, like dolphins can swim
Just like the graceful creatures of the ocean


And we kissed, as though nothing could fall (nothing could fall)
We shared a moment of pure passion and love


And the shame, was on the other side
The opposing force should be the ones to feel ashamed


Oh we can beat them, for ever and ever
We can achieve victory and overcome our obstacles


Then we could be Heroes, just for one day
We can achieve greatness for a brief moment in time


We're nothing, and nothing will help us
We are alone and without assistance


Maybe we're lying, then you better not stay
If the reality is that we are doomed, it's best to leave


But we could be safer, just for one day
We could at least be at peace for a temporary period of time


Oh-oh-oh-ohh, oh-oh-oh-ohh, just for one day
Even if it only lasts a day, it's worth striving for greatness




Lyrics © Freibank Musikverlags und vermarktungs GmbH, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Bluewater Music Corp., Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Actual Music, S.L.
Written by: Brian Peter George Eno, David Bowie

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

@jamesdegraff7095

So, 1997 Stanley Cup champions Detroit RED WINGS had a couple players involved in a car accident days after winning. Vladimir Konstantin was in a coma, and was severely paralyzed.

1998 season, the Detroit RED WINGS only decor in their locker room was a rock, with Vladdys number 14, and the word "believe."

When they won in 1998 against the Washington Capitals, in a 4 game sweep, this song played as they wheeled Vladdy, now juat able to smile, around with the Stanley Cup in his wheelchair.

Thats the connection between these 2 moments.

The operational name Red Wings was just a random coincidence, it was the 4th name on the list in 10 of hockey teams they were using.



@monetsung

I, I wish you could swim
Like dolphins
Like dolphins can swim
Though nothing
Will keep us together
We can beat them
For ever and ever
Oh, we can be heroes
Just for one day
Oh, we can be heroes
Just for one day

I, I will be king
And you
You will be queen
Though nothing
Will drive us away
Oh, we can be heroes
Just for one day
Oh, we can be us
Just for one day

I, I can remember
Standing
Standing by the wall
And the guns
Shot above our heads
And we kissed
As though nothing could fall
And the shame
The shame was on the other side
Oh, we can beat them
For ever and ever
Then we can be heroes
Just for one day



@flowersintheattic9710

[Verse 1]
I, I wish I could swim
Like dolphins, like dolphins could swim
Though nothing will keep us together
We can beat them, for ever and ever

[Chorus 1]
Oh we can be Heroes, just for one day
Oh we can be Heroes, just for one day

[Verse 2]
I, I will be king
And you, you will be queen
Though nothing will drive us away

[Chorus 2]
We can be heroes, just for one day
We can be us, just for one day

[Verse 3]
I, I can remember
Standing, standing by the wall
And the guns, shot above our heads
And we kissed, as though nothing could fall
And the shame, the shame was on the other side
Oh we can beat them, for ever and ever



All comments from YouTube:

@sona28

"But please, if you don't mind, for the sake of your poor old dad, keep the door open three inches!"

@leia5777

My tears are here

@intelligentgrawlix794

That part hurt me

@PrimusPicklebal

Ben McIntyre im not crying

@aliajoiner1240

Ben McIntyre you rly trying to make me cry

@lunayoshi

The onion ninjas strike again.

Screw this awesome show. It knows how to break hearts.

250 More Replies...

@bogdanalexandrupricop6349

Everybody talks about Stranger Things, which is awesome as hell, but nobody talks about Peter's interpretations of this song, just as awesome.

@shanafondon8767

This song is beautiful af...it really is

@udude73

Inspired by the sight of Bowie's producer-engineer Tony Visconti embracing his lover by the Berlin Wall, the song tells the story of two lovers, one from East and one from West Berlin. Bowie's performance of "'Heroes'" on 6 June 1987, at the German Reichstag in West Berlin has been considered a catalyst to the later fall of the Berlin Wall.] Following his death in January 2016, the German government thanked Bowie for8 "helping to bring down the Wall", adding "you are now among Heroes"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%22Heroes%22_(David_Bowie_song)

@deirdremorris9234

@@udude73 Wow. Thank you for that! I recognized the song watching ST and thought about it today☺

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