The song “Hero” was released by Mariah Carey on October 18, 1993. It’s from her album “Music Box.” Mariah Carey wrote and produced the song along with Walter Afanasieff.
Originally, Carey didn’t feel a connection to the song’s style or sound. She planned to give it to Gloria Estefan for a movie soundtrack. But Tommy Mottola, a Sony executive, convinced her to keep it and tweak the lyrics to fit her better.
The song’s lyrics talk about finding inner strength during tough times. It’s seen as one of Carey’s most uplifting songs. The protagonist declares that even when things are tough, everyone has the potential to be a “hero” by tapping into their inner strength.
This article will explore the deeper meaning of the lyrics.
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“Hero” Lyrics Meaning
[Verse 1]
There’s a hero
If you look inside your heart
You don’t have to be afraid
Of what you are
There’s an answer
If you reach into your soul
And the sorrow that you know
Will melt away
In Verse 1, Mariah Carey sings about finding strength and courage within oneself, as she says, “There’s a hero if you look inside your heart.”
She encourages listeners to look inside their hearts and souls, assuring them that they don’t need to be afraid of who they are, singing, “You don’t have to be afraid of what you are.”
Carey emphasizes that by tapping into their inner selves, they can overcome sorrow and fears, ultimately finding inner peace and confidence.
[Chorus]
And then a hero comes along
With the strength to carry on
And you cast your fears aside
And you know you can survive
So when you feel like hope is gone
Look inside you and be strong
And you’ll finally see the truth
That a hero lies in you
In the chorus, Mariah Carey describes how a hero emerges during challenging times, offering hope and inspiration, as seen in the lines “And then a hero comes along, With the strength to carry on.”
In the lines “And you cast your fears aside, And you know you can survive, ” Carey sings about overcoming fear and adversity, knowing that one has the ability to survive.
She encourages listeners to remain strong and look within themselves for courage and determination, as she says, “Look inside you and be strong, And you’ll finally see the truth, That a hero lies in you.”
[Verse 2]
It’s a long road
When you face the world alone
No one reaches out a hand for you to hold
You can find love
If you search within yourself
And the emptiness you felt
Will disappear
In Verse 2, Mariah Carey reflects on the difficulties of facing life’s challenges alone. She acknowledges the feeling of loneliness and the absence of support from others, singing, “It’s a long road when you face the world alone.”
Despite this, Carey suggests that love can be found by looking within oneself, as she says, “You can find love if you search within yourself.”
She reassures listeners that by addressing their inner emptiness, they can overcome feelings of isolation and find fulfillment, as seen in the lines “If you search within yourself, And the emptiness you felt, Will disappear.”
[Bridge]
Lord knows
Dreams are hard to follow
But don’t let anyone
Tear them away
Hold on
There will be tomorrow
In time
You’ll find the way
In the Bridge, Mariah Carey acknowledges the difficulty of following dreams but urges listeners not to let anyone deter them, as she sings, “Lord knows, Dreams are hard to follow, But don’t let anyone, Tear them away.”
Carey reassures that despite obstacles, there is always hope for the future and they’ll find their way to success, singing, “Hold on, there will be tomorrow, In time, You’ll find the way.”
[Outro]
That a hero lies in you
That a hero lies in you
In the Outro, Mariah Care repeats the line “That a hero lies in you,” emphasizing the idea that everyone has the power to overcome challenges and become a hero.
Deeper Meaning Behind “Hero”
Mariah Carey’s song “Hero” is a touching ballad that has resonated with millions. It delivers a profound message about inner strength and self-belief. In an interview with Fred Bronson, Carey shared the meaning of the song to both herself and her fans.
One person could say that ‘Hero’ is a schmaltzy piece of garbage, but another person can write to me a letter and say, ‘I’ve considered committing suicide every day of my life for the last ten years until I heard that song, and I realized, after all, I can be my own hero,’ and that, that’s an unexplainable feeling, like I’ve done something with my life, you know? It meant something to someone.
The song’s lyrics discuss the personal strength that resides within everyone, portraying the ability for each person to become their own hero. It encourages people to tap into their inner heroism. Just as heroes have the power to inspire and transform those around them, each of us possesses the inner light and strength necessary to make a positive impact on the world.
“Hero” encourages us to find courage within ourselves and remain steadfast in the face of challenges, as seen in the lines, “So when you feel like hope is gone, Look inside you and be strong, And you’ll finally see the truth, That a hero lies in you.”
Reflecting on the song’s significance during her performance of “One Sweet Day” at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, as part of The Adventures of Mimi Tour, Mariah Carey expressed its profound importance to both herself and her fans:
I wrote a song a while back even before “One Sweet Day” and it was not my favorite song in the world, but I wrote it. Someone asked me to write a song and they told me the story, and you know it was kind of a moving concept or whatever.
And I did it, and I was like you know it’s not necessarily what I like per se, but after doing the song over and over again and having people coming up to and saying, thank you for writing ‘Hero’ because it saved my life or it saved my father’s life or my brothers or sisters life, or something of that nature, I said I always have to sing that song when I’m performing because if I don’t, you never know who I’m leaving out and you know what, in times of my life I’ve had to turn to that song lyrically and flip it onto my own life and sing it to myself. So its from the ‘Music Box’ album, and it’s called ‘Hero’, this is for you.
Interestingly, Mariah Carey initially had doubts about the song. She thought it was too sentimental and different from her usual work. However, when she saw how it touched her fans and received heartfelt messages from them, she embraced its importance and made it a part of her performances.
In essence, “Hero” celebrates the inner power that everyone has. The lyrics remind us that we can be our own heroes, as Mariah Carey proudly sings, “That a hero lies in you.”
Jacob Carter is a lyricist. He created the lyrics writing course to teach people how to analyze and write lyrics. He graduated from the University of Oxford with a degree in English Literature, so he’s skilled at playing with words.
He’s also an amateur guitarist, which means he knows music and melody very well. With this background, he’s a great lyricist you can rely on to learn writing lyrics.