Amsterdam

The song is about our subjective abstractions of spirituality, and how these ideas follow us throughout our lives: (watery eyed that howling wind/she's waving hi, her other hands in mine)-- this language is very transitory, incomplete, just like our ephemeral notion of our (spiritual) home.

Churches and trains shoot us someplace, but we ache to come home somehow.

I suspect this song is ultimately about what pulls us (meaning humanity) towards addictions/drugs. Allow me to support my point...

All inside our Amsterdam she hides ...(suggests we all have the potential--note the use of the word "our"--for addiction inside and initially we don't know it...)

Watery-eyes ...(an illusion to grief/trauma as the root of this potential for addiction?) That howling wind, she's waving hi ...(I think he's brilliantly punning here in his genius way.) Her other hand's in mine ...(allusion and foreshadowing of the hold and downward cycle of addiction?)

Oh silhouette She's growing tall and fine ...(description of how the addiction "grows" as She becomes more tall and fine and alluring as it takes hold) She's got my back ...(I think this has a double meaning as this is both the perception of someone caught in addiction, especially early on--it feels fulfilling, good, soothing, etc. and then it progresses to "she's got my back" but more in a controlling sense.) She'll follow me down every street ...(this is when it is becoming more controlling, more obsessive, and the addiction stalks.) No matter what my crime ....(an allusion to how it permeates everything and all corners of life and gradually takes over?...)

All inside our Amsterdam she flies ....(Again allusion to the permeating nature and again flying, reference to getting high?) Hoarding the kites ....(Now the addiction piece seems in the driver's seat and is hoarding the highs... (kites) as it begins to take over...) That howling wind, she'll take everything ....(Hint at the dark/scary edge with the use of the word howling...as the addiction starts to demand and takes everything from someone) But she's easy on the eyes ....(allusion to how someone is hooked...she's beautiful and the appeal of addiction is to try to heal/cope with our shit/trauma/grief/etc....)

Churches and trains ...(the blurring of addiction means that...) They all look the same to me now ....(everything looks the same due to how addiction makes us so focused on getting the next high it changes our perspective and we don't see any distinction between churches and trains, as they all feel like the same place, now) They shoot you some place ....(another brilliant play on words--the man is a freakin genius with words--as shooting up on drugs does indeed take you some place) While we all ache to come home somehow ...(ultimately he has compassion and understands the root of addiction is not some character flaw but rather that we are all aching to "come home" to heal ourselves and heal our trauma.)

Wow, absolutely incredible on so many levels! Always seems to be another deeper layer often embedded in his word choice and command of poetry seems deliberate to me and usually hints at the deeper meaning...And then the title.... The title of Amsterdam? What is Amsterdam known for? Its red light district? Opportunity for substances...?

I always love his songs more once I think I've seemingly figured something out and then there's more... totally underappreciated genius, in my opinion .;)

Couldn't it just be something so simple as speaking about his daughter...maybe she was conceived in Amsterdam, and he is sending a message about her to her mother.

Hmmm...While no one other than the writer really knows the true meaning to a song/poem, the best ones are those that are open to various interpretations. To me, Amsterdam is the perfect Father/Daughter song. The 'howlin' wind' is the young daughter (impressionable, unpredictable, exploring her world as she grows). The father can do no wrong in her eyes ('she's got my back, no matter what my crime') and he knows she can get away with things because of her beauty ('she'll take everything, she's easy on the eyes'). This is a pretty simple interpretation of the first three verses. The end requires a bit more imagination. Perhaps the churches and trains are triggers to the memories of how it once was (the daughter has moved away, or even passed away) and they 'ache' to return to that place of innocent love.

“ all inside our Amsterdam she hides, watery-eyed. That howling wind, she’s waving hi, her other hands in mine.”

This may be an unpopular opinion. My friend told me to say that before saying something triggering so that it’s easier to hear.. but as we know, Amsterdam, is a very charming place. Brick roads, cute coffee shops, nicely dressed fellows, and ladies riding around on bikes. Then there’s a red light district.
There stands a girl behind glass Selling her body. She is seen by so many people, The howling wind is cold, and blows through the streets of Amsterdam. I wonder what those women feel behind their eyes looking through the glass. Their eyes are welcoming. They do wave hi. Her other hand is in mine. (The temptation doesn’t leave you) why would she hold your hand and say hi doesn’t feel coordinated. possibly suggesting…

“Oh silhouette, she’s growing tall and fine, she’s got my back, she’ll follow me down every street no matter what my crime. “

The sections questionable from the perspective I initially brought to the table. Oh, silhouette.- the girls behind the glass are silhouetted by pinkish red lights.