Well I met an old man dying on a train
No more destination, no more pain
Well he said one thing: "Before I graduate
Never let your fear decide your fate"

I say you kill your heroes and fly, fly, baby don't cry
No need to worry 'cause, everybody will die
Every day we just go, go, baby don't go
Don't you worry we love you more than you know

Well the sun one day will leave us all behind
Unexplainable sightings in the sky
Well I hate to be the one to ruin the night
Right before your, right before your eyes

I say you kill your heroes and fly, fly, baby don't cry
No need to worry 'cause, everybody will die
Every day we just go, go, baby don't go
Don't you worry we love you more than you know

Well I met an old man dying on a train
No more destination, no more pain
Well he said one thing: "Before I graduate
Never let your fear decide your fate"

I say you kill your heroes and fly, fly, baby don't cry
No need to worry 'cause, everybody will die
Every day we just go, go, baby don't go
Don't you worry, we love you more than you know

(I say you kill your heroes and fly, fly) baby don't cry
Don't you worry 'cause, everybody will die (die, die)
Every day we just go, go, baby don't go
Don't you worry, we love you more than you know (know, know, know)


Lyrics submitted by LPodyssey07, edited by jakester88, zephar26

Kill Your Heroes Lyrics as written by Aaron Bruno Brian West

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Kill Your Heroes song meanings
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19 Comments

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  • +13
    My Interpretation

    My take is that this song was written as an litany against apathy and inaction. The foundational argument made here is that ultimately, our decisions are of no consequence, because the universe is greater than us and moves along entirely unaffected by the choices we make, and that there is much we will never know no matter how hard we search for answers. (Well the sun one day will Leave us all behind. Unexplainable sightings In the sky. Well I hate to be The one to ruin the night) He's sorry to bring it up, since its kind of a bummer of a statement, but ultimately the sun will swallow up the earth, and everything will be extinguished and irrelevant. This realistic outlook is freeing, and it informs his perspective and the point he is trying to make. This point is that you should strive to achieve your dreams and fulfill your passions, because in the long run there are no consequences to your decisions. (No need to worry, cuz everybody will die.) At worst, you and everyone you know will be gone and forgotten forever, and best case scenario, you fulfill your full potential and leave some of a legacy. But either way, in the sense of the big picture, the pressure of failure is off. So just go for it. Kill your heroes. Disregard the bar set by the people you hold up on a pedestal, and in doing so remove the power they have over you. Achieve all you can, regardless of what those who came before you have achieved. The pressure imposed by the successes of others only serves to limit your potential if you dwell on it. (I say ya kill your heroes and fly, fly, baby don't cry) (Everyday we go, go, baby don't go, Don't you worry we love you more than you know) So fly, reach new heights, go your own way, and don't be upset by the change. But don't go so far that you're out of reach, and know that you always have a grounding in the care that our loved ones have for us.

    As for the old man on the train: (Well I met an old man dying on a train. No more destination, no more pain. Well he said one thing, before I graduate "Never let your fear decide your fate.") A dying old man has no hopes or aspirations, and has only the present and his past to reconcile himself with. He's not in pain, and he has nothing to gain or lose, regardless of what he says. So he can say with 20/20 hindsight and complete neutrality that you should never let your fear decide your fate. Don't be limited by what is challenging and alien, because everything is temporary. Including the suffering induced by taking risks that don't pay off.

    Achieve your full potential, because no matter who you are, you truly have nothing to lose.

    splaineron August 20, 2012   Link
  • +6
    General Comment

    Possibly the best song ever. I really wish more people knew about awolnation! but I'm sure they will soon :) I think in the first bit he's talking about living your life to the fullest and obviously not letting your fears get the best of you

    "Well I met an old man dying on a train No more destination No more pain Well he said one thing Before I graduate Never let your fear decide your fate"

    then he goes on to say not to idolize people but rather make something of yourself because everyone is mortal in the end. " I say you kill your heroes and fly Fly, baby don't cry No need to worry, 'cause Everybody will die"

    Also that things just happen and it's best to let go, not worry whether or not things will go wrong in relationships or in life in general, "Every day we just Go, go, baby don't go Don't you worry, we Love you, more than you know"

    It almost seems as if he's talking to a very depressed person throughout the song, who's lost the will to live because they feel everyone will go or leave them behind. And he's trying to tell them that they shouldn't give up because of fear and that bad things happen and that's inevitable, but they happen to everyone. Maybe also telling them not to try and live up to impossible standards but instead make their own.

    so ya hope to see more comments here!

    outtamindon May 12, 2011   Link
  • +6
    My Interpretation

    Science has a hard time answering the big questions, why are we here, why was their a big bang, why does nature follow rules. Perhaps we are literally all one in the same energy dreaming life up together in a huge collective consciousness. This is called the idea of the Holographic Universe. We are all souls (energy) that experience this physical reality together to gain experience and intelligence. The beauty of this, and the power of this song is the idea of your own power. Stop denying yourself your greatness and believe. There is NOTHING to fear. The power of the mind is only just being understood.

