he was carried from the water by a soldier
and the picture screams a thousand different words
he was running from the terror with his father
who once believed that nothing could be worse
so he'd handed a man two thousand precious dollars
the way you'd rest a bird in a lion's open jaw
and he told the boys that canada was waiting
that there was hope upon her golden shores
but at night he said a quiet prayer into the wind
won't you open up your arms towards the sea?
all i ever wanted was a safe place for my family
well the days were long but the nights were even longer
and the baby boys never left their mothers' side
but the boat was small and the waves were getting stronger
and they began to fear they'd not survive
till the father said we gotta hold each other tighter