Songs about Amsterdam
Irwin Silber
Gerry Myerson
isi...@webtv.net (Irwin Silber) wrote:
> Any that come to mind offhand
The kids on the bus used to sing Three Jolly Fishermen, which had
a verse,
They started out for Amsterdam
They started out for Amsterdam
Amster-, Amster-
Dam, dam, dam
Amster-, Amster-
Dam, dam, dam
They started out for Amsterdam
You shouldn't say that naughty word
(etc.)
but that's not exactly *about* Amsterdam.
Here are four more that aren't exactly about Amsterdam.
I found them at the Digital Tradition.
Gerry Myerson (ge...@mpce.mq.edu.au)
************************************
A-rovin' (1)
In Amsterdam there lived a Maid
Mark well what I do say!
In Amsterdam there lived a maid
And she was mistress of her trade
I'll go no more a-rovin' with you fair maid
A-rovin', a-rovin', since rovin's been my ru-i-in
I'll go no more a-rovin' with you fair maid
One night I crept from my abode
Mark etc.
One night I crept from my abode
To meet this fair maid down the road
I'll go etc.
I met this fair maid after dark
And took her to her favorite park.
I took this fair maid for a walk
And we had such a loving talk.
I put me arm around her waist
Sez she, "Young man, you're in great haste!"
I put my hand upon her knee
Sez she, "Young man you're rather free!"
I put my hand upon her thigh
Sez she, "Young man you're rather high!"
*
She sore that she'd be true to me
But spent me pay-day fast and free
In three weeks time I was badly bent
Then off to sea I sadly went.
In a bloodboat Yank bound round Cape Horn
Me boots and clothes were all in pawn
Bound up Cape Stiff through ice and snow
And up the coast to Cally-o
An' then back to the Liverpool Docks
Saltpeter stowed in our boots an' socks
Now when I got home from sea
A soger had her on his knee.
* I've omitted 7 of Hugill's rather clumsy attempts to
sanitize the song. If you can't figure out how an
"anatomical progression" works, you're
beyond help. RG
From Shanties from the Seven Seas, Hugill
*****************************************
The Dutchman
Michael Smith
The Dutchman's not the kind of man
Who keeps his thumb jammed in the dam
That holds his dreams in
But that's a secret that only Margaret knows
When Amsterdam is golden in the morning [summer]
Margaret brings him breakfast
She believes him
He thinks the tulips bloom beneath the snow
He`s mad as he can be but Margaret only sees that sometimes
Sometimes she sees her unborn children in his eyes
CHO: Let us go to the banks of the ocean
Where the walls rise above the Zuiderzee
Long ago, I used to be a young man
And dear Margaret remembers that for me
The Dutchman still wears wooden shoes
His cap and coat are patched with the love
That Margaret sewed in [there]
Sometimes he thinks he's still in Rotterdam
He watches [the] tug boats down canals
And calls out to them when he thinks he knows the Captain
'Til [Then] Margaret comes to take him home again
Through unforgiving streets
That trick him though she holds his arm
Sometimes he thinks that he's alone and calls her name
The windmills whirl the winter in
[The winters whirl the windmills 'round]
She winds his muffler tighter,
They sit in the kitchen
Some tea with whiskey keeps away the dew
He sees her for a moment, calls her name
She makes the bed up humming [singing] some old love song
A song Margaret learned when the tune [it] was very new
He hums a line or two, they hum [sing] together in the night [dark]
The Dutchman falls asleep and Margaret blows the candle out.
Copyright Michael Smith
Recorded by Steve Goodman
Note: words in brackets are as sung by Steve Goodman]
DT, MS
****************************************************
Red Rose Cafe
P. Cartnerand D.Black
They come from the farms and the factories too
And they all soon forget who they are.
The cares of today are soon washed away
As they sit at a stool by the bar.
The girl with green eyes in the Rolling Stones shirt
Doesn't look like she works on the land.
The man at the end, he's a very good friend
Of a man who sells cars second hand.
cho: Down at the Red Rose Cafe in the Harbour
There by the port just outside Amsterdam.
Everyone shares in the songs and the laughter.
Everyone there is so happy to be there.
The salesmen relax with a few pints of beer
As they try not to speak about trade.
The poet won't write any verses tonight.
He may sing a sweet serenade.
So pull up a chair and forget about life.
It's a good thing to do now and then
And if you like it here I have an idea
Tomorrow let's all meet again.
P Kartner/D Black - Bospel Music/Copyright Control
Recorded as track 9 on "The Furey's Finest" Rego-R-3650
Rego Irish Records + Tapes Inc.
64 New Hyde Park Road
Garden City N.Y. 11530
*******************************************************
The Two Puritans
It was a puritanical lad
His name it was Matthias
And he would go to Amsterdam
To speak with Ananias.
He had not gone but half a mile
When he met with a holy sister;
He laid his Bible under her breech,
And merrily he kissed her.
"Alas! what would the wicked say,"
Quoth she, "If they had seen it!"
