“Heroes”, Heroes, 1977
Greg Cameron
From an early age, “Heroes” has struck a chord with me. It’s a love song set in times of tough conditions and overcoming some serious odds. Bowie’s lyrics have been used as a rallying cry against oppressive regimes (case in point this 1987 concert atop the Berlin Wall), and used as a backdrop of escapism against the oppression of being a teenager as evidenced in the 2012 coming of age film, The Perks of Being a Wallflower. That’s the really great about this song and in a greater sense, Bowie’s music. Whatever your perception of it, you were still welcome under the big tent of Bowie. This is a song whose guitar riff sounds like a celebration away from whatever constraints your life is presently placing upon you. We all can be heroes or victors even for just one day. Life is all about the simple victories. Being able to celebrate them is the stuff that makes life worth living. “Heroes” is the song that lets you bask in that moment of personal glory for all its 3:27.