A Newb in the 'Dam, any suggestions?

If it's anywhere near Damrak, then you'll know about all the
noise day and night. If it wasn't for the weed and beer to
knock me out before going to bed, I don't think I could cope
with it all, sober.LOL

 

i wonder what car that is in your picture nemisis. it looks rad.

 

hey, you're still alive? How are ya?

 

I too wondered what car it was, probably a ''kit car''
Velvet, love, do you know the words to this Dutch song, btw.?
It sort of goes like this..........

There's a mouse,
house,
where
there on the stairs

and it continues along but I don't know the rest.
It's a shot in the dark, I know, but do you know
the rest at all.? I can't get the tune out of my head
and would love to know how it goes.

 

LOL.. I only know the refrain but I looked it up.. it goes like this:

Er was eens een muisje in mooi Amsterdam, die zat in een molen heel stiekum verscholen,
hij dacht bij zichzelf: "Wat is het toch fijn, een muis in een molen in Mokum te zijn."

Refrain:
Ik zag een muis! Waar?
Daar op de trap.
Waar op de trap?
Nou daar!
Een kleine muis op klompjes.
Nee, 't is geen grap,
't ging van klip-klipperder-klap op de trap.

Het muisje was eenzaam en zocht naar een vrouw, en piep zij de muis in het voorhuis ik trouw,
en toen zongen ze samen: wat is het toch fijn ...........

De muis kreeg een 5-ling en allen gezond, toen aten de muisjes beschuitjes met muisjes.
Ze zongen toen allen: wat is het toch fijn.............

De muizenfamilie werd vreselijk groot, de molenaar vluchtte hij was als de dood
voor de muizen die zongen: wat is het toch fijn.............

De muizen die hebben het best naar hun zin, de molen staat leeg en geen vrouw durft erin...
(pieieieieieieieieieieieieieieiep)

 

Translation is something like (I'm not even gonna try to make it rhyhme):

There was a little mouse in beautiful Amsterdam, who was hiding very secretively in a windmill,
He thought: "How nice it is, to be a mouse in a windmill in Mokum."

Refrain:
I saw a mouse! Where?
There on the stairs.
Where on the stairs?
Well there!
A little mouse with wooden shoes
No it's no joke
it went like clip-clipperdy-clap on the stairs.

The little mouse was lonely and looking for a spouse and peep said the mouse the front of the house, I'll marrry!
And then they sang together: Isn't it nice....

The mouse got quintriplits and all in good health, then the little mouses ate 'muisjes beschuitjes' (traditional thing to eat here when a baby is born, it's some kind of bread/biscuit with pink/white or blue/white sprinkles on top, the sprinkles are called 'little mouses' ) and they all sang: isn't it nice.....

The mouse family got terrible large, the windmill owner fled he was terrible scared for the mouses who sang: isn't it nice.....

The mouses they are having a good time, the windmill is empty and no women dares in..

Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!

 

ROFL

I tried singing it in english.. lol.. funny stuff..

 

Velvet, you are a star, I love you.!
I'll copy and paste the above and translate it.
Seriously, that tune I used to sing at school.
Lately i can't get the tune/melody out of my head
and really wanted to know the rest of the words.
Love and kisses, Velvet, XXXXX

 

Brilliant stuff, Velvet and Consolidated.XXXXX
I know how it's sung but not sure of the words,
now I know. LOL
See you in 2006, would love to meet you.

 

very likewise

 

hey speaking of songs -- i'm having trouble understanding parts of the lyrics of "geef mij maar amsterdam" ... can anybody help me?

"Klaverlasclub Schoppen Negen / was een weekje in Parijs / om de contributie te verteren" ... it sounds to me like a card-playing club "nine of spades" went to paris for a little week to squander the "subscription" (club dues?) ... but i think i'm missing some meanings here cuz i'm a foreigner.

then in the second verse it says
"Op de hoge Eiffeltoren / ging de bakker haast om zeep / van de hoogte kreeg hij het te pakken / als de slager niet toevallig / net zijn lange stelten greep / had hij nooit geen brood meer gebakken / van de schrik gingen ze gauw naar benee / en toen klonk op de Champs Elysees ... / Geef mij maar Amsterdam (enz)

from which i get: on the high eiffel tower, the baker almost died, he got hold of it from the heights, just as the butcher not coincidentally grabbed his long stilts. had he never baked no more bread, from the fright they went down soon. and then you could hear on the champs-elysees ... just give me amsterdam ...

all i can really grasp here is that the baker and butcher got vertigo on the eiffel tower, the rest is baffling me. i'm not catching the drift of these lyrics.
love
s g collins

 

Dunno the song, but let's give it a try..

the cardplaying clube 'nine of spades' went to Paris for a week to go through all the contribution money.. sth like that.

