If indie rock ever makes it in Romania, it’ll be because of The Amsterdams and their relentless pursuit. And because bands like The Dandy Warhols dig them and regard them as the best band in the land. As they make it pretty clear on the MySpace page, they’re here to do more than just rock out; they’re here to “take the cars out of every garage band”. Whatever that means, it sounds good enough to get behind.
Their second studio album, "Electromagnetica", was released on 31 March 2011 and on 1 April as a digital download. The album was partly recorded in Next Dog Studio, and was mastered by Harris Newman, who is also known for his work with Wolf Parade and Arcade Fire. Electromagnetica is produced and mixed by Electric Brother and features Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade, Handsome Furs), who plays guitar on "This Burial Ground's For Two".
“Sneakers and striped T-Shirts: there¹s some hard strumming going on in the garages of Bucharest. These kids from Romania are highly strung. Thick guitar riffs, each song bringing a darker atmosphere. The Amsterdams are worthy symbols of a spirited, tortured rock scene.”
EuropaVox 2008
DISCOGRAPHY
"Automatic" (EP; 2008)
"Adolessons" (2009)
"Electromagnetica" (2011)
"Winds Apart" (2014)
"Eternity for Dummies" (2016)
Three is a Crowd
The Amsterdams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dive in and make out
She had to come, it all felt so surreal
I've never imagined three makes a couple
I'm in the middle
What did you expect? I'm human, she's so near
At night me and her out, keeping you, dear, in
Mistakes they avenge, you're so still It makes me wanna shout
Shout
You said three is a crowd and she's much too loud
Baby I'm so scared, what could happen?
I've seen it all so clear
Piano down your stairs, furniture and pills
Said you will leave and meet me in Berlin
We'll get rid of her there (behind brick houses, red brick houses)
I'll never forget love, all met in this park, ten after midnight
How was I to know
Your hands will end this war?
War
A ride or more, telling me things you like
Another heartache, this pretty high pretty low fall
The engine roar, louder with every mile
All the planets, hope they won't tell us wrong
A shot or more, her body then hit the ground
But your cold hands they only killed our love
We left her there, only kissed her once
In our cruel hearts her blood will always run
I'm sure one day we'll find the courage to tell our friends
We did it, we did it
I'm sure one day we'll find the courage to tell our friends
I'm sure one day we'll find the courage to tell our friends
The Amsterdams's song "Three is a Crowd" tells a story of a love triangle that ends in murder. The singer describes his romantic encounters with two women, and how he realizes too late that this arrangement is not sustainable. He is torn between his love for both women and his fear of hurting either of them. The lyrics are powerful and full of emotion, capturing the complexity of human relationships and the consequences of our actions.
The song begins with a description of the singer's initial excitement about being with two women at once. He speaks of staying in bed for days, making out, and feeling like it's all surreal. However, as the relationships progress, the singer becomes increasingly conflicted. He begins to feel guilty about cheating on one woman with the other, and he realizes that he cannot keep up the facade forever. The chorus, "You said three is a crowd and she's much too loud / Baby I'm so scared, what could happen? / I've seen it all so clear," is a reflection of his fear that someone will find out and that he will be left with nothing.
As the song progresses, the tension between the three characters builds. The singer speaks of plans to leave with one woman and meet in Berlin, where they will "get rid of her" (referring to the third woman). The lyrics suggest a plan to commit a murder for the sake of preserving the relationship. The second verse reveals that the plan has been carried out, as the singer describes driving with one of the women in a car, then shooting and killing the other woman. The graphic imagery of "her body then hit the ground / But your cold hands they only killed our love" is haunting and chilling.
The final chorus, "I'm sure one day we'll find the courage to tell our friends / We did it, we did it," is a disturbing admission of guilt. The singer seems to suggest that he and the remaining woman will one day be able to confess to their friends about the murder, as if it is something to be proud of.
Overall, "Three is a Crowd" is a powerful yet disturbing song that explores the dark side of human relationships. It highlights the consequences of our actions and the destructive power of jealousy and betrayal.
Line by Line Meaning
Used to stay in bed, day after day love
We used to spend our days in bed together, enjoying our love for each other.
Dive in and make out
We would passionately kiss and embrace each other.
She had to come, it all felt so surreal
Another woman became involved in our relationship and it felt like a dream.
I've never imagined three makes a couple
I never thought that having three people involved in a romantic relationship could work.
I'm in the middle
I am stuck between my love for both of these women.
What did you expect? I'm human, she's so near
I am only human and I cannot help but be swayed by the physical closeness of the other woman.
At night me and her out, keeping you, dear, in
At night, I would go out with the other woman while my original partner stayed at home.
Mistakes they avenge, you're so still
My mistakes have consequences and now my original partner is no longer moving or responsive towards me.
It makes me wanna shout
I feel overwhelmed with emotions and want to express them vocally.
You said three is a crowd and she's much too loud
You warned me that having three people involved in our relationship would cause problems, and that the other woman is too disruptive.
Baby I'm so scared, what could happen?
I feel frightened about the unknown consequences of our situation.
I've seen it all so clear
I have gained clarity and understanding about our situation.
Piano down your stairs, furniture and pills
The situation has become so stressful that even our possessions and medication have been thrown down the stairs.
Said you will leave and meet me in Berlin
You have decided to leave and meet up with me in a different city.
We'll get rid of her there (behind brick houses, red brick houses)
We plan to eliminate the other woman while we are in Berlin, most likely by killing her.
I'll never forget love, all met in this park, ten after midnight
I will always remember the love we shared and how we all met in the park at ten after midnight.
How was I to know
Your hands will end this war?
I never could have predicted that your actions would be the cause of the end of our relationship.
A ride or more, telling me things you like
We drove around together, discussing our likes and dislikes.
Another heartache, this pretty high pretty low fall
Our relationship has caused yet another emotional rollercoaster of highs and lows.
The engine roar, louder with every mile
The sounds of the car engine became louder as we drove further away from our problems.
All the planets, hope they won't tell us wrong
We hope that the universe will bring us positivity and not lead us astray.
A shot or more, her body then hit the ground
We shot and killed the other woman and her body fell to the ground.
But your cold hands they only killed our love
Your actions have caused our love to die and become cold.
We left her there, only kissed her once
We left the other woman's body behind and only shared one final kiss with her.
In our cruel hearts her blood will always run
We will always carry the guilt of our actions, and the other woman's blood will forever run in our hearts.
I'm sure one day we'll find the courage to tell our friends
We did it, we did it
One day we may have the courage to confess to our friends about what we've done and take responsibility for our actions.
I'm sure one day we'll find the courage to tell our friends
We may never have the courage to tell our friends about what happened.
Contributed by Gabriella B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@evaliaro
sunt de parere ca evolutia voastra lirica se vede cel mai bine pe piesa asta. cu mana pe inima va zic "felicitari", albumul e un deliciu auditiv.