"My buttocks lie too low;
I wish Apocrypha were in it!"
"Peace, sweetheart, for ere we part-
I speak in pure devotion -
By yea and nay I'll not away
Till thou feel my spirit's motion.
They huffed and puffed with many heaves
'Til that they both were tired.
"Alas, " quoth she, "You'll spoil the leaves,
My petticoat's all mired!
If we professors should be know
To all the congregation,
Either at Leyden or Amsterdam
It would disgrace our nation."
"But since it is that part we must,
Though I am much unwilling,
Brother, let's have another thrust
And take thee this fine shilling
To bear thy charges when thou go'est
As passage o'er the ocean."
Then down she laid and, so tis said,
She quenched his spirit's motion.
Lyrics obtained from "An Uninhibited Treasury of Erotic Poetry".
No melody, but it scans well to "Stingo" a 17th century English
dance tune. WBO
Anton Bohnen
"Buffalo Returns To the Plains", track 4 is called "Amsterdam":
'...Big wheels touch down about a quarter past nine
immigration man pulled me out of line
I talked to him buddy, said man to man
I'm trying to kick back in Amsterdam...'
Anton
The Netherlands
Irwin Silber <isi...@webtv.net> schreef in berichtnieuws
18946-38...@storefull-285.iap.bryant.webtv.net...
Abby Sale
wrote:
>Any that come to mind offhand
I'm sure by now you've thought of "The Maid of..." (A-rovin') Big decision
to make there, to sing the bawdy version or the parlor version...
Are you visiting that place at this moment? I understand there's some
pretty good shantey-singing in the neighborhood.
If DigTrad not available to you just now, a search reveals:
BLACK JOKE (The Original black Joke, sent from Dublin) verse 5
A rich Dutch skiper from Amsterdam
He came wth his gilt ready in hand,
To her black etc.
He fancy'd himself very fit for ye game,
She sent him to Holland all in a flame,
By her Coal black etc.
and
DRUNK LAST NIGHT
Drunk last night. Drunk the night before,
Gonna get drunk tonight like I never been drunk before,
For when I'm drunk I'm as happy as can be;
For I am a member of the Souse family,
Now the Souse family is the best family,
That ever came over from old Germany!
There's the Amsterdam Dutch and the Rotterdam Dutch,
The other dam Dutch and the Goddamn Dutch!
Sing glorius, sing glorius,
One keg of beer for the four of us.
And glory be to God that there are no more of us,
For one of us could drink it all alone.
and
THE DUTCHMAN (Michael Smith) - verse 1:
The Dutchman's not the kind of man
Who keeps his thumb jammed in the dam
That holds his dreams in
But that's a secret that only Margaret knows
When Amsterdam is golden in the morning [summer]
Margaret brings him breakfast
She believes him
He thinks the tulips bloom beneath the snow
He`s mad as he can be but Margaret only sees that sometimes
Sometimes she sees her unborn children in his eyes
and
RED ROSE CAFE (P. Cartnerand D.Black)
cho: Down at the Red Rose Cafe in the Harbour
There by the port just outside Amsterdam.
Everyone shares in the songs and the laughter.
Everyone there is so happy to be there.
and
THE TWO PURITANS verse 1:
It was a puritanical lad
His name it was Matthias
And he would go to Amsterdam
To speak with Ananias.
He had not gone but half a mile
When he met with a holy sister;
He laid his Bible under her breech,
And merrily he kissed her.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ---
I am now Abby Sale - as...@ft.newyorklife.com (But still in Orlando)
Skate free or die!
ss...@my-deja.com
> Irwin Silber <isi...@webtv.net> schreef in berichtnieuws
> 18946-38...@storefull-285.iap.bryant.webtv.net...
> > Any that come to mind offhand
> >
Le port d'Amsterdam by Jacques Brel.
Not folk, maybe, but with that song (sung by that singer) I don't care!
--
Susanne
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
LDRS AAC TchMuse
JamesRStewart
Joan Baez on her album "Play Me Backwards"?
take car,jim
"Well I'll be damned...here comes your ghost again."
Joan Baez....considered THE best at this address :-)
Abkcmk
K.E.N.
of Amsterdam"
Anyone remember them?
--
-----------========::::::::::+::::::::::========---------
k...@tssf.org Ken E. Norian Long Island, NY USA
http://www.li.net/~kenorian/kenshome.html
----------========::::::::::+::::::::::========---------
"LDRS AAC TchMuse" <ldrsaac...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20000216224820...@ng-fj1.aol.com...
Mick Tems
>
>
>
> > Irwin Silber <isi...@webtv.net> schreef in berichtnieuws
> > 18946-38...@storefull-285.iap.bryant.webtv.net...
> > > Any that come to mind offhand
> > >
>
> Le port d'Amsterdam by Jacques Brel.
> Not folk, maybe, but with that song (sung by that singer) I don't care!
>
>
Engel album was by Mort Shuman, ex Presley hit writer. He moved to Europe
and translated a lot of Brel's material.
