1032 – John Lennon – Working class hero (1970)

Escrita por John Lennon, foi gravada em 26 de setembro e 9 de outubro de 1970 e lançada em 11 de setembro de 1970 no disco John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, o primeiro disco que ele lançou após se separar dos Beatles.

Trata-se de uma canção comunista, que fala da diferença das classes sociais. Fala sobre a classe trabalhadora.

John cantou e tocou violão.

Foi regravada por Marianne Faithfull, Ritchie Havens, Marylin Manson, Green Day e Tommy Roe, entre outros artistas.

A letra:

As soon as you're born they make you feel small
By giving you no time instead of it all
'Til the pain is so big you feel nothing at all
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

They hurt you at home and they hit you at school
They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool
'Til you're so fucking crazy you can't follow their rules
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

When they've tortured and scared you for twenty odd years
Then they expect you to pick a career
When you can't really function you're so full of fear
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV
And you think you're so clever and classless and free
But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

There's room at the top they are telling you still
But first you must learn how to smile as you kill
If you want to be like the folks on the hill
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

If you want to be a hero, well, just follow me
If you want to be a hero, well, just follow me

A versão de John Lennon:

A versão de Marianne Faithfull:

A versão do Green Day: