Amsterdam
The Tony Visconti Trio David Bowie Lyrics

In the port of Amsterdam
A detailed description of the sailor's life in the port of Amsterdam.

There's a sailor who sings
The sailor is a musician who sings about his dreams from the sea.

Of the dreams that he brings
The sailor brings with him dreams from the sea.

From the wide open sea
The sailor comes from the vast sea.

There's a sailor who sleeps
The sailor has a habit of sleeping whenever he wants.

While the river bank weeps
The dockside is always troubled, as if it's crying and mourning.

To the old Willow tree
The old Willow tree is a symbol of past memories and times.

There's a sailor who dies
In the port of Amsterdam, sailors come and go, and sometimes they die young.

Full of beer, full of cries
The sailor was drunk and emotional before he died.

In a drunken town fight
The fight happened while the sailor was drunk and in town.

There's a sailor who's born
In the port of Amsterdam, sailors are born and raised.

On a hot muggy morn
The sailor was born on a humid, sultry morning.

By the dawn's early light
The sailor was born when the first light of dawn was just visible.

Where the sailors all meet
The port of Amsterdam is a place where sailors from around the world gather.

There's a sailor who eats
Some sailors have unique eating habits and preferences. This one only eats fish heads and tails.

Only fish heads and tails
This sailor has a preference for fish head and tails over other parts of the fish.

That have rotted too soon
The sailor's teeth have rotted prematurely due to his diet.

That can haul up the sails
Despite his poor dental health, this sailor can still work hard and effectively on a ship.

That can swallow the moon
This is a tall tale about the sailor's incredible strength and abilities.

With his arms open wide
The sailor is calling out to the cook with his arms wide open.

"Hey, bring me more fish
He is requesting for more fish to eat.

Throw it down by my side"
He wants the fish to be thrown onto the ground beside him.

But he's too full to try
Despite his hunger, the sailor is full and can't eat any more fish.

So he stands up and laughs
After eating, the sailor stands up and laughs in satisfaction.

And he zips up his fly
He finishes eating and zips up his pants.

Paunches bursting their pants
The sailors are dancing so much that their stomachs are bulging out of their pants.

Grinding women to porch
The sailors are dancing passionately with women, to the point of grinding against doors and walls.

They've forgotten the tune
The sailors are so drunk they have lost the rhythm of the music.

That their whiskey voice croaked
Their voices are hoarse from all the whiskey they've consumed.

Till the rancid sound of the accordion bursts
The music played by the accordion becomes loud and unpleasant as the sailors continue to dance.

And then out of the night
Suddenly, something appears from the dark.

With their pride in their pants
The sailors emerge with a sense of arrogance and pride.

And the sluts that they tow
The women on their arms are considered prostitutes.

Underneath the street lamp
The scene is taking place under the harsh light of the street lamps.

And he drinks and he drinks
The sailor can drink large quantities of alcohol.

And he drinks once again
The sailor continues to drink without stopping.

He'll drink to the health
The sailor drinks in honor of the prostitutes in Amsterdam.

Of the whores of Amsterdam
The prostitutes in Amsterdam are the topic of the sailors' drinking toasts.

Who've given their bodies
The prostitutes in Amsterdam are seen as giving themselves sexually to the sailors and other men.

To a thousand other men
The prostitutes have many sexual partners.

Yeah, they've bargained their virtue
The prostitutes have lost their innocence and honor for money.

Their goodness all gone
The prostitutes have lost all their virtues, leaving them with nothing but their bodies to sell.

For a few dirty coins
The payment the prostitutes receive is considered dirty and undesirable.

When he just can't go on
The sailor is at a point where he can't drink anymore, but he continues to do so anyway.

Throws his nose to the sky
He lifts his head up high, preparing to urinate.

Aims it up above
He aims his urine stream upwards.

And he pisses like I cry
His urination is equated to crying.

On the unfaithful love
The urine falls on the ground, symbolizing the prostitute's unfaithfulness and breaking of the sailors' hearts.