Amsterdam
Walker (Scott) Lyrics

In the port of Amsterdam
The setting of the song, Amsterdam's port, is introduced and repeated throughout.

There's a sailor who sings
A sailor is introduced as a recurring character who sings of his experiences at sea.

Of the dreams that he brings
The sailor sings of his dreams during his travels at sea.

From the wide open sea
The sailor's dreams are inspired by his travels on the open waters.

There's a sailor who sleeps
Another sailor is introduced who sleeps while nearby, the riverbank weeps.

While the riverbank weeps
The riverbank is personified as weeping, possibly indicating sadness or remorse.

With the old willow tree
The weeping riverbank is accompanied by an old willow tree, which is a common symbol of sorrow.

There's a sailor who dies
A sailor meets his end in Amsterdam's port, possibly indicating the dangers of the sailor's lifestyle.

Full of beer, full of cries
The sailor dies amidst a drunken brawl, highlighting the negative effects of drinking and the sailor's rough lifestyle.

In a drunken down fight
The sailor's death is caused by a fight while drunk.

There's a sailor who's born
A new sailor is born in Amsterdam's port.

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

By the dawn's early light
The scene is set at daybreak, emphasizing the sailor's fresh start.

There's a sailor who eats
Another sailor is introduced who eats only fishheads and tails.

Only fishheads and tails
This sailor is impoverished and does not have access to better food options.

He will show you his teeth
The sailor has rotted teeth from poor nutrition and hygiene, reflecting the harshness of his life and the difficulty of his work.

That have rotted too soon
The sailor's teeth have rotted at a young age, suggesting a difficult life on the sea with limited resources to care for his dental hygiene.

That can swallow the moon
The sailor's teeth are metaphorically strong enough to swallow the moon, highlighting the severity of their decay.

That can haul up the sails
Despite his rough condition, the sailor is still capable of working and contributing to the ship's operations.

And he yells to the cook
The sailor calls out to the cook for more fish.

With his arms open wide
The sailor gestures with open arms, perhaps indicating his enthusiasm or desperation for more food.

Bring me more fish
The sailor requests more food to eat.

Put it down by my side
The sailor wants the food placed next to him to eat immediately and without hesitation.

Then he wants so to belch
After eating, the sailor feels the need to burp.

But he's too full to try
The sailor has eaten so much that he can't burp, reflecting his hunger and lack of access to sufficient food.

So he gets up and laughs
The sailor gets up and laughs, perhaps to hide his shame at his poor condition or to emphasize his carefree lifestyle.

And he zips up his fly
The sailor adjusts his clothing, indicating a carefree attitude and a lack of concern for personal grooming.

You can see sailors dance
Sailors in the port are shown as carefree and dancing, perhaps after a long journey at sea and the desire to enjoy their time on land.

Paunches bursting their pants
The sailors are shown as overweight, with their paunches bursting from their pants due to excessive drinking and poor dietary choices.

Grinding women to paunch
The sailors are shown as lascivious and engaging in sexual behavior with local women, with the metaphor of 'grinding' indicating a roughness and lack of sensitivity in their behavior.

They've forgotten the tune
The sailors have lost touch with their musical roots and the joy of making music, indicating a melancholy aspect to their carefree behavior.

That their whiskey voice croaks
The sailors' voices are hoarse from excessive drinking, which may be interfering with their ability to sing and express their emotions musically.

Splitting the night with the
The sailors are still singing and shouting loudly into the night, despite the hoarseness of their voices.

Roar of their jokes
The sailors' laughter and shouting are described as a 'roar,' which may indicate a lack of concern for the local residents who are disrupted by their noise and behavior.

And they turn and they dance
The sailors continue their carefree dancing and movement, fueled by their consumption of alcohol and an unbridled sense of joy.

And they laugh and they lust
The sailors are shown as engaging in bawdy behavior and sexual encounters with women, despite the dangers and potentially negative consequences of such activities.

Till the rancid sound of
The atmosphere turns negative and less joyous, as the music and mood become 'rancid.'

The accordion bursts
The accordion, a common musical instrument in traditional Dutch music, becomes overwhelming and possibly out of tune, disrupting the sailors' party atmosphere.

Then out to the night
As the night draws on, the sailors continue their partying and raucous behavior, regardless of its impact on the local people and their own well-being.

With their pride in their pants
The sailors continue to be proud and carefree, with 'pride in their pants' possibly indicating a sense of belonging and comradery amongst them.

With the slut that they tow
The sailors are shown as having sexual encounters with women who are depicted as being of low moral character.

Underneath the street lamps
The sailors' carefree and damaging behavior is visible to all and takes place in public and under the watchful eyes of local residents and authorities.

There's a sailor who drinks
Another sailor is introduced, this one known for excessive drinking.

And he drinks and he drinks
This sailor drinks continually, without regard for the consequences to his own health or well-being.

And he drinks once again
The sailor repeats his behavior over and over, unable to escape his addiction to drinking.

He drinks to the health
The sailor drinks to 'health' of the prostitutes in the port, indicating a disregard for the morality and well-being of others.

Of the whores of Amsterdam
The prostitutes in Amsterdam's port are shown to be lowly regarded and treated by the sailors, an illustration of a certain callousness and lack of empathy in the song.

Who have promised their love
The prostitutes offer their love in exchange for money, highlighting their difficult situation and possibly their limited choices in life.

To a thousand other men
The prostitutes' affections are not unique or special, but rather a pattern of transactional interactions in their line of work.

They've bargained their bodies
The song highlights the exploitation and objectification of women in the sex trade, particularly in the context of sailors and their clients.

And their virtue long gone
The prostitutes' morality and dignity are sacrificed in order to earn a living, highlighting the harsh realities of life in the sex trade.

For a few dirty coins
The prostitutes are paid in exchange for sex, highlighting a system of economic exchange that reduces their humanity and value.

And when he can't go on
The sailor reaches a point of drunkenness where he can no longer continue his behavior.

He plants his nose in the sky
The sailor vomits onto the ground, pointedly lifting his head towards the sky, perhaps in defiance of societal norms and conventions.

And he wipes it up above
The sailor wipes his face and nose onto his sleeve, further indicating a disregard for personal cleanliness and hygiene.

And he pisses like I cry
The sailor urinates onto the ground and likens his act to that of crying, perhaps indicating a deep sadness or detachment from his own emotions.