Amsterdam
Peter Bjom and John Lyrics

In the port of Amsterdam there's a sailor who sings
The port of Amsterdam is home to a sailor who sings of his dreams from the vast ocean.

Of the dreams that he brings from the wide open sea.
He brings his dreams from the freedom of the open sea.

In the port of Amsterdam there's a sailor who sleeps
The weeping river bank in the Amsterdam port watches over a sleeping sailor.

While the river bank weeps to the old willow tree.
The river bank cries in sadness towards the old willow tree nearby.

In the port of Amsterdam there's a sailor who dies
Among the sailors in Amsterdam's port, one dies in a drunken brawl, crying for help.

Full of beer, full of cries in a drunken down fight.
The dead sailor was engulfed in alcohol, and perished in a violent fight.

But in the port of Amsterdam there's a sailor who's born
On a hot, stuffy morning, a sailor is born under the early morning light.

On a muggy, hot morn by the dawn's early light.
The sailor is born in the warmth and humidity of an early morning.

In the port of Amsterdam where the sailors all meet
All the sailors come together in Amsterdam's port.

There's a sailor who eats only fish-heads and tails.
One of the sailors in Amsterdam's port eats only fish-heads and tails.

He will show you his teeth that have rotted too soon.
His teeth have decayed at an early age, and he'll show them to you.

That can swallow the moon that can haul up the sails.
Despite his rotted teeth, he can still eat heartily and work hard to raise the sails.

And he asks to the cook with his arms open wide.
The sailor with rotten teeth asks the cook to bring him fish with his arms spread wide open.

Bring me more fish, put it down by my side.
He asks for more fish and tells the cook to put it by his side.

And he wants so to belch, but he's too full to try.
He feels bloated and wants to burp, but can't because he's stuffed with fish.

So he gets up and he laughs and he zips up his fly.
The sailor laughs as he gets up to zip up his pants.

In the port of Amsterdam you can see sailors dance.
Sailors in Amsterdam's port can be seen dancing.

Haunches bursting their pants, binding woman to paunch.
Their lively dancing is causing their pants to strain, and enticing women to join them.

They've forgotten the tune that their whiskey voice croaks.
Their slurred voices can no longer remember the tune of the songs they're singing.

And they're splitting the night with the roar of their jokes.
They're filling the night with the sound of their boisterous laughter and jokes.

And they turn and they dance and they laugh and they lust.
The sailors turn, dance, laugh, and feel intense desire.

To the rats it sounds of the accordion burst.
To rats, the music sounds like the accordion is being played loudly.

Then it's out into the night with their pride in their pants.
They walk out into the night with satisfaction and pride in their dancing.

With a slut that they tow underneath the streetlamps.
They come out with a woman who is known to be promiscuous, towing her under the streetlights.

In the port of Amsterdam there's a sailor who drinks.
There's a sailor in Amsterdam's port who drinks heavily.

And he drinks and he drinks and he drinks once again.
He keeps drinking one after the other, non-stop.

He drinks to the health of the whores of Amsterdam.
He drinks to the health of the prostitutes in Amsterdam.

Who have promised their love to a thousand other men.
He drinks to the love promised to him by women who are already promised to numerous other men.

And they darken their bodies and their virtues long gone
The women darken their skin and have lost their honor and dignity.

For a few dirty coins. And then when he can't go on
They sell their bodies for minimal money just to make ends meet. And when the sailor can't drink anymore,

He plants his nose in the sky and he wipes it up above
He arrogantly raises his nose towards the sky and brushes it slightly with his hand.

And he spits like I cry for an unfaithful love.
He spits like someone cries over unrequited love.

In the port of Amsterdam.
This all happens in Amsterdam's port.

In the port of Amsterdam.
This all happens in Amsterdam's port.

In the port of Amsterdam.
This all happens in Amsterdam's port.