Thousands Are Sailing

The island it is silent now

But the ghosts still haunt the waves

And the torch lights up a famished man

Who fortune could not save

Did you work upon the railroads?

Did you rid the streets of crime?

Were your dollars from the white house?

Were they from the five and dime?

Did the old songs taunt or cheer you

And did they still make you cry?

Did you count the months and years

Or did your teardrops quickly dry?

"Ah, no", says he, "'twas not to be

On a coffin ship I came here

And I never even got so far

That they could change my name"

Thousands are sailing

Across the western ocean to a land of opportunity

That some of them will never see

Fortune prevailing across the western ocean

Their bellies full, their spirits free

They'll break the chains of poverty and they'll dance

In Manhattan's desert twilight

In the death of afternoon

We stepped hand in hand on Broadway

Like the first man on the moon

And "The Blackbird" broke the silence

As you whistled it so sweet

And in Brendan Behan's footsteps

I danced up and down the street

Then we said goodnight to Broadway

Giving it our best regards

Tipped our hats to Mister Cohan

Dear old Times Square's favorite bard

Then we raised a glass to JFK

And a dozen more besides

When I got back to my empty room

I suppose I must have cried

Thousands are sailing again

Across the ocean where the hand of opportunity

Draws tickets in a lottery, postcards we're mailing

Of sky-blue skies and oceans from rooms the daylight

Never sees where lights don't glow on Christmas trees

But we dance to the music and we dance

Thousands are sailing

Across the western ocean where the hand of opportunity

Draws tickets in a lottery, where e'er we go

We celebrate the land that makes us refugees

From fear of Priests with empty plates

From guilt and weeping effigies and we dance