Working Class Hero

[Matt Till]

I'll admit, I only know about this song because of Green Day's cover, but wow... this is a good song. Not only in structure/melody but lyrical content. I always doubt Lennon as a lyricist. I based this judgement on "I am the Walrus" and "Imagine" both lyrics I don't consider all that deep. Working Class Hero, just listened to it, now I'm pretty bummed. It really is about being trained from birth that you're part of a machine, to strive for mediocrity, to aspire to be rich, but to know you'll always be poor or at best middle class. It's certainly a subject I've found myself noticing all my life and is becoming very real.

Off topic reasoning why I find a connection with these lyrics aside(and I'm sure anyone in the "working class" would feel a connection to this song), lyrics that evoke true emotion. From now on when someone tells me Lennon was a great lyricist, I think I might actually agree.

[xlows]

You clearly haven't looked deeply into Lennon to think his lyrics are shallow. Paul's could be called that (Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, for example), but never John's. John was a very deep guy and is one of my three personal heroes. Look into him and you'll appreciate him more.

[SUNNyday r.]

Remember that most places on this planet don't offer you the chance to be "middle class". Lennon was raised in the aftermath of world war two and it took england far longer to recover from that war than america. This theme is also in alot of Pink Floyd material. Being poor and to know your place in society seems to be very "british" in it's conception. The middle class in america live a far more comfortable lifestyle than what is considered middle class in the rest of the world. This is a good thing. Lennon's lyrics are haunting but don't strike a chord in me because my "working class hero" status affords me a good quality of life and the possibilty to try other avenues if I so choose. This sounds political but it is hard to avoid with lyrics more so than instrumental music.

[Nojja]

This cover is terrible. They dont do anything new with the song. So cheap...

[Matt R.]

Get Lennon's "Plastic Ono Band" album for the original version. Much more powerful.

[Pugz]

Funny thing you should say that you once doubted Lennon's lyrical abilities on the song "I am the Walrus" as that was sort of the point of that song

Lennon often had his lyrics analyzed to death by people and "I am the Walrus" was written as a sort of response to that with nonsense lyrics to sort of say "here you go figure this one out".