Superman (It's Not Easy)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Superman (It's Not Easy)"

Single by Five For Fighting
from the album Americatown
Recorded	2001
Label	EMI
Writer(s)	J Ondrasik
Five For Fighting singles chronology
n/a	Superman (It's Not Easy) (2001)	Easy Tonight (2002)

Superman (It's Not Easy) is the debut single released by singer Five For Fighting in 2001.

This song is sung from Superman's point of view; his own name is never mentioned in the song. It chronicles his lamentations that despite his heroic abilities, he is still subject to pain, trials, and tribulations in his life. He is, as the lyrics put it, "only a man."

It is also rumored that the song is an ode to hockey great Wayne Gretzky. The songwriter and performer, John Ondrasik, is a big Los Angeles Kings fan, one of Gretzky's former teams.

[edit] Cover versions

In 2005 a cover version created by Catman Cohen and Henry Iglesias was released via the CD, How I Want to Live: the Catman Chronicles 2. The song was dedicated to the rescue workers of the USA. In 2007, the award-winning podcast Coverville pronounced the Catman rendition to be even more emotionally powerful than the original.

[edit] Mashups

In march 2007 mashup-artist Norwegian Recycling featured this song in a mashup along with Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours", Howie Day's "Collide", 3 Doors Down's "Here Without You", Angela Ammons's "Always Getting Over You" and Boyzone's "All That I Need". A video for youtube was also made. The song and the video were featured at the Mashuptown podcast.