| This song was initially an instrumental composition, which title was a reference to the 1975 track "Hero" by the German band Neu! <ref name="songfacts1"/> | |
| "Heroes" describes the story of two lovers, one from East and one from West Berlin. It was inspired by the scene of Bowie's producer/engineer Tony Visconti embracing his girlfriend, Antonia Maaß by the Berlin Wall as Bowie looked out of the Hansa Studio window. <ref name="genius1">{{cite Genius.com|url="https://genius.com/1492590"|title="'Heroes' by David Bowie"}}</ref> | |
| - | David Bowie for a long period explained that the lovers were |
| + | David Bowie for a long period explained that the lovers were an unknown young couple because Visconti was married to Mary Hopkin at the time and Bowie was protecting him and his affair with Maaß. Bowie later confirmed this. <ref name="genius1"/> |
| [[Robert Fripp]], formerly of [[King Crimson]], played guitar on this track. <ref name="songfacts1"/> | |
| David Bowie admitted that the song was on the edge of his vocal abilities: | |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Sq6_NVrKes | |
| *Live performance at Earls Court in 1978.* | |
| - | Probably, the most important Bowie's performance of "Heroes" happened |
| + | Probably, the most important Bowie's performance of "Heroes" happened in front of the German Reichstag in West Berlin on June 6, 1987. This performance was considered as a catalyst for the eventual fall of the Berlin Wall. |
| David Bowie admitted that it was one of the most emotional performances he'd ever done. "I was in tears. They'd backed up the stage to the wall itself so that the wall was acting as our backdrop. We heard that a few of the East Berliners might get the chance to hear the thing, but we didn't realize in what numbers they would. There were thousands on the other side that had come close to the wall. It was like a double concert where the wall was the division. And we would hear them cheering and singing along from the other side. ... I'd never done anything like that in my life, and I never will again. When we did 'Heroes,' it felt anthemic, almost like a prayer," Bowie said. "These days, it's almost like walking through it compared to that night because it meant so much more. That's the town where it was written, and that's the particular situation that it was written about. It was just extraordinary." <ref name="perf1">{{cite PerformingSongwriter.com|url="http://performingsongwriter.com/david-bowie-songs/"|title="Farewell, David Bowie by Lydia Hutchinson"}}</ref> | |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C7FlnBt1q4 | |