Here's the English version of Jacques Brel's Amsterdam
as sung by David Bowie on 'Bowie at the Beeb - the best
of the BBc sessions 68-72'
David plays each chord once for the first verse and then
starts strumming with a driving rhythm enhanced by various
hammer-ons etc. and then he gradually gets louder and pained.
Never heard the original but DB's version is great as is the
whole Bowie at the Beeb album if you like early Bowie.
AMSTERDAM
---------
[Verse 1]
Am
In the port of Amsterdam
Em
There's a sailor who sings
F
Of the dreams that he brings
E
From a wide open sea
Am
And in the port of Amsterdam
Em
There's a sailor who sleeps
F E7
While the river bank weeps
Am
To the old willow tree
C
And in the port of Amsterdam
G7 E7
There's a sailor who dies
Am
Full of beers full of cries
E7
In a drunken down fight
F
And in the port of Amsterdam
Em
There's a sailor who is born
Dm7 E7
On the hot muggy morn
Am
By the dawns early light
[Verse 2]
Am
In the port of Amsterdam
Em
Where the sailors all meet
F
There's a sailor who eats
E
Only fish heads and tails
Am
He'll show you his teeth
Em
That have rotted too soon
F E7
That can haul up the sails
Am
That can swallow the moon
C
And he'll yell to the cook
G7 E7
With his arms open wide
Am
Oh bring me more fish
E7
Though it's down by my side
F
And he wants so to belch
Em
But he's too full to try
Dm7 E7
So he stands up and laughs
Am
And he zips up his flies
[Verse 3]
Am
In the port of Amsterdam
Em
You can see sailors dance
F
Paunches bursting their pants
E
Grinding women's with paunch (not sure about this line)
Am
They've forgotten the tune
Em
That their whiskey voice croaks
F E7
Splitting the night
Am
With the roar of their jokes
C
And they turn and they dance
G7 E7
And they laugh and they lust
Am
Till the rancid sound
E7
Of the accordion bursts
F
And then out of the night
Em
With their pride in their pants
Dm7 E7
And the slut that they tow
Am
Underneath the street lamps
[Verse 4]
Am
In the port of Amsterdam
Em
There's a sailor who drinks
F
And he drinks and he drinks
E
And he drinks once again
Am
Oh he drinks to the health
Em
Of the whores of Amsterdam
F E7
Who have given their bodies
Am
To a thousand other men
C
It's their worth and their goodness
G7 E7
Their virtues all gone
Am
For the few dirty coins
E7
When he just can't go on
F
Throws his nose to the sky
Em
And he aims it up above
Dm7 E7
And he pisses like I cry
Am
For an unfaithful love
[Outro]
Am
In the port of Amsterdam
Em Dm E7 Am
In the port of Amsterdam
