New video curtesy of the Shrewsbury Folk Festival

Ray Cooper’s song ‘We Need More Heroes’ from the album ‘Land of Heroes’ on Westpark. Ray Cooper with John Jones’ Rising Road at The Shrewsbury Folk Festival 2022. Musicians, Benji Kirkpatrick, Lindsay Oliver, Ray Cooper, Dil Davies, John Jones, Al Scott, Tim Cotterell, Boff Whalley. Photo Kerstin Maier

You are like a statue, white and cold as stone

But we can talk you and I, now we’re alone

You can help me, listen, listen this last time

You were always a friend of mine

I’ve been a soldier and a soldier I remain

Slept with one eye open to the wind and rain

I confess that I forgot you, as I played my part

And I never knew you’d be that shooting star

You hesitated and tried to break free

But you couldn’t escape the hands of cold destiny

A prince of hope you were for justice bold

You’re a story now, that must be told

We give so little in return but in our hearts your light still burns

And it’s the destiny of rain and snow to fall

And it’s the destiny of sharp eyed hawks to fly

And shooting stars to blaze and die

Yes shooting stars will blaze and die

The restless spirit chasing dreams

That part of you will never die

We pick up your fine dreams and run them with our own

You’re a story now, that must go on

Farewell friend I have work to do

And where you’ve gone I can’t follow you

We living must get up and toil with the sun

We have our tasks and there’s work to be done

But in our hearts your light still burns

We need more heroes

And this world still turns…..and we carry on

Farewell my friend we’ll say adieu

We promise to remember you

You never wanted to be king

You fate’s to fall just when you win

You walked that long and lonely road..

You faced your fate that day alone

You never wanted to be king………Your fate’s to fall

But in our hearts your light still burns

We need more heroes

And this world still turns…..we need more heroes

We need more heroes

We need more heroes

Words and music Ray Cooper