David Bowie – Amsterdam (Ukulele)

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Here's David Bowie's version of Jacques Brel's Amsterdam as sung by Mr Jones with accoustic guitar on 'Bowie at the Beeb - the best of the BBC sessions 68-72' Davey plays each chord once for the first verse and then starts strumming with a driving rhythm enhanced by various hammer-ons etc. I love it. [Verse 1]
        Am       
In the port of Amsterdam

        Em
There's a sailor who sings

        F
Of the dreams that he brings

        E
From the 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 beer 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 a hot muggy morn

        Am
By the dawn's 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
"Hey! bring me more fish

        E7
Throw it 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 he laughs

        Am
And he zips up his fly
[Verse 3]
        Am
In the port of Amsterdam

        Em
You can see sailors dance

        F
Paunches bursting their pants

        E
Grinding women to porch

        Am
They've forgotten the tune

        Em
That their whiskey voice croaked

        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 sluts 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
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
Yeah, they bargained their virtue

        G7      E7
Their goodness all gone

        Am
For a 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
On the unfaithful love
[Outro]
        Am
In the port of Amsterdam

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