Amsterdam
Crowded House Lyrics
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Take a trip to Vincent Van Gogh
But the line went halfway round the block
And we're looking for a place to rest
Every seat in every bar was set
So we turned back to the Grand Hotel
And the rain came hard
Every choice, every path was mistaken
You and me got the whole thing sussed
Gray man is shadowing us
Wild conspiracies turn to dust
Hear the sound of cathedral bells
Cash ringing at the gates of Hell
And fairground hooligans push and swell
They're the darkest days of a free man
Lying in the streets of Amsterdam
Nearly fell underneath the tram
But I picked myself up
Every temptation and device
All the diamonds and the spice
I would give anything for the sight
Of an honest man (Hey)
Eyes swim in emptiness
I was looking at a hotel guest
He blew me a big sarcastic kiss
And the Lord walked in
With a monocle and lips so thin
Saw the barman wink as he poured his brandy
They're the darkest days of a free man
Lying in the streets of Amsterdam
Nearly fell underneath the tram
But I picked myself up
Every temptation up in lights
all the diamonds and the spice
Could take profit from the vice
Of another man
Amsterdam
Cold, cold
Cold, cold
You belong
The lyrics of Crowded House's song Amsterdam tells a story about two people who have a day off and decided to visit the Vincent Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. However, the line was too long and they couldn't get in, so they decided to look for a place to rest. They tried to find a spot in the bars, but all of them were full, so they returned to their hotel. While they were inside, it started to rain, and they heard the sound of a massive protest happening outside. The lyrics use the event as a metaphor for the confusion and chaos of life, where every path seems to be mistaken.
The song then goes into a darker tone, where they start to witness the contrast between the visitor's experience in Amsterdam against the harsh reality of life. They refer to a "gray man" who is shadowing them and speaks about wild conspiracies that turn to dust. They hear the sound of cathedral bells while nearby someone is making money at the gates of Hell. They also mention fairground hooligans, possibly indicating the exploitation and degradation of people for a profit. The lyrics conclude by stating that all the glitz and glamour of the city are meaningless, and the only thing that matters is the desire to experience the sight of an honest man.
Line by Line Meaning
You and me got the whole day off
We have the entire day to ourselves
Take a trip to Vincent Van Gogh
Let's go visit the Vincent Van Gogh Museum
But the line went halfway round the block
Unfortunately, there was a long queue for the museum
And we're looking for a place to rest
We're tired and need somewhere to sit down
Every seat in every bar was set
All the bars were completely full
So we turned back to the Grand Hotel
We decided to go back to our hotel
And the rain came hard
It started to rain heavily
A million people on a protest march
There were a lot of people participating in a protest march
Every choice, every path was mistaken
It seemed like every decision made was wrong
You and me got the whole thing sussed
We thought we had everything figured out
Gray man is shadowing us
We felt like we were being followed by someone suspicious
Wild conspiracies turn to dust
Our unfounded rumors were proven false
Hear the sound of cathedral bells
We could hear the bells from a nearby cathedral ringing
Cash ringing at the gates of Hell
People were spending money recklessly and without thought
And fairground hooligans push and swell
Rowdy carnival-goers were causing chaos
They're the darkest days of a free man
These are difficult times for someone living in a free society
Lying in the streets of Amsterdam
People were lying in the streets - potentially homeless or ill
Nearly fell underneath the tram
It was dangerous to walk near the trams
But I picked myself up
Despite the obstacles, I persevered
Every temptation and device
Every opportunity to indulge in vice
All the diamonds and the spice
All the luxuries and extravagances
I would give anything for the sight
I would do anything to witness
Of an honest man (Hey)
Someone who is trustworthy and true to themselves
Eyes swim in emptiness
People seemed lost and disconnected
I was looking at a hotel guest
I observed someone staying at the hotel
He blew me a big sarcastic kiss
He made a rude and mocking gesture towards me
And the Lord walked in
Suddenly a particularly important person entered the room
With a monocle and lips so thin
This person had a stern and serious appearance
Saw the barman wink as he poured his brandy
The bartender was serving alcohol and seemed to be up to something
Cold, cold
It was very cold outside
You belong
Despite the hardships, Amsterdam is still a place that we feel connected to and have affection for
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: NEIL MULLANE FINN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tony Stanton
on Mean To Me
The lyrics for this song are not correct.