---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You cannot expect all the heroes to…"
description: "\"“You cannot expect all the heroes to survive a good song”\" — Joe Abercrombie"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d2/joe-abercrombie-791_good-song_you-cannot-expect-all-the-heroes-to-surv_924172.png"
---

#  You cannot expect all the heroes to survive a good song

![“You cannot expect all the heroes to survive a good song” quote by Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d2/joe-abercrombie-791_good-song_you-cannot-expect-all-the-heroes-to-surv_924172.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d2/joe-abercrombie-791_good-song_you-cannot-expect-all-the-heroes-to-surv_924172.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d2/joe-abercrombie-791_good-song_you-cannot-expect-all-the-heroes-to-surv_924172.png)

> ““You cannot expect all the heroes to survive a good song””

[Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Even heroes cannot survive every tale; some songs—stories—are too harsh for them, implying that not all narratives protect the brave.

**In simple terms:** Heroes may not live through every story.

Key Takeaway

Accept that some struggles end tragically, even for the brave.

Themes

heroism storytelling mortality fate

Mood

somber thoughtful

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- war
- adventure
- personal sacrifice

Key Concepts

narrative tragedy heroic limits mythic archetype

Questions to Reflect On

- What makes a hero’s fall compelling?
- How does tragedy shape a story’s impact?

A Different Perspective

Not all heroic journeys end happily; tragedy is part of epic storytelling.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Expect Heroes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expect-heroes-1453300/) [Good Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-son/) [Good song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-song/) [Heroes Survive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heroes-survive-1453299/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Survive Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survive-good-694969/)

## Related quotes

> [“But as long as they gave us medals, that fixed it, as far as the army was concerned. You expect heroes to survive terrible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-kingfisher/but-as-long-as-they-gave-us-medals-that-fixed-it-as-far-as-the-army/)

[T. Kingfisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-kingfisher/)

> [ I would say a great song \[is where\] you like everything in the song. The lyrics move you, the beat makes you want to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aino-jawo/i-would-say-a-great-song-is-where-you-like-everything-in-the-song-the/)

[Aino Jawo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aino-jawo/)

> [There are certain places in the Bible Code that must be changed in order for us to survive, not just to survive but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drunvalo-melchizedek/there-are-certain-places-in-the-bible-code-that-must-be-changed-in/)

[Drunvalo Melchizedek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drunvalo-melchizedek/)

> [“War shows us who we are. It drags us to our deepest depths and reveals just what we would do to survive. Good and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-levine/war-shows-us-who-we-are-it-drags-us-to-our-deepest-depths-and-reveals/)

[Nina Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-levine/)

> [“White gave his men advice in case their cover was blown: “Keep your balance, avoid any rough stuff if possible.” Making it clear that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-grann/white-gave-his-men-advice-in-case-their-cover-was-blown-keep-your/)

[David Grann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-grann/)

> [Good businesses will survive good times and bad times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theo-paphitis/good-businesses-will-survive-good-times-and-bad-times/)

[Theo Paphitis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theo-paphitis/)

> [A good song has to have a great melody, and the lyrics have to touch my heart. Now, if it's just a little toe-tapper,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/a-good-song-has-to-have-a-great-melody-and-the-lyrics-have-to-touch/)

[Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/)

> [I may be preaching to the choir, but the choir needs a good song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/i-may-be-preaching-to-the-choir-but-the-choir-needs-a-good-song/)

[Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/)

> [You are going to survive. And good things are going to start to happen again. And one day you are going to look back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/you-are-going-to-survive-and-good-things-are-going-to-start-to-happen/)

[Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/)

> [You can tell if something feels special. But there are so many moving parts involved in making the song a hit. The radio has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-tranter/you-can-tell-if-something-feels-special-but-there-are-so-many-moving/)

[Justin Tranter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-tranter/)

> [My favorite over the years is probably 'All I Have to Give.' That's probably my favorite. It's one of the first songs that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howie-dorough/my-favorite-over-the-years-is-probably-all-i-have-to-give-that-s/)

[Howie Dorough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howie-dorough/)

> [Sometimes when I get home after a long day, I'll turn on music - I love Latin, disco, and pop - and do my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-glau/sometimes-when-i-get-home-after-a-long-day-i-ll-turn-on-music-i-love/)

