Heroes End

Album: Stained Class (1978)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Judas Priest Guitarist Glenn Tipton wrote this song. The lyrics tell of three "fallen legends" of the arts: Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and James Dean. The song asks why people have to die to become recognized as heroes for their efforts in life.
  • During the subliminal message trial in the early '90s involving the Judas Priest song "Better By You Better Than Me," this was one of the first songs (along with "Beyond the Realms of Death") to be blamed for inspiring two teens to kill themselves. The prosecution said that the lyrics of the song glorified death as heroic, but it was ruled that the lyrics were protected by the First Amendment right of free speech. Later, it turned out that the prosecution had misheard the lyrics of the chorus as:

    But you, you have to die to be a hero
    It's a shame in life
    You make it better dead


    The correct lyrics are:

    Why do you have to die to be a hero
    It's a shame a legend begins at its end
    >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Jon - Sweden
  • "Heroes End" is part of Judas Priest's fourth album, Stained Class. At the time, they were coming into their own look and sound, rocking hard with the twin guitars of K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton, and taking the stage in leather outfits.

Comments: 1

  • Dan Gillespy from Courtenay BcA pure classic British style heavy metal song from back in 1978.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

John Parr

John ParrSongwriter Interviews

John tells the "St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)" story and explains why he disappeared for so long.

Gary Lewis

Gary LewisSongwriter Interviews

Gary Lewis and the Playboys had seven Top 10 hits despite competition from The Beatles. Gary talks about the hits, his famous father, and getting drafted.

Steve Morse of Deep Purple

Steve Morse of Deep PurpleSongwriter Interviews

Deep Purple's guitarist since 1994, Steve talks about writing songs with the band and how he puts his own spin on "Smoke On The Water."

Crystal Waters

Crystal WatersSongwriter Interviews

Waters tells the "Gypsy Woman" story, shares some of her songwriting insights, and explains how Dennis Rodman ended up on one of her songs.

Paul Williams

Paul WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

He's a singer and an actor, but as a songwriter Paul helped make Kermit a cultured frog, turned a bank commercial into a huge hit and made love both "exciting and new" and "soft as an easy chair."

The Fratellis

The FratellisSongwriter Interviews

Jon Fratelli talks about the band's third album, and the five-year break leading up to it.