Thomas Ac… Read Full Bio ↴Acda en De Munnik is a successful band in The Netherlands.
Thomas Acda and Paul de Munnik met at the Amsterdam Academy of Cabaret, where they decided to work together to make a theatre show. They arranged their first show after Thomas convinced a producer of their talents. The producer initially didn’t want to listen to any of their work, but Thomas was persistent. Eventually the producer asked Thomas about his strongest line of text. Thomas said, “Als je bij me weggaat, mag ik dan met je mee” (If you leave me, can I come with you), which convinced the producer.
[edit: he convinced Huub van der Lubbe (front man of De Dijk) to give him lessons in lyric writing, as far as I know not his producer. They convinced their producer by playing at his office in stead of handing over a demo]
The audience of their first theatre shows appreciated the songs they wrote specially for the shows. These shows were released in 2002 on the 3-CD box “Trilogie”. The three shows are “Zwerf’on” (Wander On, 1996), “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans - John Lennon” and “It’s only cabaret but I like it”.
The theatre shows have comedy elements, but they contain serious stories as well.
Themes of Acda en De Munnik’s music and theatre work are love, broken-heartedness, enjoying life and fulfulling youth dreams.
In the summer of 1998, they had their breakthrough-hit with ‘Niet Of Nooit Geweest’. Several succesful albums followed, whilst still making shows and even a “Rock Opera”, ‘Ren Lenny Ren’ which was accompanied by the album ‘Liedjes van Lenny’.
On the 23th of November 2007 Acda en De Munnik released their new album “Nachtmuziek”. At the release of this album they stated they sought to go back to their musical “roots”: making music as they started back in 1998, without a big orchestra, mainly using drums, guitar, piano and vocals only. As for the beginning of 2008, it seems like Nachtmuziek can’t approach the great succes of the first four studio albums.
In 2014 they announced their split live on Dutch TV.
In later years, they worked together with some collaborations. In 2023 they released a new album and played 6 sold out reunion shows in the Ziggo Dome.
De stad Amsterdam
Acda en de Munnik Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waar de zeelieden lallen
Tot hun nachtmerries schallen
Over oud-Amsterdam
In de stad Amsterdam
Waar de zeelieden dronken
En als een wimpel zo lam
In de stad Amsterdam
Waar de zeeman verzuipt
Vol van bier en van gram
Als de morgen ontluikt
In de stad Amsterdam
Waar de zeeman ontwaakt
Als de warmte weer blaakt
Over Damrak en Dam
In de stad Amsterdam
Waar de zeelieden bikken
Zilv'ren haringen pikken
Bij de staart, uit de hand
En van de hand in de tand
Smijten zij met hun knaken
Want ze zullen hem raken
Als een kat in het want
En ze stinken naar aal
In hun grofblauwe truien
En ze stinken naar uien
Daarmee doen ze hun maal
En na dat maal staan ze op
Om hun broek dicht te knopen
En dan gaan ze weer lopen
En het boert in hun krop
In de stad Amsterdam
Waar de zeelui gaan zwieren
En de meiden versieren
Buik aan buik, lekker klam
En ze draaien hun wals
Als een wentelende zon
Op de klank dun en vals
Van een accordeon
En zo rood als een kreeft
Happen zij naar wat lucht
Als opeens met een zucht
De muziek het begeeft
En met een air van gewicht
Voeren zij dan met spijt
Weer hun Mokumse meid
Weer terug naar het licht
In de stad Amsterdam
Waar de zeelui gaan zuipen
En maar zuipen en zuipen
En dan nog maar een keer zuipen
Zuipen op het geluk
Van een hoer van de Wallen
Of een Hamburgse hoer
Nou ja, van een goed stuk
Van een slet die zichzelf
En haar deugd heeft geschonken
Voor een gulden of elf
En dan zijn ze goed dronken
En met hun wank'le lijven
Lozen zij dan hun drank
Pissen zoals ik jank
Op de ontrouw der wijven
In de stad Amsterdam
In de stad Amsterdam
The song "De stad Amsterdam" by Acda en De Munnik takes the listener through a tour of Amsterdam, focusing on the lives of the sailors in the city. The song begins by describing the sailors as they shout out their nightmares to the night air of old Amsterdam. The second verse is about how the sailors drink and get drunk, passing out on the docks. The third verse is about the sailors who drown from being too drunk and filled with despair. The fourth verse is where the sailors wake up to the warmth of the day's sun and go about their day.
The song then goes on to describe the sailors' life in Amsterdam as they steal silver herrings by pulling them by the tail with their bare hands, eating onions for their meals, and spending all their money on drinking and courting women. The sailors are portrayed as smelling like fish and onions and living each day as it comes. The song ends with a final verse about the sailors drinking to happiness, to the women who sell themselves for money, and then vomiting it all up while pissing on the unfaithful women of Amsterdam.
Line by Line Meaning
In de stad Amsterdam
The song is set in the city of Amsterdam and each subsequent line describes a different element of the city and its inhabitants.
Waar de zeelieden lallen
Where the sailors stagger and slur their words due to excessive drinking.
Tot hun nachtmerries schallen
Until their worst nightmares ring through the city streets.
Over oud-Amsterdam
About the old Amsterdam that the sailors remember from their past experiences in the city.
Waar de zeelieden dronken
Where the sailors are drunk and swaying from side to side.
En als een wimpel zo lam
And their bodies are flopping around like a limp banner.
In de dokken gaan ronken
They go to the docks to pass out and snore loudly.
Waar de zeeman verzuipt
Where the seaman drowns his sorrows in alcohol.
Vol van bier en van gram
Full of beer and anger.
