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