The phrase “we can be heroes” is most famously sung by David Bowie in his 1977 song “Heroes” , where the chorus repeats “we can be heroes, just for one day.”

However, there are a few popular uses people might mean:

  • The original rock song “Heroes” by David Bowie – this is the classic track with the “we can be heroes, just for one day” line.
  • The dance track “Heroes (We Could Be)” by Alesso featuring Tove Lo , whose title and theme echo the Bowie line but is a different song.
  • The piano ballad “We Can Be Heroes” by Jeffrey James , released after appearing on the TV show Songland.

If you are thinking of the classic lyric “we can be heroes, just for one day,” the singer you want is David Bowie.