Thousands are Sailing
(philip chevron) 5:06

The island it is silent now, but a ghost still haunts the waves
And a torch lights up a famished man. Who fortune could not save
Did you work upon the railroad? 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 haunt or cheer you and did they still make you cry?
Did you count the months and years or did your teardrops quickly dry?
Oh, no, said he, 'It was not to be, on a coffin ship I came here
And I never even got so far that they could change my name.

Chorus I
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
To break the chains of poverty
And they dance to the music and they dance

In Manhattan's desert twilight in the death of afternoon
We walked hand in hand down 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 George M 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.

Chorus II
Thousands are sailing again across the ocean
Where the hand of opportunity draws tickets in a lottery
Postcards we're mailing, sky-blue skies and oceans
From rooms that daylight never sees where lights don't glow on Christmas trees
But we dance to the music And we dance….

Chorus III
Thousands are sailing across the western ocean
To a land of opportunity that some of them will never see
Where e'er we go, we celebrate the land that makes us refugees
For fear of Priests with empty plates from guilt and weeping effigies
And we dance to the music and we dance

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