New Amersterdam is a song from Elvis Costello's 1980 LP "Get Happy" featuring a remarkably memorable melody. The song is markedly different in style from most of the LP's other songs which have a noticable Motown influence, which some consider a deliberate effort to salute African American musicians and composers after Costello offended many with racist remark he made at an Ohio Holiday Inn to infuriate a group of musicians travelling with Bonnie Bramlett (it worked; one of them punched his lights out)
My understanding is that the song is about an affair with and seduction by an American woman in New York City (aka New Amsterdam). As with many Costello songs, New Amsterdam is filled with double and triple meanings which reflect Costello's brilliance, "loose association", and an apparent desire (in that era of his career) to be somewhat cryptic. As others have noted, "tulips" in the first line may be a reference to the exorbitant price the flowers commanded in Holland circa 1600. Certainly, the flower is used deliberately because phoenetically it is identical to "two lips" which of course characterize all human mouths through which all speach is produced. Consequently, mistaking lillies (traditionally given as a gesture of love) and tulips can be interpreted for mistaking a genuine gesture of love for "talk". This interpretation is consistent with the following line (you give me your lip after punching me silly).. The following line deals with having "his" head turned till it rolled down the brain drain. This is an unmistakable reference to post WWII migration of British scientists (intelligent people) to The U.S. and supports the interpretation that the writer is referring to his own travels or movement to the United States. In the following verses, Costello deals with returning home to UK, which is NOT cryptic ("back in London...."). Finally, he gets nostalgic ("thinking of the old days of Liverpool & Rotherhithe") and in an apparent damning of America and/or a presumably failed love or affair the song finishes with remarking that transparent people on the other side (of the Atlantic) are living a life that is "almost like suicide"
Interestingly, the song is in the key of G major which is notable as Costello has repeatedly slipped into John Lennon's 1965 song "Hey You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" (which is also in the key of G) when performing "New Amsterdam" live during solo acoustic sets.
As I mentioned above, Costello's songs often have double and triple meanings and my interpretation is not meant to exclude others.
-Ephraim Lessell
New Amersterdam is a song from Elvis Costello's 1980 LP "Get Happy" featuring a remarkably memorable melody. The song is markedly different in style from most of the LP's other songs which have a noticable Motown influence, which some consider a deliberate effort to salute African American musicians and composers after Costello offended many with racist remark he made at an Ohio Holiday Inn to infuriate a group of musicians travelling with Bonnie Bramlett (it worked; one of them punched his lights out) My understanding is that the song is about an affair with and seduction by an American woman in New York City (aka New Amsterdam). As with many Costello songs, New Amsterdam is filled with double and triple meanings which reflect Costello's brilliance, "loose association", and an apparent desire (in that era of his career) to be somewhat cryptic. As others have noted, "tulips" in the first line may be a reference to the exorbitant price the flowers commanded in Holland circa 1600. Certainly, the flower is used deliberately because phoenetically it is identical to "two lips" which of course characterize all human mouths through which all speach is produced. Consequently, mistaking lillies (traditionally given as a gesture of love) and tulips can be interpreted for mistaking a genuine gesture of love for "talk". This interpretation is consistent with the following line (you give me your lip after punching me silly).. The following line deals with having "his" head turned till it rolled down the brain drain. This is an unmistakable reference to post WWII migration of British scientists (intelligent people) to The U.S. and supports the interpretation that the writer is referring to his own travels or movement to the United States. In the following verses, Costello deals with returning home to UK, which is NOT cryptic ("back in London...."). Finally, he gets nostalgic ("thinking of the old days of Liverpool & Rotherhithe") and in an apparent damning of America and/or a presumably failed love or affair the song finishes with remarking that transparent people on the other side (of the Atlantic) are living a life that is "almost like suicide" Interestingly, the song is in the key of G major which is notable as Costello has repeatedly slipped into John Lennon's 1965 song "Hey You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" (which is also in the key of G) when performing "New Amsterdam" live during solo acoustic sets. As I mentioned above, Costello's songs often have double and triple meanings and my interpretation is not meant to exclude others. -Ephraim Lessell