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Pogues lyrics : "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, '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 cohen
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

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