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Intro FA#m MI SIm LA
Verse:
LA
The island it is silent now
RE
But the ghosts still haunt the waves
LA FA#m
And the torch lights up a famished man
SIm MI
Who fortune could not save
MI LA
Did you work upon the railroad
RE
Did you rid the streets of crime
LA FA#m
Were your dollars from the white house
MI LA
Were they from the five and dime
FA#m
Did the old songs taunt or cheer you
RE LA
And did they still make you cry
FA#m
Did you count the months and years
SIm MI
Or did your teardrops quickly dry
LA
Ah, No, says he 'twas not to be
RE
On a coffin ship I came here
LA FA#m
And I never even got so far
MI LA
That they could change my mind
Chorus
FA#m
Thousands are still sailing
MI SIm
Across the Western Ocean
FA#m
To a land of opportunity
MI SIm
That some of them will never see
FA#m
Fortune prevailing
MI SIm
Across the Western Ocean
FA#m
Their bellies full
And their spirits free
MI SIm
They'll break the chains of poverty
RE FA#m MI SI RE FA#m MI SI
And they'll dance
FA#m SIm FA#m RE LA MI LA MI LA
Verse 2
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
Chorus 2
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
Chorus 3
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
D F#m E B /*repeat to fade*/
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