[Summer Glau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-glau/)

> [There is always a market for a good song and a good melody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-carpenter/there-is-always-a-market-for-a-good-song-and-a-good-melody/)

[Richard Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-carpenter/)

> [I hope at some point in my career when my name is mentioned, someone will say "Oh yeah he has a good song!" I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-mcknight/i-hope-at-some-point-in-my-career-when-my-name-is-mentioned-someone/)

[Brian McKnight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-mcknight/)

> [“The nature of nature is simple,” said Victor looking Death in the eye. “Survive. That's it. Just survive. This is neither good nor evil.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-hatt/the-nature-of-nature-is-simple-said-victor-looking-death-in-the-eye/)

[Allan Hatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-hatt/)

## More by Joe Abercrombie

> [“She shrugged. “I fell. I’m a clumsy fool.” “I know how you feel. I’m such a fool I knocked half my teeth out and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/she-shrugged-i-fell-i-m-a-clumsy-fool-i-know-how-you-feel-i-m-such-a/)

[Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/)

> [Things aren't what they used to be' is the rallying cry of small minds. When men say things used to be better, they invariably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/things-aren-t-what-they-used-to-be-is-the-rallying-cry-of-small-minds/)

[Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/)

> [“Mercy and weakness are the same thing in war, and there's no prize for nice behavior.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/mercy-and-weakness-are-the-same-thing-in-war-and-there-s-no-prize-for/)

[Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/)

> [“The lowly have small ambitions, and are satisfied with small indulgences. They need not get fair treatment. They need only think that they do... ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/the-lowly-have-small-ambitions-and-are-satisfied-with-small/)

[Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/)

> [“What do the dice say?" Dice say nothing. They are dice." Why roll'em, then?" They are dice. What else would I do with them?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/what-do-the-dice-say-dice-say-nothing-they-are-dice-why-roll-em-then/)

[Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/)

> [“You have to realistic about these things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/you-have-to-realistic-about-these-things/)

[Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/)

> [“That was the difference between a hero and a villain, a soldier and a murderer, a victory and a crime. Which side of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/that-was-the-difference-between-a-hero-and-a-villain-a-soldier-and-a/)

[Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/)

> [“Nostalgia was becoming a favoured hobby of his. Strange, how the best moments of our lives we scarcely notice except in looking back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/nostalgia-was-becoming-a-favoured-hobby-of-his-strange-how-the-best/)

[Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/)

> [“The only difference between war and murder is the number of dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/the-only-difference-between-war-and-murder-is-the-number-of-dead/)

[Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/)

> [Names turned over by time, like the plough turning the soil. Bringing up the new while the old were buried in the mud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/names-turned-over-by-time-like-the-plough-turning-the-soil-bringing/)

[Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/)

> [“Knives,’ muttered Calder, ‘and threats, and bribes, and war?’ Bayaz’ eyes shone with the lamplight. ‘Yes?’ ‘What kind of a fucking wizard are you?’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/knives-muttered-calder-and-threats-and-bribes-and-war-bayaz-eyes/)

[Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/)

> [“Straining and straining, getting nowhere, but unable to stop pushing in case the rock should fall and crush him. Meanwhile, arrogant bastards who were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/straining-and-straining-getting-nowhere-but-unable-to-stop-pushing-in/)

[Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/)

> [“Yarvi: 'If we had known the hardship of it, we might have chosen another.' Shidwala: 'So it is with many choices.' Yarvi: 'All we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/yarvi-if-we-had-known-the-hardship-of-it-we-might-have-chosen-another/)

[Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/)

> [Sometimes men change for the better. Sometimes men change for the worse. And often, very often, given time and opportunity . . .’ He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/sometimes-men-change-for-the-better-sometimes-men-change-for-the/)

[Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/)

> [“A bitter ending' said Yarvi. 'Many sweet stories have them', said Jaud.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/a-bitter-ending-said-yarvi-many-sweet-stories-have-them-said-jaud/)

[Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/)

[Explore all 364 Joe Abercrombie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/)

