Hero And Heroine
Strawbs Lyrics

Hero's face was gaunt and tanned
The singer is tired and weather-beaten from his journey.

His sail was set in search of land
The singer is on a quest, seeking something that he cannot find.

His life raft, solely by him manned
The singer is alone on his journey, with no one to help him.

Was guided by the tide
The artist's journey is being guided by forces outside of his control.

Heroine wore fleecy white
The heroine is pure, innocent, and inviting.

She beckoned like some savior bright
The heroine is calling out to the singer, offering salvation and hope.

Shipwrecked sailors in the night
The heroine is an anchor of hope and safety for those who are lost.

Were bid welcome to her side
Anyone who seeks the heroine's comfort is welcome to find it.

Where one man's search must surely cease
The heroine is the end of the artist's long search.

The irresistible white fleece
The heroine's pure and gentle nature is overwhelming and impossible to resist.

Led Hero in search of the peace
The singer follows the heroine, who offers him hope and serenity.

Which she alone could offer
The heroine has something special that the artist cannot find anywhere else.

Thus he knelt before her feet
The singer submits himself to the heroine, seeing her as a superior force.

Wary lest their eyes should meet
The singer is hesitant to make direct eye contact with the heroine, due to her potency.

He knew his life was incomplete
The singer understands that he is not whole without the heroine.

For he had yet to suffer
The artist is seeking something that he believes will complete him, even if it entails pain and hardship.

Enticing Heroine, so calm
The heroine is alluring, and has a sense of peace surrounding her.

Took Hero firmly by the arm
The heroine has taken the singer under her protection, helping him along his journey.

Told him that she meant no harm
The heroine speaks only of hope and compassion.

That she alone could save him
The heroine offers the artist something that only she can give him.

Hero could no longer speak
The artist is overcome with emotion and awe towards the heroine.

While realizing he was weak
The artist understands that he cannot survive on his own.

His life increasingly grew bleak
The singer's journey to find fulfillment has become more difficult and unlikely.

For all the love she gave to him
The artist grows to love the heroine, and realizes that he needs her.

While storm clouds gathered high above
The weather reflects the singer's internal struggle, as his choices lead him into danger.

The heroine, he grew to love
The singer has grown attached to the heroine, feeling a true sense of love towards her.

Turned slowly to a snow white dove
The heroine has become something ethereal, something greater and more transcendent.

And spread her wings to fly
The heroine has transcended into something greater, leaving the artist behind.

Crushed and broken in the end
The artist is destroyed and shattered by the loss of the heroine.

Hero watched his soul ascend
The singer sees that he needs what the heroine offered to him, but can never get it back.

Knowing that he was condemned
The singer understands that he has lost everything, and has nowhere left to go.

To sail all alone to die
The artist is left alone to face his mortality, with no hope or companionship left to help him.