The Ballad Of Terry Fox

The wind was cold and thin

Out on the highway's edge

A solitary figure

With a solemn pledge

One leg of bone, one leg of steel

A skip and a heavy heel

Brought up in BC and Manitoba

He didn't fail to make us feel

Yeah, the road was long where he once ran

He did the best any human can

Get across the country, that's the plan

That's the spirit of our man

He didn't run for medals

He didn't run for gold

But for the people and their stories

That never will be told

Across the asphalt and the gravel

Through the heat and rain

He carried the nation's weight for twenty-six miles

Then he'd go again

Yeah, the road was long where he once ran

He did the best any human can

Get across the country, that's the plan

That's the spirit of our man

Well, the road was lined with people

Who came out to see him run

But the lungs grew tired and he got weary

Before he was done

On a lonely stretch

Near Thunder Bay

His stride was halted

The body gave way

Yeah, the road was long where he once ran

He did the best any human can

Get across the country, that's the plan

That's the spirit of our man

The finish line was in his mind

Not a city on a map

There was no closing ceremony

Just a roadside clap

He might have had to stop the run

But the fight still carries on

For every heart that followed him

The race was bravely won

Well, the road was long where he once ran

He did the best any human can

Get across the country, that's the plan

That's the spirit of our man

If there ever was a hero

If there ever was a saint

He ran through fire and through pain

Any lesser soul would faint

He said it's a mission greater than himself

And his words are still ringing true

He ran for everybody

And he ran for me and you