My Hero (by the Foo Fighters)

So for a long time I have suggested the theory that "My Hero" by the Foo Fighters (by the way, Foo Fighters is a mixed-language name in that Foo means Fire...so its the Fire Fighters. This highlights the "Big Me" video where the band is dressed like Fire Fighters) is about OJ Simpson.

If you take a look at the lyrics, he is clearly talking about his hero (duh). But take a look at the verse, and it clearly appears he's singing about OJ Simpson! For example, he says "truth or consequence, say it aloud, use that evidence, race it around". Is he referring to the Race Card?! Would you too not remove the pictures of your hero if he was arrested for murder? The first verse in my opinion emphatically suggests that it is OJ Simpson he is referring to.

The second verse supports it as well. Where he says: "there goes my hero, watch him as he goes, there goes my hero, he's ordinary" it suggests a disillusionment, because the hero is now shed in an "ordinary" light. The following lyrics don't have it, but in the song itself, he also screams "was it so!". This is an obvious allusion to the famous statement said by a kid to "Shoeless" Joe Jackson during the 1919 Black Sox scandal "Say it ain't so, Joe. Say it ain't so!".

Now, the counterargument is that it could just be about ANY hero has been "dragged down" into ordinary-ness (if that is even a word), but that is why the "truth or consequence" and "use that evidence" lines are so important. He is clearly referring to some sort of trial (be it by jury or otherwise), but more importantly the "race it around" phrase sticks out. It only makes sense to expect the statement "race it around" to refer to the Race Card that was played by the OJ Simpson legal team! The Race Card worked perfectly, and OJ was found not-guilty.

The last verse also adds to the meaning. He says "kudos my hero, leaving all the best, there goes my hero, the one that's on". The one that's on what?! On TV! OJ was found not-guilty, and Dave Grohl is saying kudos.

Here are the lyrics, you can judge for yourself. :)

too alarming to talk about
take your pictures down
and shake it out
truth or consequence, say it aloud
use that evidence, race it around

there goes my hero
watch him as he goes
there goes my hero
he's ordinary

don't the best of them bleed it out
while the rest of them peter out
truth or consequence, say it aloud
use that evidence, race it around

kudos my hero
leaving all the best
you know my hero
the one that's on