Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears
Journey of Dreams: Ellis Island's Echoes Through Time
Lyrics
On the first day of January 1892
Refers to the opening of Ellis Island on January 1, 1892.
They opened Ellis Island and they let the people through
Ellis Island opened its doors for immigration, allowing people to enter the United States.
And the first to cross the threshold of that isle of hope and tears
Describes Ellis Island as an "isle of hope and tears," symbolizing both optimism and sorrow.
Was Annie Moore from Ireland who was all of fifteen years
Annie Moore, a 15-year-old from Ireland, was the first immigrant to pass through Ellis Island.
Isle of hope, isle of tears
Contrasts the experiences on Ellis Island: hope and tears, freedom and fears, acknowledging the lingering thoughts of the homeland.
Isle of freedom, isle of fears
-But it's not the isle you've left behind
-That isle of hunger, isle of pain
-Isle you'll never see again
-But the isle of home is always on your mind
-In her little bag, she carried all her past and history
Annie Moore carried her past, history, and dreams for the future in a small bag.
And her dreams for the future in the land of liberty
Her dreams were about a new life in the land of liberty (the United States).
And courage is the passport when your old world disappears
Emphasizes courage as a necessity when leaving the old world behind.
But there's no future in the past when you're fifteen years
Stresses that focusing on the future is crucial at the age of fifteen.
Isle of hope, isle of tears
Reiterates the contrast between the isle of hope and tears, freedom and fears, and the constant presence of the homeland in thoughts.
Isle of freedom, isle of fears
-But it's not the isle you've left behind
-That isle of hunger, isle of pain
-Isle you'll never see again
-But the isle of home is always on your mind
-When they closed down Ellis Island in 1943
Notes the closure of Ellis Island in 1943 after serving as a sanctuary for seventeen million people.
Seventeen million people had come there for sanctuary
Highlights the large number of immigrants who sought refuge at Ellis Island.
And in springtime when I came here and I stepped onto its piers
Reflects on the poet's own visit to Ellis Island in springtime.
I thought of how it must have been when you're fifteen years
Imagines the experiences of immigrants arriving at Ellis Island at the age of fifteen.
Isle of hope, isle of tears
Repeats the themes of hope and tears, freedom and fears, and the enduring connection to the homeland.
Isle of freedom, isle of fears
-But it's not the isle you've left behind
-That isle of hunger, isle of pain
-Isle you'll never see again
-But the isle of home is always on your mind
-Isle of hope, isle of tears
Continues the refrain, emphasizing the lasting impact of the isle of hope and tears, and the enduring presence of the homeland in thoughts.
Isle of freedom, isle of fears
-But it's not the isle you've left behind
-That isle of hunger, isle of pain
-Isle you'll never see again
-But the isle of home is always on your mind
-The isle of home is always on your mind
Reiterates the idea that the isle of home is always in the mind of those who have left their homeland.
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