My Hero

"My Hero" is a track by the American rock band Foo Fighters, issued as the third single from their 1997 album The Colour and the Shape in January 1998. Dave Grohl, the lead singer and co-writer, called it a nod to "ordinary heroes." It reached number six on the US Billboard Alternative Songs chart and is widely regarded as a Foo Fighters classic, regularly performed at their live shows.

The song first appeared on the 1997 album, but it was played live with different lyrics as early as 1995. On July 17, 1995, Grohl recorded a solo demo on an 8-track reel-to-reel in his Seattle basement, handling vocals, drums, bass, and guitars. Though the lyrics were unfinished, the vocal melody matched the final studio version. In the 2011 documentary Foo Fighters: Back and Forth, bassist Nate Mendel recalled that hearing Grohl's demo convinced him the band had a future because the song was excellent.

In a 1999 interview, Grohl explained the song is about ordinary heroes, stating he admires everyday people more than celebrities. During a 2009 VH1 Storytellers appearance, he said the song was inspired by 1980s movies like Valley Girl and revealed the band wrote it about Pete Stahl and Chip Donaldson without realizing it. The recording used two separate drum tracks played simultaneously for the intro and choruses.

The music video, directed by Grohl, shows a man entering a burning building to rescue a baby, a dog, and a framed photo of the baby's mother. The eyes of the baby and dog are blurred. The camera follows the man in a continuous long take, with smoke hiding transitional cuts, and his face is never shown. Inside, the band performs the song, seemingly ignoring the chaos. Guitarist Franz Stahl appears in the video, though he did not play on the recording, because Pat Smear had left the band.

Critically, Entertainment Weekly ranked it the Foo Fighters' 14th-greatest song, Kerrang ranked it seventh, American Songwriter called it the best, and Rolling Stone readers placed it fourth.

In 2008, the band objected to Republican presidential candidate John McCain using the song at rallies without permission. Foo Fighters stated it was frustrating that someone claiming to speak for Americans would show such little respect for creativity and intellectual property, noting the song was written as a celebration of the common man and his extraordinary potential, and that its use perverted the original sentiment. The McCain campaign argued the use was proper under blanket licensing, with all royalties paid. The band later performed an acoustic version at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, where Barack Obama secured the nomination. In 2024, Foo Fighters also objected to Donald Trump using the song at a Glendale, Arizona rally, stating they would give any royalties to Trump's opponent, Kamala Harris.

On September 3, 2022, at a Wembley Stadium tribute concert for late drummer Taylor Hawkins, the band played "My Hero" with Hawkins' son Shane on drums. The performance went viral, earning Shane a Drumeo Award for Drum Performance of the Year. Far Out described Shane's style as uncannily similar to his father's, calling the performance one of the most emotionally charged songs ever witnessed at the stadium.

Track listings include a UK single with "My Hero" (4:21), a cover of "Baker Street" (5:39), "Dear Lover" (4:34), and enhanced content; a Japan special edition maxi single with additional covers and live tracks; and an Australian single with "My Hero," "Dear Lover," and a live version of "For All the Cows." Personnel are Dave Grohl on vocals, guitar, and drums, Pat Smear on guitar, and Nate Mendel on bass. The song appears on weekly and year-end charts and has certifications.