Superhuman

Album: Heroes For Sale (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is the opening track of Heroes For Sale, the first studio album by American Christian Hip-Hop artist Andy Mineo. Lyrically, the New York rapper based the album around the idea of the fallibilities of human heroes. Mineo explained: "We make heroes out of a lot of things. We make heroes out of people. We believe ourselves to be greater than we really are. We make ourselves look like heroes to other people. What I really wanted to do is show the brokenness of the heroes that we create and the heroes that we try to be in order to show that there is ultimately only one great hero."
  • In an unusual move for a Hip-Hop record, it opens with the classic hymn "I Will Rise and Go to Jesus." "I loved it so much that I decided to sample it and use it to open up the album," explained Mineo. "So my album opens with a traditional hymn, which is very rare for a hip hop album, but I think that opening hymn embodies everything that I wanted to say on this project: 'I will rise and come to Jesus, I'm broken, sick, wounded. All I need is grace.' Those are the kinds of lyrics you'll hear on that opening hymn and I think it's a perfect set-up for the rest of the album."
  • Mineo explained regarding the song's meaning: "Anytime someone gets a microphone we exalt the person speaking and often times we look at them as some kind of super human. We look at pastors that way. We look at basketball players that way, anyone who has a platform. So on the first song of the album I reveal a whole bunch of my struggles. I say, 'Hey, listen, though I have a microphone and though I might be exalted in some platforms, I'm not a super human. I'm just a fallen, broken person who needs grace.' We put on these masks and I really wanted to tear some of those down and create some vulnerability on this project. That's a lot of what that song is about, just saying I'm not that great, but my God is."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Glen Burtnik

Glen BurtnikSongwriter Interviews

On Glen's résumé: hit songwriter, Facebook dominator, and member of Styx.

TV Theme Songs

TV Theme SongsFact or Fiction

Was a Beatles song a TV theme? And who came up with those Fresh Prince and Sopranos songs?

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)Songwriter Interviews

"Come On Eileen" was a colossal '80s hit, but the band - far more appreciated in their native UK than stateside - released just three albums before their split. Now, Dexys is back.

David Bowie Lyrics Quiz

David Bowie Lyrics QuizMusic Quiz

How well do you know your David Bowie lyrics? Take this quiz to find out.

Richie Wise (Kiss producer, Dust)

Richie Wise (Kiss producer, Dust)Songwriter Interviews

Richie talks about producing the first two Kiss albums, recording "Brother Louie," and the newfound appreciation of his rock band, Dust.

Dean Pitchford

Dean PitchfordSongwriter Interviews

Dean wrote the screenplay and lyrics to all the songs in Footloose. His other hits include "Fame" and "All The Man That I Need."