"We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)" was released at the peak of Tina Turner's musical career, on the heels of her multiplatinum Private Dancer album and its many hit singles. The song's lyrical content and theme is mostly a statement of anti-war and anti-violence. The version played during the film differs from the version on the album and single. The song was also released in an extended, six-minute-plus 12" version, included on the soundtrack album.
The song received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song in 1986 and a 1986 Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
The music video for the song is generally considered to be one of Tina Turner's best, and remains one of her most well-known and recognizable music videos. The video features an iconic Tina Turner dressed in a heavy chain mail gown, more or less in character as Aunt Entity. Striking a bold pose atop an illuminated circular pedestal, as several spotlights train themselves on her and the camera swoops beneath her, she proceeds to sing atop the platform while various scenes from the movie are shown. In the last part of the song, Turner's tour saxophonist Tim Capello and a children's choir accompany Tina.
The music video received an MTV Video Music Award nomination for Best Female Video.
We Don't Need Another Hero
Tina Turner Lyrics
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Out from the wreckage
Can't make the same mistake this time
We are the children
The last generation (the last generation)
We are the ones they left behind
Living under the fear 'til nothing else remains
We don't need another hero
We don't need to know the way home
All we want is life beyond the Thunderdome
Looking for something
We can rely on
There's got to be something better out there
Mm, love and compassion
Their day is coming (coming)
All else are castles built in the air
And I wonder when we are ever gonna change, change
Living under the fear 'til nothing else remains
All the children say
We don't need another hero
We don't need to know the way home
All we want is life beyond the Thunderdome
So what do we do with our lives?
We leave only a mark
Will our story shine like a light
Or end in the dark?
Is it all or nothing?
We don't need another hero (hero)
We don't need to know the way home
All we want is life beyond Thunderdome
All the children say
We don't need another hero (we don't need another hero)
We don't need to know the way home
All we want is life beyond the Thunderdome
Tina Turner's song "We Don't Need Another Hero" was released in 1985 and was written by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle. The song was created for the movie "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" in which Tina Turner also appeared as Aunty Entity. The song was a commercial success and reached the top 10 in multiple countries.
The lyrics of the song convey a message of hope and determination in the face of destruction and chaos. The song begins with the lines "Out of the ruins, out from the wreckage, can't make the same mistake this time," suggesting that the characters in the movie and perhaps society as a whole have been through tough times and need to learn from mistakes to move forward. The chorus, "We don't need another hero, we don't need to know the way home, all we want is life beyond Thunderdome," seems to suggest that the characters are not looking for a savior or someone to lead them, but instead are looking for a better life and a better future.
The second verse, "Looking for something we can rely on, there's got to be something better out there, mm, love and compassion, their day is coming (coming), all else are castles built in the air," reinforces the idea that the characters are looking for tangible solutions to their problems, and that love and compassion will eventually prevail. The final verse asks the question, "What do we do with our lives? Will our story shine like a light or end in the dark?" which seems to suggest that the characters and by extension, society as a whole, have a choice to make between a better future or one of darkness and despair.
Overall, "We Don't Need Another Hero" is a song with a positive message of perseverance and optimism, even in the face of destruction and chaos.
Line by Line Meaning
Out of the ruins
We emerged from the destruction of the past
Out from the wreckage
We rose from the debris of our failures
Can't make the same mistake this time
We must not repeat the same mistakes we made before
We are the children
We are the young and hopeful generation
The last generation (the last generation)
We may be the final generation before the end of the world or the collapse of society
We are the ones they left behind
We are the abandoned and forgotten ones left behind by previous generations
And I wonder when we are ever gonna change, change
We question if we will ever truly change and improve the world
Living under the fear 'til nothing else remains
We endure a constant state of fear until there is nothing left
We don't need another hero
We don't require a savior to rescue us
We don't need to know the way home
We don't need to be told what to do or where to go
All we want is life beyond the Thunderdome
We strive for a better life and future beyond the current chaos and violence
Looking for something
We search and seek for something better
We can rely on
That we can trust and depend on
There's got to be something better out there
There must be a better and brighter future out there
Mm, love and compassion
Love and empathy
Their day is coming (coming)
A time where these values will be valued above all else
All else are castles built in the air
Everything else is just unrealistic fantasies and illusions
So what do we do with our lives?
What is the purpose and meaning of our existence?
We leave only a mark
We only leave behind a small trace of our existence
Will our story shine like a light
Will our life and legacy be remembered and revered?
Or end in the dark?
Or will it fade away into obscurity?
Is it all or nothing?
Is it success or failure?
All the children say
All the young and hopeful voices proclaim
We don't need another hero (hero)
We do not require a savior to rescue us (hero)
All we want is life beyond Thunderdome
We strive for a better life and future beyond the current chaos and violence
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Graham Hamilton Lyle, Terry Britten
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind