A HOMELESS man who died on the streets of Stratford has been remembered in song.
‘We’re All Gonna Get There in the End’ was inspired by a man called Lee who passed away while sleeping rough in the town last winter
It has been written by some the town’s homeless community, who use the Stratford District Council run drop-in centre the Link Project.
Nigel Clark, of hit pop band Dodgy, has been supporting the weekly songwriting sessions for some four years.
He explained Lee had arrived to watch a session and consoled one frustrated guitar-player by saying, “We’re all going to get there in the end.”
After Lee’s death, the group talked about their memories of him before coming up with the song’s title.
Nigel recorded the song which was played on BBC Music Introducing which showcases unsigned music.
He said: “The song is a eulogy to Lee and living on the streets of the UK one of the richest countries in the world in the 21st century.
“We stigmatise and ignore homelessness every day, it’s unavoidable yet avoidable if people want to do something about it, the politicians would have to listen.
“How many more Lees will there be before things change and we address these real issues in our towns and cities?”
The song is part of an album entitled ‘Hope’ put together with support from workshop organiser Doug Armstrong and fellow musicians Jack Blackman, Wes Finch and Nigel.
Doug is delighted with the group’s achievement.
He said: “It was a massive challenge for them. I’ve had to cajole them push them make them believe they can do it.
“The songs are all so different, and usually things they want to get off their chest or just about things that happen in daily life.”
The Link Guys can be seen on a regular basis at the Stratford Playhouse during the ‘Playhouse Sessions’ night.
And the group will be performing their songs as part of ‘Streets Apart’, a play inspired by the experiences of Stratford’s homeless community, being staged this weekend at the Playhouse.
The CDs will be on sale for £10 and the proceeds will go to funding the workshop and other support for homeless people.
Visit stratfordplay.co.uk for tickets and information.
