AMERICA

SONGS AND THOUGHTS
BY JUERGEN MATTHIAS SCHROEDER

What Dad Told Me
About The Americans

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SONG 1

SONG 2

THE AMERICANS - HUMAN OR DIVINE ?

My Dad spoke about the bombers
coming in from the west
and, through my old man's eyes, I saw the dancing lights,
and the fiery trails in the night sky,
the distant glow above Duesseldorf and the Rhine.

One frosty night, the flak downed a bomber
before it could drop its load,
and later that night, a small scared helpless man
knocked on some door in some little village,
crawled in on all fours and sat, shivering,
on a a shabby couch.

To Dad the airman looked human,
and Grandma made him some tea.

They advanced and took the trenches,
gave chewing gums to a scared little boy,
and, from then on, they looked divine.

I do not always know what to think of them.

SONG mp3

a song about two young people on board a ship heading for America, the land of their dreams...

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SONG 2

TOP

WESTWARD BOUND

Westward bound across the sea
to shores awaiting you and me,
far from where we loved to be.

Backstreets lined with chestnut trees,
brookside groves in rural peace
we used to roam on on hands and knees...

Secret kisses in the dark
by our oak-tree in the park,
our hearts and arrows in its bark...

Westward bound across the sea,
to shores awaiting you and me
to where we’ve always longed to be.

Endless ocean, starry nights,
magic spell of northern lights,
unknown depths, unfathomed heights...

Westward bound across the sea,
to shores awaiting you and me
to where we’ve always longed to be.

Will we leave there - hand in hand -
Lasting traces in the sand? -
Will we live in promised land?

Westward bound across the sea,
to shores awaiting you and me
to where we’ve always longed to be.

SONG mp3

every day, ships leave for America, thousands get onboard to reach the promised land beyond the horizon

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SONG 1

TOP

AMERICA

Täglich fährt ein Schiff nach Amerika;
nimmt tausend Menschen mit,
macht tausend Wünsche wahr! -
Amerika, ein Land so weit und wunderbar,
ein Traum am Horizont,
und doch zum Greifen nah:

Amerika, Amerika, Amerika

Ich las von Winnetou,
von mancher Heldentat,
Sein Volk war stolz und gut...
Wo ist sein Reservat?

Der gute Weiße Mann
verbot die Sklaverei -
In seinem reichen Land
sind alle gleich und frei?!

Du fliegst von Krieg zu Krieg -
für Frieden in der Welt ! -
Wo bleibt Dein nächster Sieg?
Wer ist Dein nächster Held?

Täglich kommt ein Schiff aus Amerika,
glänzt hell vor’m Horizont,
bringt tausend Träume nah,
erfüllt die ganze Welt mit Glanz und Gloria;
wohin der Blick auch fällt: Amerika ist da!

Amerika, Amerika, Amerika

Even on the old continent
legends tell of proud Indian chiefs
and their tribes.
Where are their reservations?

The Good White Man
abolished slavery.
Are they all equal and free?

You fly from war to war
for peace in the world.
What will be your next victory?
Who will be your next hero?

Every day, ships come from America, shining on the horizon,
before they fill the whole world
with a thousand dreams.
America is everywhere.