We're standing on the shoulders of people
Who sat, and stood, and fought
And sacrificed their lives at times
So that we'd be better off
I'm talking bout ordinary people
Whose courage held them through
We need many Harriet Tubmans
And we need many Sojourner Truths
Ordinary Heroes
In the fields of California
And the mines in Trinidad
Grew a spirit of justice
That spread across the nation
And lit a fire that burned so bright
That it still gives people hope
We need many Cesar Chavez's
And we need many Mother Jones'
Ordinary Heroes
Great changes don't come about
From some mystical twist of luck
They're the fruits of people sweating and stressing
And never giving up
It takes a lot of hard work and commitment
To lift every voice and sing
We need many Ella Bakers
And we need many Martin Luther Kings
Ordinary Heroes
We're standing on the shoulders of people
Who put a lot of hard work in
And passed along their trials and errors
To future generations
And the stories that we pass along
Will be the force that draws us in
We need many Woody Guthries
And we need many Howard Zinns
Ordinary Heroes
