(Port of) AMSTERDAM
Written by Jacques Brel (original lyrics in French, English by David Bowie – 1972)
As performed by David Bowie

[Verse 1]
            
In the port of

              
 Amsterdam the

       
re's a sailor 

who sings
             
Of the dreams 

              
that he brings

          
 from the wide

 open sea
            
In the port of

              
 Amsterdam the

       
re's a sailor 

who sleeps
            
While the rive

             
r bank weeps t

            
o the old will

ow tree
             
In the port of

              
 Amsterdam the

             
re's a sailor 

    
who dies
            
Full of beer, 

              
full of cries 

            
in a drunken t

    
own fight
             
In the port of

              
 Amsterdam the

       
re's a sailor 

who's born
            
On a hot muggy

            
 morn by the d


awn's early li

ght

[Instrumental]


[Verse 2]
            
In the port of

              
 Amsterdam whe

       
re the sailors

 all meet
             
There's a sail

              
or who eats on

   
ly fish heads 

and tails
            
And he'll show

              
 you his teeth

           
 that have rot

ted too soon
            
That can haul 

             
up the sails t

        
hat can swallo

w the moon
             
And he yells t

              
o the cook wit

             
h his arms ope

  
n wide
            
Hey, bring me 

              
more fish, thr

            
ow it down by 

   
my side
             
And he wants s

              
o to belch but

      
 he's too full

 to try
            
So he stands u

             
p and laughs a

      
nd he zips up 

his fly

[Verse 3]
            
In the port of

              
 Amsterdam you

            
 can see sailo

rs dance
             
Paunches burst

              
ing their pant

            
s, grinding wo

men to porch
            
They've forgot

              
ten the tune t

          
hat their whis

key voice croa

ked
            
Splitting the 

             
night with the

 
 roar of their

 jokes
             
And they turn 

              
and they dance

             
 and they laug

           
h and they lus

t
            
Till the ranci

              
d sound of the

         
 accordion bur

sts
             
And then out o

              
f the night wi

         
th their pride

 in their pant

s
            
And the sluts 

             
that they tow 

     
underneath the

 street lamps

[Verse 4]
            
In the port of

              
 Amsterdam the

       
re's a sailor 

who drinks
             
And he drinks 

              
and he drinks 

       
and he drinks 

once again
            
He'll drink to

              
 the health of

     
 the whores of

 Amsterdam
            
Who've given t

             
heir bodies to

   
 a thousand ot

her men
              
Yeah, they've 

             
bargained thei

              
r virtue, thei

             
r goodness all

 
 gone
            
For a few dirt

              
y coins, well 

            
he just can't 

   
go on
             
Throws his nos

              
e to the sky a

      
nd he aims it 

up above
            
And he pisses 

             
like I cry on 

    
the unfaithful

 love
            
In the port of

              
 Amsterdam, in

     
 the port of A

msterdam