Stevie Ray Vaughan Unites With David Bowie, Breathes New Life Into “Heroes”

The Dallas Moonlight Sessions, 1983

It’s no secret that David Bowie played a role in Stevie Ray Vaughan’s rise to fame; the two were introduced at the 1982 Montreux Jazz Festival and Bowie remembers being highly impressed, saying that he “hadn’t been so gung-ho about a guitar player since seeing Jeff Beck with his band the Tridents.” Stevie’s chance encounter with David Bowie resulted in a guest appearance on Bowie’s album Let’s Dance, and shortly thereafter a spot on his 1983 Serious Moonlight Tour.

While the tour eventually went on without Stevie due to contractual disagreements, this exclusive audio features Stevie playing backup on David Bowie’s iconic ‘Heroes’ – a song we’ve heard a million times over, but somehow gets a new lease on life with Stevie’s touch added to it.

Fun Fact: Stevie wasn’t familiar with David Bowie’s work until it was time to go into the studio to record for Let’s Dance.

It’s so odd hearing Stevie in the background rather than at the forefront of a song – but at the same time, it matches his incredibly humble personality, always wanting it to be more about the music than about his ego. This rehearsal footage makes us wonder what Stevie’s future would have looked like had he stayed on Bowie’s Serious Moonlight Tour instead of branching off on his own to promote Texas Flood; somehow, though, it seems fitting that at the end of the day he let the music take him where it wanted him to go.

+ Heroes lyrics +

I, I will be king
And you, you will be queen
Though nothing, will drive them away
We can beat them, just for one day
We can be heroes, just for one day

And you, you can be mean
And I, I’ll drink all the time
‘Cause we’re lovers, and that is a fact
Yes we’re lovers, and that is that

Though nothing, will keep us together
We could steal time, just for one day
We can be heroes, forever and ever
What’d you say?

I, I wish you could swim
Like the dolphins, like dolphins can swim
Though nothing, nothing will keep us together
We can beat them, forever and ever
Oh we can be heroes, just for one day

I, I will be king
And you, you will be queen
Though nothing will drive them away
We can be heroes, just for one day
We can be us, just for one day

I, I can remember (I remember)
Standing, by the wall (by the wall)
And the guns, shot above our heads (over our heads)
And we kissed, as though nothing could fall (nothing could fall)
And the shame, was on the other side
Oh we can beat them, forever and ever
Then we could be heroes, just for one day

We can be heroes
We can be heroes
We can be heroes
Just for one day
We can be heroes

We’re nothing, and nothing will help us
Maybe we’re lying, then you better not stay
But we could be safer, just for one day

Read more: David Bowie – Heroes Lyrics | MetroLyrics