Stewart grew up in the coastal resort town of Bournemouth, Dorset. According to Songfacts, in days of youthful folly Stewart played in a beat group with later BBC DJ Tony Blackburn before moving to the capital to seek fortune and fame.
Having bought his first guitar from future Police guitarist Andy Summers, Stewart traded in his electric guitar for an acoustic guitar when he was offered a weekly slot at Bunjies Coffee House in London's Soho in 1965. From there, he went on to compete at the Les Cousins folk club on Greek Street, where he played alongside Cat Stevens, Bert Jansch, Van Morrison, Roy Harper and Ralph McTell
Although he had his share of the breaks, including a tenure at Bunjees coffee house and a record deal with CBS, life wasn't always easy for the young troubadour; his first serious love affair ended in disaster, and he experienced all the usual insecurities of the stranger in the big city trying to find his way.
In January 1970, Melody Maker named his second release Love Chronicles its Folk Album Of The Year, but in spite of his obviously carving out quite a name for himself, it was not until Year Of The Cat - the single and even more so the monster album - that he really shot to fame.
He emigrated to the United States as his career took off in the mid 1970s, and still lives in California. While studio albums are now few and far between, he still tours extensively in the United States, and, most years, in Europe. Recordings of concerts are often made available through his fan clubs.
Amsterdam
Al Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the very last day of Autumn
Made it through the customs, took the bus into town
The flat looked cold and empty
The chairs unused and dusty
Just a few old letters and papers lying around
The Dutch people were friendly
You know they put me up and they fed me
All my days and all my ways
Are so confused
I tell you right new
I'm going to make it back to Amsterdam
And you can feel fine anytime
You choose to lose yourself for a while
Bottle of wine
In some back street cafe
Or out on the street, there's a chance
For you to meet anybody you please
Taking the time
To ease your blues away
Fred was a crazy driver
He took us at a hundred miles an hour
Down a side street out of a traffic jam
All my days and all my ways
Are so bemused
I tell you right now
I'm going to make it back to Amsterdam
Oh I just came back from Haarlem
And the very thing I was wanting
Was to find some way to let you know how I felt
You can't say much in an evening
If you know you'll soon be leaving
There's not much time to talk, and it's maybe as well
But I wanted to give you something
Because you knew you really helped me
So I've written you a song with a small West Indian band
And though it seems some days that all my ways are
Bound to lose
I tell you right now
I'm going to make it back to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Pah-pa-pa-pah
The lyrics to Al Stewart's song Amsterdam describe the singer's return to Amsterdam from Haarlem on a chilly autumn day. The first verse sets the scene of the singer's return to an empty and cold flat with only old letters and papers lying around. However, the friendly Dutch people made him feel welcome and took care of him during his one-night stand tour. The chorus suggests that Amsterdam is a place where one can lose themselves while enjoying a bottle of wine in a backstreet cafe or meeting anyone they please while taking the time to ease their blues away.
The second verse mentions Fred, who is a crazy driver that took them out of a traffic jam on a side street at a hundred miles an hour. The singer's confused and bemused days and ways indicate that he may have had a transformative experience in Amsterdam. He wanted to express his feelings to someone and decided to write them a song with a West Indian band to show his gratitude. The last chorus repeats the word "Amsterdam," emphasizing the central theme of the song.
Overall, the song Amsterdam is a reflection on the city's allure of freedom, both in terms of personal expression and the possibility of losing oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh I just came back from Haarlem
The singer recently returned from Haarlem.
On the very last day of Autumn
The singer arrived on the last day of Autumn.
Made it through the customs, took the bus into town
The singer went through customs and took a bus into town.
The flat looked cold and empty
The flat appeared to be empty and uninviting to the artist.
The chairs unused and dusty
The chairs in the flat were unused and covered in dust.
Just a few old letters and papers lying around
The only items in the flat were old letters and papers strewn about.
The Dutch people were friendly
The Dutch people were kind and hospitable to the singer.
You know they put me up and they fed me
The Dutch people provided the artist with a place to stay and food to eat.
All along a tour of one night stands
The artist has been on a tour with one-night performances.
All my days and all my ways
The artist's life is in disarray and confusing.
Are so confused
The singer's life is currently confusing and uncertain.
I tell you right new
The artist vows that they will make it back to Amsterdam.
I'm going to make it back to Amsterdam
The singer promises to return to Amsterdam in the future.
And you can feel fine anytime
You can feel good whenever you choose.
You choose to lose yourself for a while
Sometimes it's beneficial to get lost for a while.
Bottle of wine
Drinking wine is a common pastime in Amsterdam.
In some back street cafe
Cafes are common in Amsterdam and can be found in back streets.
Or out on the street, there's a chance
There's an opportunity to meet new people out on the street.
For you to meet anybody you please
You have the ability to meet anyone you want to in Amsterdam.
Taking the time
It's important to take time for oneself and relax.
To ease your blues away
One can soothe their worries and problems while in Amsterdam.
Fred was a crazy driver
Fred drove recklessly and erratically.
He took us at a hundred miles an hour
Fred drove very fast.
Down a side street out of a traffic jam
Fred took a side street to avoid a traffic jam.
And the very thing I was wanting
The singer wanted one specific thing from Amsterdam.
Was to find some way to let you know how I felt
The singer wanted to express their feelings to someone in Amsterdam.
You can't say much in an evening
There isn't much time to talk in a single evening.
If you know you'll soon be leaving
If you know you'll be departing soon.
There's not much time to talk, and it's maybe as well
Given the lack of time, maybe it's better not to talk much after all.
But I wanted to give you something
The singer wanted to give a gift to the person they wanted to express their feelings to.
Because you knew you really helped me
The person he wanted to express feelings to had helped him greatly.
So I've written you a song with a small West Indian band
The artist wrote a song for the person with help from a small West Indian band.
And though it seems some days that all my ways are
Despite the fact that the artist's life is in disarray.
Bound to lose
The artist feels that they're always about to lose everything.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the central theme of the song.
Pah-pa-pa-pah
Syllables with a repeated sound that correlate to music in the song.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALISTAIR IAN STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind