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 --------- 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 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 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 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 Am In the port of Amsterdam Em Dm E7 Am In the port of Amsterdam Submitted by Mr Thyroid