Whether it was from Stranger Things, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, or maybe even the finale of Regular Show, I’m sure you have heard the song Heroes sung by David Bowie.
Anyone who is relatively close to me is aware of my love for David Jones, and maybe they even know that Heroes has been my favorite song since 8th grade.
In this short analytical essay, I want to not focus only on my personal commentary of the song but also go into the history and meaning that Bowie wrote into the lyrics.
David Bowie himself has confirmed the origin of the song. While residing in Berlin, 1977, and working on his next album, Bowie watched his record producer, Tony Visconti, kiss singer Antonia Maass outside the Berlin Wall.
Seeing this affair between the two worked an idea into his brain. He imagined two lovers, one from East and the other from West Berlin.
If you are unfamiliar with the concept of East and West Germany, I will go into a quick history to give you some background.
With the fall of the Third Reich and the eventual end of the war, Germany was split by the Allies into 4 occupation zones. Due the political and economic differences, however, these zones soon shifted, dividing Germany into two sovereign states.
The French, British, and American zones formed the Federal Republic of Germany, while the Soviet-controlled portion formed the German Democratic Republic. In simpler terms, here forms East (Soviet) and West (for the most part, sovereign) Germany.
West Germany was prospering under capitalism and the state was slowly returning to normalcy. As Cold War tensions rose, the Soviet Union increasingly tightened its grasp on East Germany, using it as a buffer zone against future possible invasions.
In the middle of these two sections, here sat Berlin, divided nearly in half. As East Germans began to flee to West Germany through Berlin, the Soviets built the Berlin Wall.
Under the guise of ‘protection’, the wall was a standing lie. The guard towers, guns, and posts did not point outside to protect; they faced inward, ready to detain or shoot any deserters.
Now, to tie this into the song, remember those two lovers. East and West German, communications between them would have been sparse and potentially criminalizing. However, they persist. Bowie imagined their love story as one of bravery and persistence.
The song’s lyrics dive into the lovers’ fantastical promises and dreams together. The song mentions swimming like dolphins as well as becoming their own king and queen. These lyrics evoke a feeling of hopefulness in inference that there is a period of struggle.
I especially appreciate the detail that Bowie writes in that they are heroes, but “just for one day,”. This implies the acknowledgement that nothing perfect or happy can linger. Life ebbs and flows, and holding on to the good parts is simply unrealistic. He embraces that idea in a very Nietzschean way by simply appreciating the fact that there will be better times, just as true as there certainly will be worse ones.
Another verse that adds to this absurdist point of view is “Though nothing will keep us together,”. The lover, in the perspective of the song, knows that this love between themself and their other is not destined to last. They accept it, yet they still allow themself to feel all the emotions without being dampened by this allowance.
Bowie himself said the song is, “deriving some joy from the very simple pleasure of being alive”. I love this quote, it is one of the reasons I love Bowie so much. It is such a simple yet existentialist statement that really drives home the feeling of shortness in life while having fun. It doesn’t sugarcoat and make believe that our time here is eternal. Rather than wallowing in despair over this fact, Bowie writes in a feeling of persistence and relentless excitement.
In regards to the historic influence of the song, it has been irrevocably tied to the Cold War and the fall of East Germany. This is due to not only the mythology behind the actual creation of the song, but also due to the fact that Bowie himself performed it in West Berlin in 1987.
With huge speakers faced right at the wall, thousands of East Berlin citizens illegally crowded to their side of the wall to listen. This was, of course, done on purpose on Bowie’s part. He sent his voice over as a rallying cry to the oppressed Germans, who were beat and arrested for their singing and dancing.
This would soon spark intense protests in East Germany, where the chant “Die Mauer muss weg!” (the wall must fall) was heard across Berlin. This concert, as well as the following protests, exposed the unstable state of Soviet control of East Germany, and would be fully destroyed two years later in 1989, as the wall was torn down.
As for my personal interpretation of the song, I have found comfort in David Bowie’s vocals for the past 6 years. The song, to me, represents the fight for happiness and the restlessness for self improvement and preservation in the face of turmoil.
Heroes has been a representation of the philosophical concept of the indomitable human spirit. To see the challenges surrounding you while remaining persistent and optimistic and to not go down without a fight.
This doesn’t mean that I won’t feel pain or suffering as long as I keep my head up. It doesn’t mean there are times I will wish for everything to freeze. It certainly doesn’t mean that there will be no times of absolute catastrophe.
What it does mean is that humans have the capability to persevere. If there is anything worthwhile the homosapiens have done for our name, it is our ability to keep trying in the face of adversary.
Heroes is an artistic representation of that ideology to me. The lyrics and musicality intertwine to create an anthem of humankind as well as the individual. It highlights every person’s personal journey and struggles.
In the midst of indifferent politicians, crumbling society, and worldwide failure to progress our population, David Bowie’s call to arms for love and resilience will forever push me to think in perspective of the universe, not what is going wrong directly in front of me.
When in doubt of your path, your journey, or just bored in the car, I ask that you do me a favor and listen to the song. Let the lyrics move you into a deeper pondering of your life and the meaning of it, and how you can work towards achieving or even bettering that end goal.
When in doubt, listen to Bowie.
https://genius.com/David-bowie-heroes-lyrics
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