I Don't Want to Be a Hero
"I Don't Want to Be a Hero" is a 1987 song by the British band Johnny Hates Jazz. It reached #11 in the UK top 40 in August 1987 spending 10 weeks on the chart. It is taken from their #1 album "Turn Back the Clock". Writing and inspiration. The song was written by the band's lead singer and main songwriter, Clark Datchler. It has a strong anti-war sentiment and is written from the perspective of a soldier who is questioning their participation in what they consider an unjust  war. The band's American record company were reluctant to release the single in the U.S. because of its anti-war stance. The song makes references to conscription and propaganda. Music video. The international music video for the song was directed by Andy Morahan. Covers. In 1988, Japanese singer Yōko Nagayama covered the song, "反逆のヒーロー". In 2017, Luis Grayeb covered the song as "I don't want to be a hero".