Contenidos
Holding Out For A Hero - Bonnie Tyler (1983)
Epic pop anthem from the Footloose soundtrack. Produced by Jim Steinman with maximalist, operatic arrangements.
Historical Context
"Holding Out For A Hero" was recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler for the Footloose (1984) film soundtrack. Composed by Jim Steinman (famous for his work with Meat Loaf) and Dean Pitchford.
On its original release it reached number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100, but when re-released in 1985 in the UK, it climbed to number 2. The song has had an extraordinary second cultural life thanks to its iconic appearance in Shrek 2 (2004), which introduced it to a new generation.
Musical Characteristics
The song is in A minor (Am), with an energetic tempo of approximately 150 BPM in 4/4 time. The production bears Jim Steinman's unmistakable signature: maximalist, dense and operatic arrangements with extensive layers of cinematic sound.
Instrumentation includes piano and synthesizer (Sterling Smith), electric guitar (Hiram Bullock), tenor saxophone (Michael Brecker) and bass trombone (Dave Taylor), with Simmons and Linn drum machines.
Trivia
- Blood on the keyboard. When Steinman played the finished song for Pitchford, he hit the piano with such intensity that he left the keyboard covered in blood.
- The Grand Canyon video. The music video was filmed at the Grand Canyon in Arizona and at Veluzat Ranch in California, with a Wild West theme.
- The accidental hero of Footloose. In the film scene, Kevin Bacon's character becomes a "hero" by winning a tractor race, but only because his shoelace got caught on a pedal.