Thousands Are Sailing
Encyclopedia
"Thousands Are Sailing" is a song by Anglo-Irish folk rock
group The Pogues
, released in 1988
.
The song is an Irish folk
style ballad
, written by Phil Chevron
, and featured on The Pogues' album If I Should Fall from Grace with God
.
The song opens in the third-person voice, setting the song's place and tone: "The island, it is silent now...." The torch referred to is clearly that of the Statue of Liberty
, and therefore "the island" is likely Ellis Island
. The Ellis Island federal immigration station opened on January 1, 1892 and was closed in 1954, with twelve million immigrants processed there by the US Bureau of Immigration. "...but the ghosts still haunt the waves..." ghosts are the Irish immigrants who did not survive the long boat crossing to America and whose souls now "haunt the waves."
The first verse continues in the second-person voice, with a series of questions about post-immigration life, asked by a modern immigrant of an earlier one, first about employment ("upon the railroad"/as a police officer) and class ("the White House"/"the five and dime"), and then about homesickness. The older immigrant (a ghost, as his words reveal) answers that his voyage was on "a coffin ship
," and thus, having died on the journey, he has no answers. According to historical documentation, there was a 30% mortality rate on these coffin ships, and their reference is a recurring theme in many Irish folk songs. His response includes a reference to names being changed, another suggestion of Ellis Island, where Irish named were routinely anglicized.
The first chorus reverts to the third-person voice. It is the most optimistic of the three choruses, spoken from Ireland (the Atlantic is called "the western ocean") and calling America "a land of opportunity," where hunger and poverty are overcome. Even so, it includes a somber note, that "some of them will never see" America.
With the second verse, the voice moves to the first-person and remains so through the end of the song. The setting is contemporary, making references to Brendan Behan
, George M. Cohan
, and "JFK" (John F. Kennedy
). The speaker is in New York City
with a companion, enjoying the relatively easier time of the modern immigrant. However, even here there is a dark note: "When I got back to my empty room, I suppose I must have cried."
The second chorus reveals why: "the hand of opportunity draws tickets in a lottery." The U.S.'s Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
imposed quotas on Irish immigrants, awarding "green cards" via a lottery system. The chorus continues, to describe the furtive life of the illegal immigrant: "from rooms the daylight never sees, where lights don't glow on Christmas trees."
The final chorus summarizes the conflicted psychology of the Irish emigrant ("where'er we go, we celebrate the land that makes us refugees") and takes a parting shot at the Irish Catholic church's "from fear of priests with empty plates/ from guilt, and weeping effigies."
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
group The Pogues
The Pogues
The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
, released in 1988
1988 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1988.-January-March:* January 1 – André Rieu's Johann Strauss Orchestra plays its first concert....
.
The song is an Irish folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
style ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
, written by Phil Chevron
Phil Chevron
Philip Ryan , professionally known as Philip Chevron, is an Irish singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the guitarist for The Pogues.-Career:...
, and featured on The Pogues' album If I Should Fall from Grace with God
If I Should Fall from Grace with God
If I Should Fall from Grace with God was well-received by critics. Mark Deming of Allmusic awarded the album four and a half out of five stars, calling it "the best album the Pogues would ever make." Robert Christgau gave the album a B+ and said that "neither pop nor rock nor disco crossover stays...
.
Lyrics
The song consists of two 16-line verses, and three occurrences of a chorus that varies each time.The song opens in the third-person voice, setting the song's place and tone: "The island, it is silent now...." The torch referred to is clearly that of the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
, and therefore "the island" is likely Ellis Island
Ellis Island
Ellis Island in New York Harbor was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. It was the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. The island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the...
. The Ellis Island federal immigration station opened on January 1, 1892 and was closed in 1954, with twelve million immigrants processed there by the US Bureau of Immigration. "...but the ghosts still haunt the waves..." ghosts are the Irish immigrants who did not survive the long boat crossing to America and whose souls now "haunt the waves."
The first verse continues in the second-person voice, with a series of questions about post-immigration life, asked by a modern immigrant of an earlier one, first about employment ("upon the railroad"/as a police officer) and class ("the White House"/"the five and dime"), and then about homesickness. The older immigrant (a ghost, as his words reveal) answers that his voyage was on "a coffin ship
Coffin ship
Coffin ship is the name given to any boat that has been overinsured and is therefore worth more to its owners sunk than afloat. These were hazardous places to work in the days before effective maritime safety regulation. They were generally eliminated in the 1870s with the success of reforms...
," and thus, having died on the journey, he has no answers. According to historical documentation, there was a 30% mortality rate on these coffin ships, and their reference is a recurring theme in many Irish folk songs. His response includes a reference to names being changed, another suggestion of Ellis Island, where Irish named were routinely anglicized.
The first chorus reverts to the third-person voice. It is the most optimistic of the three choruses, spoken from Ireland (the Atlantic is called "the western ocean") and calling America "a land of opportunity," where hunger and poverty are overcome. Even so, it includes a somber note, that "some of them will never see" America.
With the second verse, the voice moves to the first-person and remains so through the end of the song. The setting is contemporary, making references to Brendan Behan
Brendan Behan
Brendan Francis Behan was an Irish poet, short story writer, novelist, and playwright who wrote in both Irish and English. He was also an Irish republican and a volunteer in the Irish Republican Army.-Early life:...
, George M. Cohan
George M. Cohan
George Michael Cohan , known professionally as George M. Cohan, was a major American entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer, and producer....
, and "JFK" (John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
). The speaker is in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with a companion, enjoying the relatively easier time of the modern immigrant. However, even here there is a dark note: "When I got back to my empty room, I suppose I must have cried."
The second chorus reveals why: "the hand of opportunity draws tickets in a lottery." The U.S.'s Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
The Immigration Reform and Control Act , , also Simpson-Mazzoli Act, is an Act of Congress which reformed United States immigration law.In brief the act:* required employers to attest to their employees' immigration status....
imposed quotas on Irish immigrants, awarding "green cards" via a lottery system. The chorus continues, to describe the furtive life of the illegal immigrant: "from rooms the daylight never sees, where lights don't glow on Christmas trees."
The final chorus summarizes the conflicted psychology of the Irish emigrant ("where'er we go, we celebrate the land that makes us refugees") and takes a parting shot at the Irish Catholic church's "from fear of priests with empty plates/ from guilt, and weeping effigies."
Recordings
- The PoguesThe PoguesThe Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
, on If I Should Fall from Grace with GodIf I Should Fall from Grace with GodIf I Should Fall from Grace with God was well-received by critics. Mark Deming of Allmusic awarded the album four and a half out of five stars, calling it "the best album the Pogues would ever make." Robert Christgau gave the album a B+ and said that "neither pop nor rock nor disco crossover stays... - Philip ChevronPhil ChevronPhilip Ryan , professionally known as Philip Chevron, is an Irish singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the guitarist for The Pogues.-Career:...
, on the Bringing It All Back Home soundtrack - Patrick CliffordPatrick CliffordPatrick Clifford is a musician, songwriter, and producer of Irish and folk music, best known as a key member of Four to the Bar--a mainstay of the 1990s New York Irish music scene....
, on American WakeAmerican Wake (album)American Wake is the first full-length solo album by Patrick Clifford, released in 2010.The title refers to a gathering in an Irish home the night before a family member emigrated to America, in which friends and family would say goodbye to the emigrant for what was probably the last time.The...