3. My Hero
Such a simple, straightforward song, but so much feeling. I love this song, because I believe every word. Heroes are people in our lives that save us, that we love, that inspire us to be better than ourselves. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy movies and TV shows like X men and Buffy and Xena and Superman. But they're just shows. In life, Buffy has never aided me when I was attacked by a vampire. But my best friends, my father, even random strangers sometimes, have given me strength and tough love when I needed it to get better. I owe them everything I have and am. And this one's for them. Dave quote: "That's my way of saying that when I was young, I didn't have big rock heroes, I didn't want to grow up and be some big sporting hero. My heroes were ordinary people and the people that I have a lot of respect for are just solid everyday people - people you can rely on."
Side note - one of my favorite Foo videos (which is saying something). so simple, so beautiful.
2. The Pretender
This is a fantastic song for many reasons, as is the phenomenal video. Like many of their song in the last decade, this one is political too, alluding to the upcoming (at the time) 2008 elections. Dave has always been rather outspoken about justice, and the importance of people being heard, and not ignored. He wanted an anthem that will unite people who have, in his words: "been fucked over before and I think a lot of people feel fucked over right now and they're not getting what they were promised". In addition to the meaning the leading man intended, it's simply a song to replay. Which I have, a lot. You yell out everything that is wrong, everyone that has wronged you, relationships, bosses, parents. The amazing thing is, you can listen and feel it when you're 14 years old, and you can listen to it at 60. I know a couple of older folks who love the Foos, and that's why they are so successful. They appeal to everyone (who loves rock).
Dave Quote: "This was recorded toward the end of the album session. I had this melodic idea and just went ahead with it, thinking the album needed a four minute blast of rock! We fucking threw this together in an hour. It's the sort of song that this band is all about. It's not Bohemian Rhapsody; it's a basic four-part rock song with a Chuck Berry breakdown in the middle. I love it."