Excerpt from Rush’s “Nobody’s Hero”

 

I didn’t know the girl, but I knew her family; all their lives were shattered in a nightmare of brutality

They try to carry on, try to bear the agony, try to hold some faith in the

goodness of humanity

As the years went by, we drifted apart when I heard that she was gone I felt a shadow cross my heart

 

But she’s nobody’s hero

Is the voice of reason against the howling mob

Hero…is the pride of purpose in the unrewarding job

Hero…not the champion player who plays the perfect game

Hero…not the glamour boy who loves to sell his name

Everybody’s buying

Nobody’s hero

 

As the years went by, we drifted apart When I heard that you were gone I felt a shadow cross my heart

 

But he’s nobody’s hero, Saves a drowning child, Cures a wasting disease

Hero…lands the crippled airplane; solves great mysteries

Hero…not the handsome actor who plays a hero’s role

Hero…not the glamour girl who’d love to sell her soul

If anybody’s buying

Nobody’s hero

 

Recently (and I mean for the past year), I’ve been thinking a lot about heroes.  Maybe it’s because of the show “Hero” or maybe it’s because of the “anti-hero” culture we live in at this moment.  First of all, let me give you some history of me.  I collected comic books for many years.  I still admit to buying a graphic novel from time to time.  Currently, I’ve been reading the “Ultimates” a new series by Marvel which refreshes a lot of the big name titles of the “Marvel Universe”.   Which brings me to the point, I think the current culture in America and possibly the world is very Anti-Hero.  We’ve lost the belief that there is a hero, or that there is a benefit to believing in a hero.  The focus on making the hero into a “human”, bringing up all their down sides until you think that this person just rose above themselves in this one instance.  That doesn’t make for a very good role model, but it makes GREAT copy, as the news boys say.

 

Somewhere along the line, we started thinking star athletes were heroes.  Worse, we started to think that movie stars were heroes.  While I admire great skill in athletics, and I can understand wanting to be like them in that aspect, “hero” must be bigger than athletics.  It must be bigger than your career ambitions.

 

I believe in Hero Worship.  “Nobody’s Hero” isn’t about the anti-hero.  It’s about everybody being a hero.  It’s about focusing on the people who are heroes in the small way; recognizing the ideal in the details.  In truth, this song is old.  It predates this anti-hero culture I’ve seen so much of lately.  I wonder if Alex Lifeson (who I think wrote the lyrics, but I’m not sure, it might be Neil Peart) would agree with me on this.  When I hear this song, I hear him crying out that we’ve lost who is a hero and who is not.  I hear him say we need to find the hero in life and admire him for that.  Even if it’s just a guy who says sorry, or a person that believes despite their hardship, that their fellow man is good.  Sometimes, that’s heroic enough.