Port Of Amsterdam

David Bowie's rendition of 'Port Of Amsterdam,' originally written by Jacques Brel, paints a vivid and raw picture of life in the bustling port city. The song delves into the lives of sailors who frequent the port, capturing their dreams, struggles, and vices. The lyrics are rich with imagery, portraying the sailors as both romantic and tragic figures. They sing of dreams brought from the open sea, yet their lives are marred by the harsh realities of their existence. The sailor who sleeps while the riverbank weeps and the one who dies in a drunken brawl highlight the transient and often brutal nature of their lives.

The song also explores the physical and moral decay that accompanies the sailors' lifestyle. The sailor who eats only fish heads and tails, showing his rotted teeth, symbolizes the neglect and hardship they endure. This imagery is further emphasized by the sailor's crude behavior, such as belching and laughing while zipping up his fly. These details underscore the rough, unrefined life led by these men, who are often driven by base desires and immediate gratifications.

The final verses of the song delve into the sailors' interactions with the women of Amsterdam, particularly the prostitutes. The sailors' drinking and carousing are depicted as both a form of escape and a source of further degradation. The sailor who drinks to the health of the whores, only to end up crying over unfaithful love, encapsulates the cycle of longing and disappointment that defines their lives. The song's portrayal of the port of Amsterdam is unflinchingly honest, revealing a world where dreams and despair coexist, and where the human spirit is both resilient and vulnerable.