Back to songs: "In Amsterdam there lived a maid,
Mark well what I do say
In Amsterdam there lived a maid
And she was mistress of her trade
I'll go no more a-roving with you, fair maid."
Mick
--
Mick Tems & Pat Smith: Calennig/Celfyddydau Mari Arts/
Clwb Gwerin Llantrisant FC Phone/fax: 01443 226892 Mobile 07979 055577
e-mail mari...@folkwales.org.uk website: www.folkwales.org.uk
Bythynnod Ty Clwyta, Tafarn-y-Groes, Llantrisant, Rhondda Cynon Taf CF728AZ
G. M. Watson
I'd like to) is by Fred Holstein, the pride of Chicago, from his
eponymously-titled 1979 or 80 Lp on the Philo label. I've never seen it on
CD (and it should be!), but it's worth seeking out-- Fred had/has a lovely
rich baritone and a solid guitar style. The album contains great versions of
"Days of '49" and Utah Phillips' hard-to-find "Nevada Jane" as well (as well
as liner notes by Phillips).
----------
In article <8EDCC5868f...@207.126.101.92>, rno...@medlab5.unm.edu
(Bob Norton) wrote:
> Theodore Bikel did a great job one this one, too.
>
> nosec...@hushmail.com (Lotus Steven) wrote:
>
>>
>>Irwin Silber <isi...@webtv.net> wrote in message
>>news:18946-38...@storefull-285.iap.bryant.webtv.net...
>>> Any that come to mind offhand
>>
>>Jacques Brel wrote a marvellous song about the port of Amsterdam and
>>probably the most dramatic English (as in language not nationality)
>>version of it is by Scott Walker/Engel on his debut album "Scott".
>>
>>
>>
>
G. M. Watson
(definitely not "rock") group Freddie and the Dreamers, infamous as the
creators of "Do the Freddie" and a source of hope and inspiration for
terminal nerds everywhere. As for the song, I was hoping the world had
forgotten it for all time... sigh.
----------
In article <38AD3712...@roe.ac.uk>, Magnus Paterson <m...@roe.ac.uk>
wrote:
> Julian wrote:
>>
>> There was a dreadful song when I was a kid about mice "living in a windmill
>> in Old Amsterdam"
>>
>> How can you lose with lyrics like these - which I've remembered from 30
>> years ago!
>>
>> 'There was a mouse,
>> Where?,
>
> [SNIP!!] That's enough of that!
>
> It was Max Bygraves, or Ronnie Hilton or somebody of that ilk. There
> was another one around that time called "Tulips from Amsterdam" -
> probably Max Bygraves again.
>
> Thanks a bunch, Julian. I can't get the stupid thing out of
> my mind now. :-)
>
> Cheers,
> Magnus
>
> Ah, to hell with it...
>
> A mouse lived in a windmill in old Amsterdam,
> A windmill with mice in, it ain't so surprisin'
> He sang every morning "How lucky I am,
> Living in a windmill in old Amsterdam"
>
> or later:
>
> They sang every morning "How lucky we are,
> Living in a windmill in Amsterdam, ja!"
>
> There's more, but I can't bring myself to type it...
zap zonk
ahh.. I found another one..
I've heard a few different people cover it.
A song called "The Dutchman" - M. Smith
"When Amsterdam is cold
and in the morning Margarate brings him breakfast, she believes him,
He thinks that tulips bloom beneath the snow...
He's mad as he can be.. Margarate only sees that sometimes..
sometimes she sees her unborn children in his eyes..."
It's a nice song..
Lana
Louise Charles
news:38b1...@news.nucleus.com...
> ahh.. I found another one..
> I've heard a few different people cover it.
> A song called "The Dutchman" - M. Smith
Yes, covered by Steve Goodman on his wonderful "City of New Orleans" album.
Valerie Cormier
"Irwin Silber" <isi...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:18946-38...@storefull-285.iap.bryant.webtv.net...
> Any that come to mind offhand
Doug Sahm (r.i.p.) had a song called "Goodbye San Francisco, Hello
Amsterdam" on his S.D.Q. '98 CD (Watermelon).
BJKEYES
Sarah Elizabeth Campbell
You prob already thought of this!
SEC
--<A HREF="http://www.musicaustin.com/folk/secampbell.html">Sarah Elizabeth
Campbell:Austin Music</A>
Simon van Dongen
>Any that come to mind offhand
>
Now that we've supplied some, how about telling us why you want them?
--
Simon van Dongen <sg...@xs4all.nl> Rotterdam, The Netherlands
'My doctor says I have a malformed public duty gland and a
natural deficiency in moral fibre,' he muttered to himself,
'and that I am therefore excused from saving Universes.'
Life, the universe and everything
zap zonk
and also covered by the wonderful "Wild Colonial Boys" the house band of
the Calgary Folk Club, on
their Album "Come as a Stranger"
take care
Lana
Louise Charles wrote in message
<88sds5$o8t$1...@nclient13-gui.server.virgin.net>...