Metallica: Hero of the Day Meaning
Song Released: 1996
Hero of the Day Lyrics
The window burns to light the way back home
The light that warms no matter where they've gone
They're off to find the hero of the day
But what if they should fall by someone's wicked way?
Still the window...
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1TOP RATED
#1 top rated interpretation:The song is about a man dealing with the effects of war and PTSD.
“The window burns to light the way back home” – This is a play on the old practice of leaving a candle in a window so travelers could see houses at night. The window itself burning and the phrase “warms no matter where they've gone” is used to emphasize this persons desire to return home.
“They're off to find the hero of the day
But what if they should fall by someone's wicked way?” – This lyric denotes that the unknown “they” in the song is looking for a “hero of the day” or in other words a person to celebrate for a short time and then dispose of, in essence a Disposable Hero. “Should fall by someone's wicked way” refers to dying in war either at the hand of the “wicked” enemy or the “wicked” people that started the war to begin with.
“Still the window burns,
Time so slowly turns,
Someone there is sighing” – The desire to return home is an ongoing feeling. The knowledge that loved ones are sad due to his absence and are waiting for this person to come home makes time seem to slow down.
“Keepers of the flames;
Do you feel your name,
Can't you hear your babies crying?” – Keepers of the flame are the people at home awaiting his return. Do you feel your name refers to family members being connected and identifying their position in the family. He is asking if they understand what it means to be a father, mother, brother or sister and if that description now has deeper meaning. “Babies crying” is a connection between mother and child. This line is asking if she feels the separation from her son.
“Mama they tried and break me
Still they try and break me” – This denotes that he has returned from the war “they tried to break me” but is still suffering from the effects of what happened while he was there. “Still they try to break me.”
“Excuse me while I tend to how I feel
These things return to me that still seem real” – Here he is dealing with the effects of PTSD. He is asking to be forgiven for the behavior that he is partaking in to help him deal with the lingering effects of his experience. Things that still seem real refers to the “flashbacks” felt by Vets as they deal with the often vivid memories of what they saw and did.
“Now deservingly, this easy chair
But the rocking's stopped by wheels of despair” – This lyric says that the person in the song deserves rest and relaxation but the emotional baggage he carries prevents him from actually doing it.
“Don't want your hate,
But the fist I made,
For years can't hold or feel” – He rejects the hate and anger that he feels. The “fist I made for years can't hold or feel” denotes that he carries so much anger that he can’t love anybody. His emotions are now a “fist” that is not capable of holding or feeling the love of other people.
“No I'm not all me,
So please excuse me while I tell them how I feel” – He has lost a piece of himself and is screaming out against those that made him into what he has become. “Them” is a generic collection of everybody that he sees as the cause of his anger.
“But now the dreams (and waking screams) that everlast the night
So build a wall (behind it crawl) and hide until it's light
So can you hear your babies crying now?” – The nightmares don’t end when he wakes up screaming, they “ever last the night” and are part of his waking hours. The wall he builds and crawls behind is an emotional one. He will hide there until the darkness of his experience is gone and the “light” cleanses his fear and anger. “Hear your babies crying now” is asking if his mother feels the separation from her son despite his physical presence.
“Mama they try and break me” – Here he is saying that “they” knew that this was going to happen to him and that “they” did it to him on purpose. He is not saying that they tried “to” break him in addition to all of the other things that happened, he is saying that breaking him (his emotions) was the whole intent to begin with. -
2TOP RATED
#2 top rated interpretation:The song is about the influence of t.v. And media on our children. How the young make heroes out of non important people. The burning window is representing a television. the angst that is described is parental frustration. James described the meaning briefly as about children seeking heroes outside the home when the real heroes are right in front of them.
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3TOP RATED
#3 top rated interpretation:To whoever else interpreted this song before me: I don't think you can interpret a song incorrectly. A good song has multiple meanings so it can speak to all of the different people that listen to it. To me, this song is about someone that has moved on from a loving family. ('The holder of the flame' is a parent that will always take in their child) While this person is away from home, they they are hangin' around with the wrong crowd, getting into trouble, falling into peir pressure(Mama they try and break me) and feeling guilty about it. So their parents 'hear their baby crying', knowing something's not right. The child then comes home and is celebrated for coming home instead of being punished for their poor actions. [to me, this story relates to the story of the prodical son (The Parable of the Lost Son) in the Bible.]
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When a young man ventures into the world he has idealistic hopes and dreams. Over time his romantic view of the world is slowly crushed as he is beaten down (by many possible things. War, relationships, society in general etc).
His mother is the only person who will always truly love him and welcome him back home to shelter him from the cruel world. -
I like the song and vid. But the little robots exiting the ear of the man in slow motion kinda throws off the whole video because of the unknown meaning and the robots are inorganic while the rest of the video protagonists are organic..humans with emotions.
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I my heart of hearts and knowing drug problems and the sense of humor James has, I'd say the song is about his dilemma of choosing between cooking some horse up to shoot and the alternative of forcing himself into drug rehab. The mama is what he calls his fix, and the babies crying are the veins in his arms, legs, wherever, begging for that euphoric dose of happiness. Remember that Canadian saying, "The key to life is happiness in your household!"
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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I feel it has to do with the selling of your soul and the evil required to maintain your status.Many in Hollywood and the industry have sold their soul for riches and fame,but I don't think they understood what they had gotten themselves into and regret it.The babies crying are the sacrificed children.And yes,it is happening!!!
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Lights in the windows and ties around tress to remember soliers and wish for the safe return.
The families hardship about sending a loved one off to fight and wondering if they will come back.
After getting home he has to learn to deal wit PTSD, going into battle mode when his child starts crying.
Pain of going through PTSD and the feeling of being alone with no one to talk to.
Family and fried time is difficult to transition into and has become foreign to them. -
I watched an interview with James and he said it was about the media, whatever that means. But I like your guys' views about soldiers returning home from war and suffering from PTSD. Seems a lot more logical
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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I think it's about a war veteran telling how he feels about war.
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It's obviously a song about a foreign war veteran dealing with post traumatic stress disorder. You can hear his despair regarding trying to return to his former level of comfort and the disillusionment he has for all the hype and glorification he (and others) received upon return from war. "Excuse me while I tend to how I feel, these things return to me that still seem real," illustrate his need to deal with the (PTSD) images that still plague him from his war experiences. I can't even begin to understand how these guys deal with what they experienced there.
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This song is about the struggles of war and the struggles veterans have with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It vividly paints pictures of a veteran reminiscing (
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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I have a feeling that this song is about a desperate cry for help. Just think about it! This guy has gone and done bad things in his life, and needs guidance. Also, Mothers call their children their baby's.
So:
"Can't you hear your babies crying?"
Is most likely saying,
'hey mom, can't you hear me calling for you?'
Also, watch the video. It may make sense that way. -
this song sounds like i child in highschool or any school that is being pressured and bullied into doing things that he doesnt want to do. the lyrics " cant you hear your babies crying " could relate to mothers and fathers being ignorant to that child and saying that they need to stand up for themselves when it just gets them into more trouble.
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