Als de morgen ontluikt
Until the morning light begins to appear.
Waar de zeeman ontwaakt
Where the seaman awakens to a new day.
Als de warmte weer blaakt
When the heat of the day starts to become strong again.
Over Damrak en Dam
Along the famous Amsterdam streets of Damrak and Dam.
Waar de zeelieden bikken
Where the sailors are eating and drinking.
Zilv'ren haringen pikken
Picking up silver herrings to eat.
Bij de staart, uit de hand
Grabbing them by the tail with their hands.
En van de hand in de tand
Living from hand to mouth, spending their money as quickly as they make it.
Smijten zij met hun knaken
Throwing around their money recklessly.
Want ze zullen hem raken
Because they know they will make more money soon.
Als een kat in het want
Like a cat in the rigging of a ship, they are agile and quick.
En ze stinken naar aal
They smell of fish, especially smoked eel.
In hun grofblauwe truien
Wearing their rough blue sweaters.
En ze stinken naar uien
And they also smell of onions, a common ingredient in their meals.
Daarmee doen ze hun maal
Using onions as a staple in their diet.
En na dat maal staan ze op
After their meal, they stand up.
Om hun broek dicht te knopen
And begin to fasten their pants.
En dan gaan ze weer lopen
And then they start to walk again.
En het boert in hun krop
Their stomachs are unsettled and gurgling.
Waar de zeelui gaan zwieren
Where the sailors go to dance and have fun.
En de meiden versieren
And try to charm the local ladies.
Buik aan buik, lekker klam
Dancing belly to belly, feeling warm and sweaty.
En ze draaien hun wals
Spinning around in their waltz.
Als een wentelende zon
Like a rotating sun.
Op de klank dun en vals
To the sound of a thin and off-key accordion.
Van een accordeon
Which is the main instrument played for dancing in Amsterdam's bars and clubs.
En zo rood als een kreeft
And their faces become as red as a lobster.
Happen zij naar wat lucht
Gasping for air.
Als opeens met een zucht
As the music suddenly comes to an end.
De muziek het begeeft
The musicians stop playing.
En met een air van gewicht
In a very serious manner.
Voeren zij dan met spijt
They lead their partner away with regret.
Weer hun Mokumse meid
Back to their Amsterdam girlfriend.
Weer terug naar het licht
Back out into the daylight.
Waar de zeelui gaan zuipen
Where the sailors drink more and more.
En maar zuipen en zuipen
Continuously drinking.
En dan nog maar een keer zuipen
And then drink one more time.
Zuipen op het geluk
Trying to drink away their problems.
Van een hoer van de Wallen
Spending money on a prostitute from the Red Light District.
Of een Hamburgse hoer
Or a prostitute from Hamburg.
Nou ja, van een goed stuk
Well, from a good-looking one.
Van een slet die zichzelf
From a woman who has given up on her morality.
En haar deugd heeft geschonken
And has sold herself for money.
Voor een gulden of elf
For a small amount of money.
En dan zijn ze goed dronken
And then they become very drunk.
En met hun wank'le lijven
With their unstable bodies.
Lozen zij dan hun drank
They expel all of their alcohol.
Pissen zoals ik jank
Urinating like I cry.
Op de ontrouw der wijven
In protest of the unfaithful women they encounter.
Contributed by Michael Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Linda Raterink
In the city of Amsterdam
Where the sailors splutter
Until their nightmares ring
About old Amsterdam
In the city of Amsterdam
Where the sailors drank
And snore like a skunk
in the docks
In the city of Amsterdam
Where the sailor drowns
Full of beer and grams
When the morning dawns
In the city of Amsterdam
Where the sailor awakens
When the heat rises again
Across Damrak and Dam Square
In the city of Amsterdam
Where the sailors munch
Picking up silver herrings
By the tail, from the hand
And from the blind aley
They throw their dimes
For they will bring him down
Like a cat in the halyard
And they stink like eels
In their knitted blue sweaters
And they reek of onions
That's how they eat their meal
And after that meal they get up
To button up their trousers
And then they walk again
And it burps into their throats
In the city of Amsterdam
Where the sailors swing
And hit on the girls
Belly to belly, nice and clammy
And they spin their waltz
Like a revolving sun
To the sound of thin and false
Of an accordion
And as red as a lobster
They gasp for air
When suddenly with a sigh
The music stops
And with a heavy weight
and with regret they think
of their Mokum girl again
Back in to the light
In the city of Amsterdam
Where the sailors bend their elbow
And drink and drink
And then drink one more time
Drink to the happiness
Of a whore from the Red Light District
Or a Hamburg whore
Well, of a good piece
Of a slut who gave herself
And her virtue donated
For a couple of guilder
And then they are plastered
And with their wobbly bodies
Then they spill their drink
Piss like I cry
On the infidelity of bitches
In the city of Amsterdam
In the city of Amsterdam
Naga_Biru
Beautiful song, I'm in love with the Dutch language
miriam van Duijn
K s choice
Patrick Wittenberg
Acda & de Munnik, de grootste ambassadeurs van Amsterdam! Dit lied heeft alles, zo was onze stad!
Tim Jorna
Was het maar weer zo!
Sjaak Piest
Zo is amsterdam nooit geweest, behalve in sprookjesboeken. Amsterdam is altijd een gewelddadig en agressief cleautedorp geweest.
Noltie
Mooiste nummer ooit over Amsterdam. Ik hou ervan.
RL4400400
I don't understand a word...but I'm a fan of Jacques Brel, and honestly, for the beat and the crescendo, that version is really close to the great Belgian!
starcluster
hm
Turpenstein
love this song!
starcluster
im sure you have not thought of this comment for more than a decade