Superman (It's Not Easy) - Acoustic Version

This song about trying to fit in was written from Superman's point of view. The superhero is portrayed as misunderstood and not as powerful as people see him: "I'm only a man in a funny red sheet." Superman may be invincible, but he has feelings too, and while he's off saving the world he sometimes wonders if anyone thinks about what he is going through. The song reflects what John Ondrasik (who is Five For Fighting) felt at the time - he released his first album, Message for Albert, in 1997 and it went nowhere. Explaining what led him to write the song, which appeared on his next album, Ondrasik told us it was "frustration about the inability to be heard." He later explained: "I've learned 10 years later that it's pretty damn easy to be me. I could never write that song now." (Here's our full John Ondrasik interview.)

This became very popular after the September 11 attacks. The reflective tone fit very well with the mood of the United States, and many radio stations put it in heavy rotation. Ondrasik heard from emergency workers and others who found it a source of comfort after the attacks. Ondrasik performed this song on October 20, 2001 at the "Concert For New York," a tribute to the police, firefighters, and rescue workers involved in the World Trade Center Attacks. It was a very touching moment, and he called this performance "the most important thing I'll ever do musically." Ondrasik stood next to James Taylor and Pete Townshend at the end of the show when they all sang "Let It Be."

The video was done in one shot using a motion control technique where a robotic camera is used to create smooth movements, stopping at key points along the way. It was shot in front of green screens so the backgrounds could be composited in later. The clip starts with a shot of John Ondrasik's pregnant wife, Carla, who is holding their young child. At the end of the video, they show up again on a bed, and we see Ondrasik join them. Ramaa Mosley, who directed the video, told us: "When I wrote the idea for the video I knew that John was married and his next baby was on the way. I knew that while on the road he really missed his family, so I came up with the idea of the video ending with him reunited with them. It just felt like 'Superman' was a metaphor for John going out into the world to accomplish big things but always carrying his family in his heart."