"The Hero's Return" is a song by the English rock band

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...

from their twelfth studio album, '' The Final Cut'' (1983). Like many tracks included on ''The Final Cut'', "The Hero's Return" had – under its original title "Teacher, Teacher" – been previously rejected from their eleventh studio album''

The Wall ''The Wall'' is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 30 November 1979 by Harvest/ EMI and Columbia/ CBS Records. It is a rock opera which explores Pink, a jaded rock star, as he constructs a psychologic ...

'' (1979). Guitarist

David Gilmour David Jon Gilmour ( ; born 6 March 1946) is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter who is a member of the rock band Pink Floyd. He joined in 1967, shortly before the departure of the founder member Syd Barrett. By the early 1980s, Pink F ...

was opposed to this recycling of songs, believing that if they "weren't good enough for ''The Wall'', why are they good enough now?" Like many other tracks on ''The Final Cut'', "The Hero's Return" featured anti-war lyrics. The lyrics of "The Hero's Return" are almost entirely rewritten from its "Teacher, Teacher" demo version. Retitled as "The Hero's Return (Parts 1 and 2)" with an extra verse absent from ''The Final Cut'' version, the song was released as the B-side of "

Not Now John "Not Now John" is a song by the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, written by Roger Waters. It appears on the album ''The Final Cut (album), The Final Cut'' (1983). The track is the only one on the album featuring the lead vocals of David Gilmour, f ...

", also from ''The Final Cut'', in 1983. Despite not being released as an A-side to a single, "The Hero's Return" charted at #31 on the ''Billboard'' Mainstream Rock chart in America.

Credits

Pink Floyd *

Roger Waters George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English musician and singer-songwriter. In 1965, he co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd as the bassist. Following the departure of the group's main songwriter Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became ...

– lead vocals, bass, synthesiser, tape effects, acoustic guitar *

– lead and rhythm guitar *

Nick Mason Nicholas Berkeley Mason (born 27 January 1944) is an English drummer and a founder member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. He has been the only constant member since the band's formation in 1965, and the only member to appear on every ...

– drums, percussion Additional musician *

Andy Bown Andrew Steven Bown (born 27 March 1946) is an English musician, who has specialised in keyboards and bass guitar. He is a member of the rock band Status Quo. Career Bown's first major band was The Herd, along with Peter Frampton. After The H ...

– Yamaha electric piano

References

Sources

* * * * 1980s ballads 1983 songs Anti-war songs Hard rock ballads Pink Floyd songs Song recordings produced by Roger Waters Songs about soldiers Songs written by Roger Waters The Wall {{1980s-rock-song-stub