Amsterdam
Bjorn & John Peter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She put a little money into travelling
Now it's so slow, so slow
Baby went to Amsterdam
Four, five days for the big canal
Now it's so slow, so slow
And I was heading up north
Eating well, sleeping well
But still I was way, way out of line
Amsterdam was stuck in my mind
Oh, it's a kind of stupid groove
That you can't ignore
Oh, it's a kind of natural fact
Sometimes you're just left to be alone
Baby went to Amsterdam
She put a little money into traveling
Now it's so slow, so slow
Baby went to Amsterdam
Four, five days for the big canal
Now it's so slow, so slow
And I got to go away
To a place of my own
Working hard, fill my time
From that day on, till I hit the bed
Amsterdam was stuck in my head
Oh, it's a kind of stupid groove
That you can't ignore
Oh, it's a kind of natural fact
Sometimes you're just left to be alone
Baby went to Amsterdam
She put a little money into traveling
Now it's so slow, so slow
Baby went to Amsterdam
Four, five days for the big canal
Now it's so slow, so slow
Baby went to Amsterdam
She put a little money into traveling
Now it's so slow, so slow
Baby went to Amsterdam
Four, five days for the big canal
Now it's so slow, so slow, slow
The song "Amsterdam" by Bjorn & John Peter is a reflection of the nature of travel and its transformative power. The lyrics center around a woman who goes to Amsterdam, a city known for its fun, cultural offerings and seemingly limitless potential for adventure. She takes her time, enjoying the slow pace of life in a new place, and the singer of the song appreciates this freedom as he contemplates his own life. He thinks about the routine of his daily life, about working hard and filling his time. Though he is happy, he still thinks about Amsterdam and the way it captured his imagination.
The refrain "oh, it's a kind of stupid groove that you can't ignore" speaks to the irresistible appeal of travel, and the way it can change a person. It is a "natural fact" that sometimes we are left alone, and travel can be a way to figure things out about ourselves, away from the distractions of our daily lives. The repetition of the lyrics "now it's so slow, so slow" emphasizes this sense of unhurriedness that is often characteristic of travel. Even as the singer goes back to his daily routine, Amsterdam is "stuck in his mind," a reminder of the transformative power of travel.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby went to Amsterdam
The singer is recounting how someone they know went to Amsterdam.
She put a little money into travelling
The person mentioned in the previous line spent some money to go to Amsterdam.
Now it's so slow, so slow
The pace of life in Amsterdam is slow and relaxed.
Four, five days for the big canal
It takes four or five days to travel through the main canal in Amsterdam.
And I was heading up north
The artist was heading north from Amsterdam.
To a place that I know
The singer was headed to a place they were familiar with.
Eating well, sleeping well
The singer was taking care of themselves by eating and sleeping well.
But still I was way, way out of line
Despite taking care of themselves, the artist still felt out of place or disconnected.
Amsterdam was stuck in my mind
The artist was still thinking about Amsterdam even after leaving the city.
Oh, it's a kind of stupid groove
There's a silly or foolish feeling associated with this experience.
That you can't ignore
This feeling is hard to ignore and lingers even after leaving Amsterdam.
Oh, it's a kind of natural fact
This feeling is just a natural consequence of being in Amsterdam.
Sometimes you're just left to be alone
Occasionally, being alone is just part of the experience and can contribute to these feelings.
And I got to go away
The singer had to leave the area or situation to get over the feeling of being disconnected.
To a place of my own
The singer sought a place where they felt more comfortable or at home.
Working hard, fill my time
The artist occupied themselves with work or tasks to distract from thinking about Amsterdam.
From that day on, till I hit the bed
The artist was preoccupied with thinking about Amsterdam, from the time they woke up until they went to bed.
Baby went to Amsterdam
Repetition of the first line to emphasize the central theme of the song.
She put a little money into travelling
Repetition of previous line for emphasis.
Now it's so slow, so slow
Repetition of previous line for emphasis.
Four, five days for the big canal
Repetition of previous line for emphasis.
Now it's so slow, so slow
Repetition of previous line for emphasis.
Baby went to Amsterdam
Repetition of the first line for emphasis.
She put a little money into travelling
Repetition of previous line for emphasis.
Now it's so slow, so slow
Repetition of previous line for emphasis.
Baby went to Amsterdam
Repetition of the first line for emphasis.
Four, five days for the big canal
Repetition of previous line for emphasis.
Now it's so slow, so slow, slow
Repetition of previous line for emphasis.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Eriksson, Peter Moren, Bjorn Yttling
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@elizabethjeannorman4197
Bought this album by chance on a closing sale, I regret nothing. I absolutely love this album through and through.
@telequacker-9529
I actually found them through Youtube - back around 2006 when this came out, they actually hand-curated videos to feature on the front page. None of that algorithmic shit. One of the videos they chose was "Young Folks".
@MsLemon1971
One of my favorite albums, cheers!
@vicentaalaquinez4629
How did you come to buy an album?
@user-mj8nf2vp7q
...Memories from the scorching hot summer of 2007.
👍🏽💯🤗
@jon8258
How is this song not more popular? Oh wait, it's 2022.
@kristenloveleigh4073
Still jamming to this day!
@kanosig
Sometimes I look up videos from my playlists and genuinely have no idea whether its going to have a billion views or be sitting in unappreciated obscurity like this one.
@1982pencil
an ex got me into this band during college and this song reminds me of that time ... so it makes me sort of sad because he turned out to be a cheating douchebag. but then I found someone way better and now we're married and have an awesome kid, so it's ok!but this song still makes me sad, haha.
@KoKoBipolar
@Gzus Kreist 😮