We’ve been coasting on the wave of “Batman V. Superman” since the end of March while waiting for Marvel’s heavily-anticipated May 5th release of “Captain America: Civil War.” In the meantime, kids and comic fans of all ages have been hyping themselves up in all sorts of ways in preparation for the movie. Here are a few songs that might pump up your own inner hero.
1. “Holding Out for a Hero” (Bonnie Tyler)
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night
He's gotta be strong
And he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight
How could you do anything having to do with heroes and not think of this classic? Whether it’s the original or the cover by the Fairy Godmother in “Shrek 2,” it’s a great song to get you excited for any occasion—Superman or Captain America present or otherwise.
2. “(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman” (The Kinks)
Superman Superman wish I could fly like Superman
Superman Superman I want to be like Superman
I want to be like Superman
Superman Superman wish I could fly like Superman
So here’s the thing: This song is essentially about an everyday guy who can’t catch a break. Everything is awful all the time. But! We all want to be like Superman—we all want more from our humdrum lives than what we’ve got, and this song exemplifies that longing for something more. Also, the live version has a really punishing pace, which could make it a great workout song, too.
3. “The End of Jason Todd” (The Smyrk)
Take this tickin tickin time out
Cause I hit what I aim for
Take this tickin tickin time out
Cause you might get what you came for
This is another song that might be able to get you amped up if only for the guitars. Jason Todd was the second Robin and was murdered by the Joker—and some fans have hypothesized that the costume in the case while Ben Affleck’s Batman storms moodily around the Batcave might just have been his.
4. “Spiderman” (The Ramones)
Spiderman, Spiderman Does whatever a spider can
Spins a web any size Catches thieves just like flies
Look out, here comes the Spiderman
The Ramones have a rendition of the Spider-Man theme song that you probably have heard before. No reason not to throw it on your Superhero Playlist—it’s a time-honored tradition. Also, Spider-Man’s showing up in “Civil War,” so it’s another way to get excited for the movie.
5. “Flash” (Queen)
Flash a-ah
Savior of the Universe
Flash a-ah
He'll save every one of us
Not a song about DC’s Flash, but rather Flash Gordon—who, as Freddie Mercury tells us, is the Savior of the Universe. He’s one of the older pulp sci-fi heroes, but we all owe something to our roots, and there’s no reason not to add another hero.
6. “Kryptonite” (Three Doors Down)
If I go crazy then will you still
Call me Superman
If I’m alive and well, will you be
There a-holding my hand
I’ll keep you by my side
With my superhuman might
Kryptonite
Listen, this is kind of corny. I get that. But it’s also probably one of the more famous songs regarding Superman, and it’s one that most people can sing along to, which makes it good road trip material.
7. “Ballad of Barry Allen” (Jim’s Big Ego)
I've got time to think about my past
As I dodge between the bullets
How my life was so exciting
Before I got this way
And how long ago it was now
I never can explain by the clock that's on the tower
Or the one that's in my brain
When you’re the Fastest Man Alive, the rest of the world must move pretty slowly to you. Barry Allen can go so fast that he can jump between universes, but being quick doesn’t always seem to be everything it’s cracked up to be, especially in the “Ballad of Barry Allen.”
8. “Side Kick” (Rancid)
Wolverine came through left
the agent for dead, opened up the doors
back up everyone was fed
Since this is a punk rock song, it’s as much about political issues as it is about superheroes. It’s punk rock, though, which means it’s high energy, and even if you don’t care about politics, maybe you want to be a vigilante’s sidekick, too.
9. “Nobody Loves the Hulk” (The Traits)
The Hulk is a monster who is
Ugly, oversized and green,
His strength is fantastic
And his disposition’s mighty mean
Poor Hulk. I’m pretty sure this is part of the sentiment that Bruce Banner was expressing about why he can’t get involved with romantic relationships in “Age of Ultron.” The title tells us that nobody loves the Hulk—but the chorus says, “’Cept you and me,” so who knows—maybe there’s love out there for all of us ugly mutants after all.
10. “Wondergirl” (Hey Monday)
Be your Wondergirl
I'm not gonna save you
Wondergirl
Go save yourself
No way; won't go down in your flames
Because Wondergirl won't save your life
So there is actually a character called “Wonder Girl;” there are at least two of them, in fact. I don’t necessarily know if Hey Monday was referring to either of them, but the name remains and it’s definitely using a super-heroic metaphor to explain the hurt that someone might feel when in a relationship—or, possibly, trying to help a loved one with addiction, given some of the other lyrics in the song.
11. “Catch Me Now I’m Falling” (The Kinks)
Now I'm calling all citizens from all over the world
This is Captain America calling
I bailed you out when you were down on your knees
So will you catch me now I'm falling
We’re gearing up for a Captain America movie. In it, it looks like Cap needs help from his friends—a lot of whom are definitely against him (hence the whole “Civil War” thing). This song has a lot to do with where America itself was at during the tail-end of the 1970’s, which is also the decade during which Steve Rogers, ashamed of the political climate in America, ditched the Captain title and took on the name “Nomad.” I’m not saying Captain America might die in the movie, but I am saying that it happened in the comics, so who knows?
Honorable Mention: “Kiss from a Rose” (Seal)
But did you know,
That when it snows,
My eyes become large and the light that you shine can be seen.
Baby,
I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the gray.
This is my favorite thing to have come out of “Batman Forever.” I have listened to this song on repeat for over two hours on a car ride just to see if I could do it. And, spoiler, I did, because it’s the best song ever written, and it’d be an embarrassment not to include The Song associated with Val Kilmer’s Batman on a list about songs regarding superheroes. It’s not technically about superheroes, but I don’t care.
