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All My Heroes Were Junkies Lyrics by Ellis Paul

A Carnival of Voices

1996

In 1968, he did shots with the Doors at the Whiskey-a-Go-Go
It was on one of those hot Hollywood summer nights
He says, "Jimmy came in tight leather slacks, it was hot as hell
But we were drinking Jack, his eyes were like quarters
Round, and black when he stepped under the stage lights..."
"And you know me," he says, "I had pawned my only camera
I had no way to record these fleeting Kodak moments
That sprung to life each and every Saturday night
I was too far gone back then to have known it..."
Chorus:
He says, "All my heroes were junkies
Now all my heroes are dead
I say, "Hey Tony, consider yourself lucky
To be a junkie in a hospital bed"
He says, "You know Judy Garland never showed up When I took my walk in the Land of Oz
Though a cop did on a purple horse one morning
He asked me why I was staggering
I said, 'because - because, because, because
The wizard never gave me no surgeon general's warning"
Chorus
Bridge:
"Who rolled the joint when Bob Dylan
Got high with the Beatles?" He says
"Who put my world on pins and needles?"
He tells the nurses they should do something
With the ceiling in the rehab ward
Like paint a fresco to the late-great Betty Ford
They come in and make their jokes about
Pulling out all his power chords
He tells them, "Could you come up with
Something I didn't already know?"
Chorus
Credits
Ellis Paul

Ellis Paul

About “All My Heroes Were Junkies” by Ellis Paul

Read the complete lyrics to "All My Heroes Were Junkies" by Ellis Paul from the album "A Carnival of Voices" in 1996. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Rock, Folk, Folk Rock.

"All My Heroes Were Junkies" is performed by Ellis Paul. from the album "A Carnival of Voices" in 1996 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "All My Heroes Were Junkies", explore more songs by Ellis Paul using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"All My Heroes Were Junkies" is credited to Ellis Paul. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"All My Heroes Were Junkies" appears on "A Carnival of Voices" in 1996.

Visit the Ellis Paul artist page at /artist/ellis-paul for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.