Al Stewart: Murmansk run

Your father sailed on the Murmansk run To guide the flocks of the ships home one by one Grey beneath the Arctic sun Or the glow of Northern Lights I see you have his photograph His eyes are watching for dangers fore or aft Trading days beneath the sun For the cold and wintry nights of the Murmansk run He never did come home to you It's long forgotten, a childhood dream or two But something of the cold got through And it lingers in your eyes On days like these you hear the wind And feel the chill of the ice floes closing in Trading days beneath the sun For the cold and wintry nights of the Murmansk run Save our souls, river of darkness over me Save our souls, lost on the dark uncharted sea Now you hide yourself from view You seem to find it an easy thing to do Trading days beneath the sun For the cold and wintry nights of the Murmansk run Save our souls, river of darkness over me Save our souls, lost on the dark uncharted sea Well you wake up in the morning on Hester street And run to the factory, You can't afford to be late Working every morning, every evening, every day For your money, Yet there's nothing to save Watching your life pass by the window Feeling it all run through your hands Counting the thousands behind in the lines Waiting time for their chance From Ellis Island, day after day From Ellis Island, dreams slip away Meanwhile from the market come the cries Of every tongue and every nation Refugeless refugees Faces from the endless plains of Russia Blonde Norwegian, dark Croatian Songs in sad minor keys Feeling the heat inside the fumace Trying to make that break away Reaching their hands for a grip On the edge just to slip back again From Ellis Island, day after day From Ellis Island, dreams slip away Ah well I've heard it said If you just use your head You can make your fortune here One lucky break and that's all it would take But it never seems to be near Another day, another ship pulls into harbor And the crowd spills down the gangway Clutching their suitcases tight Blinking in the sunlight at the door of the new world They hold the handrail With all the post thrown behind Caught in between now and forever Wondering just what lies ahead Each one is waiting and hoping The door will be open to them On Ellis Island, day after day On Ellis Island, time slips away From Ellis Island, day after day From Ellis Island, dreams slip away Save our souls, river of darkness over me Save our souls, lost on the dark uncharted sea