    When the old man says he wants to tell him something before he "graduates" it is implying he is on to the next class, and he has gained a lifetime of experience as a soul, and he has realized that we are masters of our own reality, so don't let fear shape that reality.

    Kill your heroes, and stop idolizing and worshiping people around you. We ARE ALL ONE, and they do not have anything more than you. Believe in yourself, you are your own hero.

    We love you more than you know. WE love you, WE are one, WE are everyone together. All living things are bonded so profoundly and we are only beginning to understand.

    Stop waiting for life, and live it.

    Since I have learned about these theories, they are popping up everywhere. When I heard this song I had chills. Awolnation is here to help us achieve a higher consciousness. We wrote this song, it is a beacon for us to follow. We are talking to ourselves.

    Pinch yourself and wake up, assume your power and use it as a force of love. LIFE IS SO AMAZING! No matter what happens, you have the power to control your reaction. Be positive, do positive, and love everything. Times are changing.

    HeHiHeon September 21, 2012   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    I think this song is about someone with low self esteem stuck in life idolizing those around him or celebrities. He fears that he isn't is good or doesn't have the skills as those he idolizes. The artist, in my opinion is trying to tell him to take all those people off of pedestals and go and be awesome himself.

    macintoshappleon October 25, 2011   Link
  • +4
    Song Meaning

    Existentialism and Batman.

    End of story.

    menagraon August 05, 2012   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    I find this song uplifting and motivating. It feels like it's about living. "never let fear decide your fate" then moves towards the chorus. "kill your heros" - be yourself, "fly, fly..." live to full potential, "don't cry... no need to worry.... everybody will die" - just keep going, everyone you know will die, it doesn't matter what they think or do. There is no need to worry, just be yourself. "everyday we just go go..." - slow down, live for yourself. "we love you more then you know" - there are people who love you and want you to live to be the happiest and best you can be, so just go on... for youself.

    the old man on the train, i feel like, is the person giving the advice on how he lived, or how he should have lived?

    Anyways, that was what i got from it, I think it is inspirational in a way.

    rinajade75on September 01, 2012   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation

    I appreciate this song and I personally adore it. The song has helped me personally. The first time I heard it was on YouTube. I liked the sound when it was featured and decided to listen to the whole song. The song made me feel alive and high, with the combination of the music and the lyrics.

    My interpretation of the song is about not letting anything stop me from living and succeeding in life.

    "Never let your fear decide your fate." is the line that stuck to me, that caught my attention. I needed to hear that.

    "No need to worry cuz, everybody will die."

    I hear him saying do not waste time worrying about anything because in the end we will all die.

    "Everyday we just go, go..." I hear him saying to me everyday people die, we all do die and will die, so live life to the fullest, do not worry, and do not let fear decide and control your fate and future.

    "Well the sun one day will Leave us all behind. Unexplainable sightings In the sky. Well I hate to be The one to ruin the night. Right before your, right before your eyes."

    I hear him saying death will come, no matter how; the earth might end or your life will end, no matter what, death will come. He hates to tell it like it is before your eyes, but it is the fact and we must be aware and try our best to live and be something in life-something good in society.

    The first verse is Awolnation's main idea, or point.

    There are lines in the song I do not understand, such as "Kill your heroes" and "Don't you worry we love you more than you know." All I can do is guess and analyze.

    It could be the band saying they love us, or people might love you more than you'll ever know, such as your family, friends, even acquaintances.

    "Kill your heroes"..... Killing your heroes is a bad thing thus I think he is using it to mean something else-make your mistakes, you will make bad decisions but do not worry, do not let fear control your fate:

    The video is funny, I love the fact that the song that makes me feel alive and does a lot for me has a video to make me laugh and smile.

    The song's structure is so simple, but the lyrics are so powerful and even the rock music is powerful. This song is one of those songs that does not come out nowadays; it is a message, it makes you think, it makes people analyze the song's meaning, and it touched someone's life, mine.

    MichaelaCon February 06, 2013   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think its also about living while you can and trying to not let things get to you that dont matter much. As for the part in the beginning when he sings about the old man who was dying on the train he was taking. "He said one thing before I graduate, never let your fear decide your fate." I think its the old man telling him not to have any regrets because he did and of course the only thing you can truly regret is not taking any chance or doing anything.

    "I say kill your heroes and fly, fly baby don't cry." I think this means that don't let everybody try and save you

    korinmufinon February 20, 2013   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation

    This song is about not letting you hold yourself back, kill your heroes isn't a bad thing is about how trying to compare yourself to others will always hold you back and you want get anywhere with them the entire song to me is how only you can hold yourself back

    fmeffordon February 23, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    In addition to what others have been saying about this song being about not letting you hold yourself back and such, I also thought that the line "now don't you worry 'cause everybody will die" might be referring to not letting yourself waste so much time trying to impress others. Don't worry about other people's opinions and instead spend more time living because in the end there won't be anyone left anyways.

    kornmaizeon July 28, 2013   Link

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