On the high Eiffeltower, the baker almost died, the hight almost got to him, if it wasn't for the butcher who was able to grab his long stilts (=the legs of the baker) he would never have baked bread again. From the fright they went downstairs and on the Champs Elysees could be heard.. I'd rather have Amsterdam...

Something like that? You were pretty accurate I think, but maybe you're thinking to litteraly in your translation?

 

i know that song .
Amsterdam, oh Amsterdam,
I still hear your sea winds blowin'.
I still see her dark eyes glowin',
She was twenty one when I left Amsterdam.

Amsterdam, oh Amsterdam,
I still hear your sea waves crashin',
While I watch the cannons flashin',
I clean my gun and dream of Amsterdam.

I still see her standing by the water.
Standing there looking out to the sea.
And is she waiting there for me,
On the beach where we used to run?

​

Amsterdam, oh Amsterdam,
I am so afraid of dyin',
Before I dry the tears she's cryin',
Before I watch your sea birds flying in the sun,
At Amsterdam.
At Amsterdam

 

now we're sharing songs about amsterdam? I know another one.. from Jacques Brel, original language is french..

Amsterdam
Amsterdam
(1964)


In the harbor of Amsterdam
there are sailors who sing
about the dreams that haunt them
away from Amsterdam.
In the harbor of Amsterdam
there are sailors who sleep
stretched out like pennants
along the dead waters.


In the harbor of Amsterdam
there are sailors who die
full of beer and tragedy
at the first light of dawn
In the harbor of Amsterdam
there are sailors being born
in the thick heat
of oceanic languors.


In the harbor of Amsterdam
there are sailors who eat
on bright white table cloths
shimmering fish,
and they show you their teeth
made to bite into fate,
to unhook the moon,
to eat up the mast-ropes.


And there is a smell of cod
even to the heart of the French fries
which their thick hands invite
to come back for more;
then they get up laughing
they holler like a storm,
they close up their fly
and get out belching.


In the harbor of Amsterdam
there are sailors who dance
rubbing their bellies
against the bellies of women,
and they turn and they dance,
like spit suns
in the torn-up sound
of a rancid accordion.


They twist up their necks
to hear themselves laugh
until all of a sudden
the accordion gives out...
Then with a grave gesture,
then with a proud glance,
they bring out their Dutchman
into the bright light...


In the harbor of Amsterdam
there are sailors who drink
and drink and drink again
and again drink.
They drink to the health
of the whores of Amsterdam
of Hamburg and others places,
in short, they drink to the ladies


Who give them their pretty bodies
who give them their virtue
for a piece of gold,
and when they have drunk enough,
they stand firmly, their noses to the sky
they blow their noses in the stars
and they piss hot tears
over unfaithful women..


In the harbor of Amsterdam,
In the harbor of Amsterdam...

 

Actually that song was Galveston by Glen Gamble not Amsterdam i just change the words.

 

thanks velvet, now it makes sense!
i think "geef mij maar amsterdam" was made popular by johnny jordaan in the 1950s. i just wanted to understand the words, cuz it's kinda how i feel sometimes -- there's lots of nice places in the world, i just feel comfortable here.

love
s g collins

 

No prob. Yeah, I know what you mean.. I feel very comfortable here as well. It's kinda weird, since I can remember I said that I wanted to travel the world, but for some reason I didn't become a globetrotter but instead I met people from all over the world in this country. It's really weird to have culture shocks in your own country. To meet people your own age who live on the streets and such. I did see a lot of other European cities though, that all have their own charm, but yeah.. I'll take Amsterdam anytime

There are still a couple of countries I really want to visit.. who knows, someday But apart from the shitty weather, I plan on returning to Amsterdam every time!