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Proofreading requested
Original lyrics
4 translations
Thousands Are Sailing lyrics
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 '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
And 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 favourite bard
Then we raised a glass to J.F.K.
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
Now we dance to the music
And we dance
The Pogues: Top 3
1. | Fairytale of New York |
2. | Summer in Siam |
3. | A Rainy Night in Soho |
Collections with "Thousands Are ..."
1. | Songs about refugees and migration |
2. | Songs of longing (homeland) |
3. | Songs about Migration |
4. | My Favourite Traditional Irish and English Songs |
5. | Immigrants & Refugees Mix |
Comments
I stand corrected - you are absolutely right!
This has been a wonderful discovery! I love Berry's music and I just bumped into this song now.
Russia is waging a disgraceful war on Ukraine. Stand With Ukraine!
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The Beatles Pop-Rock, Rock, Rock 'n' | |
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Tom Odell Pop, Singer-songwriter |
Please fix the lyrics - Cohan to Cohen. Pretty sure this was the intended name?