I Don't Want to Be a Hero

{{Infobox song

| name = I Don't Want to be a Hero

| cover = I Don't Want to be a Hero.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Johnny Hates Jazz

| album = Turn Back the Clock

| B-side = The Cage

| released = August 1987 (UK)
October 1987 (US)

| format =

| recorded = 1986–1987

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Sophisti-pop{{cite web |first1= Thomas |last1= Inskeep |first2= Alfred |last2= Soto |title= The Bluffer's Guide – Sophisti-Pop |url= http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/bluffer/sophisti-pop.htm |work= Stylus Magazine |accessdate= 2016-04-28 |archive-date= 2016-03-14 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160314172451/http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/bluffer/sophisti-pop.htm |url-status= dead }}

| length = 3:37

| label = Virgin

| writer = Clark Datchler

| producer =

Calvin Hayes
Mike Nocito

| prev_title = Shattered Dreams

| prev_year = 1987

| next_title = Turn Back the Clock

| next_year = 1987

}}

"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.{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/The%20Godfather |title=Johnny Hates Jazz - I Don't Want To Be A Hero |publisher=Official Charts Company |date= |accessdate=2012-02-23}} 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.1. Interview with Calvin Hayes, April 2008 The song makes references to conscription and propaganda.

In a 1987 interview with Record Mirror, Datchler said, "It's a very profound song but I'm not about to preach to anyone. All my songs are observations and the nice thing about 'I Don't Want to be a Hero' is that you've got a serious subject and putting it with quite a poppy musical backing. I don't think people get involved enough with lyrics in the pop field."{{cite magazine |last=Strickland |first=Andy |date=19 September 1987 |title=Rubber Johnnies |magazine=Record Mirror |page=48, 49 |issn=0144-5804}}

Music video

The international music video for the song was directed by Andy Morahan.{{cite web|url=http://www.mvdbase.com/video.php?id=14774|title=mvdbase.com - Johnny Hates Jazz - "I don't want to be a hero [version 1: non-US]"|work=Music Video DataBase|last=Garcia|first=Alex S|accessdate=2015-11-01}}

Critical reception

Jerry Smith of British magazine Music Week described "I Don't Want to Be a Hero" a "slick and polished pop song", but deemed it "lacks infectious edge" of "Shattered Dreams".{{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1987/Music-Week-1987-08-29.pdf |title=Singles |first=Jerry |last=Smith |magazine=Music Week |date=29 August 1987 |page=22 |via=World Radio History |access-date=11 September 2023}} In a review published in Smash Hits, Vici McDonald described the song as being "extremely polished and springhtly but it's so blandly anonymous that it could be by practically anybody", adding that Johnny Hates Jazz are just one of many interchangeable men bands "playing jazzy, breezalong white funk".{{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Smash-Hits/1987/Smash-Hits-1987-08-12.pdf |title=Singles reviewed by Vici McDonald |magazine=Smash Hits |volume=9 |issue=16 |date=12–25 August 1987 |last=McDonald |first=Vici |page=61 |issn=0260-3004 |via=World Radio History |access-date=21 November 2023}}

Charts

=Weekly charts=

scope="row"\| Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book \|last=Kent \|first=David \|author-link=David Kent (historian) \|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 \|edition=illustrated \|location=St Ives, N.S.W. \|publisher=Australian Chart Book \|year=1993 \|page=159 \|isbn=0-646-11917-6}} \| 76
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+ Weekly chart performance for "I Don't Want to Be a Hero" ! scope="col"\| Chart (1987–1988) ! scope="col"\| Peak position
{{single chart\|Austria\|22\|artist=Johnny Hates Jazz\|song=I Don't Want to Be a Hero\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 March 2020}}
{{single chart\|Flanders\|16\|artist=Johnny Hates Jazz\|song=I Don't Want to Be a Hero\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 March 2020}}
{{single chart\|Canadatopsingles\|17\|chartid=8692\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 March 2020}}
scope="row"\| Europe (European Hot 100 Singles){{cite magazine \|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Media-IDX/IDX/80s/87/M&M-1987-10-31-OCR-Page-0009.pdf \|title=European Hot 100 Singles \|magazine=Music & Media \|volume=4 \|issue=43 \|date=31 October 1987 \|page=18 \|oclc=29800226 \|via=World Radio History}} \| 8
scope="row"\| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista){{cite book \|last=Pennanen \|first=Timo \|title=Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 \|language=fi \|edition=1st \|location=Helsinki \|publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava \|year=2006 \|isbn=978-951-1-21053-5}} \| 16
{{single chart\|France\|32\|artist=Johnny Hates Jazz\|song=I Don't Want to Be a Hero\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 March 2020}}
{{single chart\|Ireland2\|13\|song=I Don't Wanna Be a Hero\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 March 2020}}
scope="row"\| Italy (Musica e dischi){{cite web \|url=http://www.musicaedischi.it/classifiche_archivio.php \|title=Classifiche \|work=Musica e dischi \|language=it \|access-date=31 May 2022}} Select "Singoli" in the "Tipo" field, type "Johnny Hates Jazz" in the "Artista" field and press "cerca". \| 13
{{single chart\|Dutch40\|25\|artist=Johnny Hates Jazz\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 March 2020}}
{{single chart\|Dutch100\|25\|artist=Johnny Hates Jazz\|song=I Don't Want to Be a Hero\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 March 2020}}
{{single chart\|Sweden\|10\|artist=Johnny Hates Jazz\|song=I Don't Want to Be a Hero\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 March 2020}}
{{single chart\|Switzerland\|12\|artist=Johnny Hates Jazz\|song=I Don't Want to Be a Hero\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 March 2020}}
{{single chart\|UKsinglesbyname\|11\|artist=Johnny Hates Jazz\|artistid=24057\|rowheader=true\|access-date=26 May 2017}}
scope="row"\|UK Dance (Music Week){{cite magazine\|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1987/Music-Week-1987-10-10.pdf \|title=Top Dance Singles \|magazine=Music Week \|date=10 October 1987 \|page=17 \|via=World Radio History \|access-date=11 September 2023}} \|align="center"\|10
{{single chart\|Billboardhot100\|31\|artist=Johnny Hates Jazz\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|Billboardadultcontemporary\|15\|artist=Johnny Hates Jazz\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|Billboarddanceclubplay\|19\|artist=Johnny Hates Jazz\|rowheader=true}}
scope="row"\| US Cash Box Top 100 Singles{{cite web \|url=https://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19880910.html \|title=Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending September 10, 1988 \|work=Cash Box \|access-date=10 February 2021}} \| 30
{{single chart\|West Germany\|17\|songid=1672\|artist=Johnny Hates Jazz\|song=I Don't Want to Be a Hero\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 March 2020}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+ Year-end chart performance for "I Don't Want to Be a Hero" ! scope="col"\| Chart (1987) ! scope="col"\| Position
scope="row"\| Europe (European Hot 100 Singles){{cite magazine \|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1987/M&M-1987-12-26.pdf \|title=European Charts of the Year 1987 – Singles \|magazine=Music & Media \|volume=4 \|issue=51/52 \|date=26 December 1987 \|page=34 \|oclc=29800226 \|via=World Radio History}} \| 84

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Year-end chart performance for "I Don't Want to Be a Hero"

! scope="col"| Chart (1987)

! scope="col"| Position

scope="row"| Europe (European Hot 100 Singles){{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1987/M&M-1987-12-26.pdf |title=European Charts of the Year 1987 – Singles |magazine=Music & Media |volume=4 |issue=51/52 |date=26 December 1987 |page=34 |oclc=29800226 |via=World Radio History}}

| 84