## More Good song quotes

> [ I would say a great song \[is where\] you like everything in the song. The lyrics move you, the beat makes you want to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aino-jawo/i-would-say-a-great-song-is-where-you-like-everything-in-the-song-the/)

[Aino Jawo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aino-jawo/)

> [I hope at some point in my career when my name is mentioned, someone will say "Oh yeah he has a good song!" I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-mcknight/i-hope-at-some-point-in-my-career-when-my-name-is-mentioned-someone/)

[Brian McKnight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-mcknight/)

> [There is always a market for a good song and a good melody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-carpenter/there-is-always-a-market-for-a-good-song-and-a-good-melody/)

[Richard Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-carpenter/)

> [Sometimes when I get home after a long day, I'll turn on music - I love Latin, disco, and pop - and do my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-glau/sometimes-when-i-get-home-after-a-long-day-i-ll-turn-on-music-i-love/)

[Summer Glau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-glau/)

> [My favorite over the years is probably 'All I Have to Give.' That's probably my favorite. It's one of the first songs that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howie-dorough/my-favorite-over-the-years-is-probably-all-i-have-to-give-that-s/)

[Howie Dorough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howie-dorough/)

> [You can tell if something feels special. But there are so many moving parts involved in making the song a hit. The radio has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-tranter/you-can-tell-if-something-feels-special-but-there-are-so-many-moving/)

[Justin Tranter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-tranter/)

> [I may be preaching to the choir, but the choir needs a good song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/i-may-be-preaching-to-the-choir-but-the-choir-needs-a-good-song/)

[Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/)

> [A good song has to have a great melody, and the lyrics have to touch my heart. Now, if it's just a little toe-tapper,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/a-good-song-has-to-have-a-great-melody-and-the-lyrics-have-to-touch/)

[Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/)

> [What's really cool about 'This is Me' is that our friends loved the song. Older punk rock fans don't know 'The Greatest Showman,' haven't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-gilbert/what-s-really-cool-about-this-is-me-is-that-our-friends-loved-the/)

[Chad Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-gilbert/)

> [A good song reminds us what we're fighting for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/a-good-song-reminds-us-what-we-re-fighting-for/)

[Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/)

> [I think a "song" is, like, just play it on the guitar and sing it. You look out and see thousands of covers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-wyatt/i-think-a-song-is-like-just-play-it-on-the-guitar-and-sing-it-you/)

[Andrew Wyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-wyatt/)

> [In music, if somebody makes a good song, you want to be in that category and make the good songs too. It may not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabolous/in-music-if-somebody-makes-a-good-song-you-want-to-be-in-that/)

[Fabolous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabolous/)

> [Glen Campbell told me, 'Stay out of the way of a good song.' I think it's true. If a song's good, don't overdo it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-isaak/glen-campbell-told-me-stay-out-of-the-way-of-a-good-song-i-think-it-s/)

[Chris Isaak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-isaak/)

> [I guess you could write a good song if your heart hadn't been broken, but I don't know of anyone whose heart hasn't been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucinda-williams/i-guess-you-could-write-a-good-song-if-your-heart-hadn-t-been-broken/)

[Lucinda Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucinda-williams/)

> [A good song is a good song, and good musicians can play all different styles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-doe/a-good-song-is-a-good-song-and-good-musicians-can-play-all-different/)

[John Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-doe/)

[Browse all 177 Good song quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-song/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“You cannot expect all the heroes to survive a good song”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Joe Abercrombie"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/you-cannot-expect-all-the-heroes-to-survive-a-good-song/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Good song"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/you-cannot-expect-all-the-heroes-to-survive-a-good-song/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d2/joe-abercrombie-791_good-song_you-cannot-expect-all-the-heroes-to-surv_924172.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d2/joe-abercrombie-791_good-song_you-cannot-expect-all-the-heroes-to-surv_924172.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d2/joe-abercrombie-791_good-song_you-cannot-expect-all-the-heroes-to-surv_924172.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“You cannot expect all the heroes to survive a good song” — Joe Abercrombie",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Joe Abercrombie",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“You cannot expect all the heroes...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/you-cannot-expect-all-the-heroes-to-survive-a-good-song/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/you-cannot-expect-all-the-heroes-to-survive-a-good-song/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
