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 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 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, "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"
 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 a 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 Cohen
 Dear old Times Square's favourite 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 light skies and oceans
 From rooms the daylight never sees
 And lights don't glow on Christmas trees
 And we danced to the music
 And we danced
 ♪
 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
 Still we dance to the music
 And we dance