"A Real Hero" is a song by French electronica artist College in collaboration with Electric Youth, released in 2010. The song was included as the eleventh track on Electric Youth's debut studio album Innerworld. The track was used as a main theme in the 2011 film Drive, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and starring Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan.
| "A Real Hero" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single by College and Electric Youth | |
| from the album Innerworld | |
| Released | 11 January 2010 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 4:27 |
| Label | Valerie Records |
| Songwriter(s) | |
Production
Electric Youth frontman Austin Garrick, along with David Grellier, who performs as College, have cited separate inspirations for producing the song.
Garrick was inspired to write the song by a quote from his grandfather, who spoke of airline captain Chesley Sullenberger after the US Airways Flight 1549 water landing incident. Garrick's grandfather referred to Sullenberger as "a real human being and a real hero", which became the song's refrain. The second verse of the song, which includes the line "155 people on board", refers to the 155 survivors of US 1549.
Grellier, on the other hand, took inspiration from cinema, in particular the character Max Rockatansky of the Mad Max franchise. Grellier has stated that he "wanted to give a homage to that lonely hero that we see in movies like Mad Max. People who make their own choice and try to save lives. I want to give an homage." The first verse of the song is more along these lines and could be taken to be about Mad Max himself, although it could also be about Sullenberger.
Cover versions
Indie pop group Smallpools released a cover version of the song on May 12, 2015, through RCA Records and Sony Music Entertainment. The cover was uploaded to audio distribution platform SoundCloud on May 13.[citation needed]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "A Real Hero" | Austin Garrick, David Grellier | Garrick, Grellier | 4:27 |
| 2. | "Closer" | Grellier | Grellier | 1:35 |
| 3. | "Critical Mass" | Grellier | Grellier | 4:12 |
| 4. | "The Mirage Makers" | Grellier | Grellier | 1:21 |
| 5. | "Susan Waiting" | Grellier | Grellier | 2:21 |
Personnel
- Bronwyn Griffin – vocals
- Austin Garrick – production, writing
- David Grellier – production
Release history and reception
| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | January 11, 2010 | Digital download | Valerie |
| United Kingdom | |||
| United States |
Spin magazine named "A Real Hero" one of the 20 Best Songs of 2011. The song was nominated for a 2012 MTV Movie Award in the category of "Best Music".