The Best of 90-00 album version right? The "Russian, Sioux, Dutch, Hindu" etc actually came from an official scan of lyrics printed for the academy award nomination. Oddly enough they are in the album version and not the soundtrack, and are different from the mutterings on the studio live dvd version.
The "Washington tree, Washington tree now" bit I saw as Washington's hands cutting down the Cherry Tree in the urban myth. Don't know was never happy with it. Others heard washing my hands now or something.
I had journey in my original transcription of Hands before I saw the press release scan thing, though I think one of lines from that (3 or 4) that sounded horribly off and I had to change. I don't think I have a copy of what I heard back then though... here is roughly what I heard back then off the top of my head with a quick listen:
1st whisper: "Washington dream, it wasn't here"
2nd whisper: "Irish, Irish, a journey in time"
3rd whisper: "I'm Irish,
A journey is a journey"
4th whisper: "Whatever you saw, it wasn't here"
I guess it would be how the "equality" in America's dreams didn't exist back then for the Irish. I'll try and integrate what I heard back then, what you heard, and the clips you sent / the original. The "official" lyrics are probably just bollocks meant to impress the panel voters.
1st whisper: "Hush young child, it wasn't me"
2nd whisper: "Hush, hush, we journey tonight"
3rd whisper: "Irish, why? My journey is the truth" (might be isn't true)
4th whisper: "Whatever you saw - it wasn't me"
