I’m looking for individuals named in rock and roll songs, not necessarily the title of the song but at least the lyrics, who are called out for individual heroic acts. My example is Funky Claude from Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water” ([during the fire] Funky Claude was running in and out, pulling kids outa the ground). They should be real people, or at least possibly real people – not mythical or fictional people.
Who are some others?
Biko by Peter Gabriel, a song about the anti apartheid activist Stephen Biko.
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A Real Hero
Song by College and Electric Youth
"A pilot on a cold, cold morn’
One-hundred fifty-five people on board
All safe and all rescued
From the slowly sinking ship
Water warmer than his head so cool
In that tight bind knew what to do
And you have proved to be"
Arlo Guthrie’s “Victor Jara” comes to mind, though I’m not sure if he fits anyone’s definition of rock’n’roll.
Billy was urged not to be a hero, but he was anyway.
Slim defeated Jim in You Don’t Mess Around with Jim
Jim Croce
Major Tom (Space Oddifty) - David Bowie
Mighty Quinn - Bob Dylan
The young boy in “Powderfinger” - Neil Young
Massive Wagons " Ballad of Verdun Hayes"
What did Quinn do, other than getting all the pigeons to run to him? His title might be “Mighty”, but he ain’t no hero. I guess you could say he just ain’t my cup of meat. (not the best Bob Dylan lyrics).
“Abraham, Martin & John” pays tribute to the deeds of Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, John F. Kennedy, and Robert Kennedy. It was recorded by Dion and by Marvin Gaye.
Casey Jones shows up in several, most notably the Grateful Dead song of the same name.
@Procrustus already gave the definitive answer so I’ll contribute XTC’s The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead
Peter Pumpkinhead came to town
Spreading wisdom and cash around
Fed the starving and housed the poor
Showed the Vatican what gold’s for
But he made too many enemies
Of the people who would keep us on our knees
Hooray for Peter Pumpkin
Yes, racking my brain for great songwriters and heroes. I remember thinking the line was “everybody’s gonna want a dose” (still not a hero)
No Quarter - Led Zeppelin. The language makes them appear as Viking-types as they march through the “Winds of Thor”. Presumably Plant was writing about centuries ago, yet “No Quarter” is now a war crime.
The protagonist in The Cruxshadows’ “Winter Born.”
And in the fury of this darkest hour
I will be your light
A lifetime for this destiny
For I am Winter born
And in this moment…I will not run
It is my place to stand
We few shall carry hope
Within our bloodied hands
(bloodied hands)
And in our Dying, we’re more alive-than we have ever been
I’ve lived for these few seconds
For I am Winter born
Snoopy!
Up in the sky, a man in a plane
Baron von Richthofen was his name
Eighty men tried and eighty men died
Now they’re buried together on the countryside
…
So pick your hero there.
(ETA: The Roysl Guardsmen)
Daddy the Cop on the East Side of Chicago - The Night Chicago Died - Paper Lace
Daddy was a cop on the east side of Chicago
Back in the USA, back in the bad old days
…
Then there was no sound at all
But the clock up on the wall
Then the door burst open wide
And my daddy stepped inside
And he kissed my mama’s face
And he brushed her tears away
He wasn’t a hero in that song, he was driving the train while high on cocaine.
BIG BAD JOHN ~ Jimmy Dean (1961) - with the G-rated lyrics at the end (“a big big man”)