Song: Diamonds on the Dam

In this section you will look at two verses and the chorus of "Diamonds on the Dam", a song about Amsterdam by Des De Moor who is an English singer-songwriter. His father is Dutch and was brought up in Amsterdam.

>To listen to the first verse and chorus click here.

Listen to the extract a few times and read the lyrics. To better understand the lyrics, click the underlined words or phrases and an explanation on the cultural references, which are contained in this song will appear in a new screen.

Once Amsterdam was all our dreams:
A paradise with open door
To stoners, loners, perves and queens
Where coppers told you where to score.
But these days things just aren't the same:
The tourist shops sell fake dope plants,
>The squatters who fought on Damplein
Now run arts festivals on grants.

But Amsterdam you were a sham,
You were not ever what you seemed.
We couldn't see for >orange
While we fare dodged on the tram
For you were always >Heineken
And >diamonds on the Dam.

Now Amsterdam your refugees
Keep heads down while they fry your >frites.
There's deportations, beatings, sleaze
And yes, there's beggars on your streets.
But hey, we're all >gezellig here
And liberal on drugs and sex.
>We made the waters disappear,
We're up in smugness to our necks.

Questions

As you probably have noticed the fragments of this song provide us with a more complicated picture of Amsterdam as it represents the city from various perspectives. Let’s unpick it.

First verse

1. Line 1: What kind of image of Amsterdam is created in these first lines from the perspective of "all our dreams"?

>Check your answer

2. Which era do you think the singer is referring to?

>Check your answer

3. Line 5: The singer describes his perspective on the city now. What has changed since those rebellious days?

>Check your answer

Chorus

4. In the chorus the singer's tone and his attitude towards the city changes completely in the first 4 lines. What is his perception of the city now and what evidence does he find for this image?

>Check your answer

Second verse

5. The singer speaks with two different voices in the second verse: there’s a voice addressing a “you” and another one talking as “we”. Who are the ‘you’ and ‘we’?

>Check your answer

6. What does the singer accuse Amsterdam and its people of?

>Check your answer

7. What are the reply and the attitude of the “we”?

>Check your answer

In summary this song presents us with a somewhat different picture of Amsterdam than the tourist guide. Whereas the tourist guide represented Amsterdam as ‘gezellig' and tolerant, the song mocks these stereotypes. Instead it creates an image of Amsterdam as a place intolerant to refugees, a city where capitalism flourishes, and where the establishment and authorities in power are well respected.

>Go to 'a short story'.



Amsterdam Represented Home Introduction A tourist website A song A short story Feedback form Copyright Close Studypack	Song: Diamonds on the Dam In this section you will look at two verses and the chorus of "Diamonds on the Dam", a song about Amsterdam by Des De Moor who is an English singer-songwriter. His father is Dutch and was brought up in Amsterdam. >To listen to the first verse and chorus click here. Listen to the extract a few times and read the lyrics. To better understand the lyrics, click the underlined words or phrases and an explanation on the cultural references, which are contained in this song will appear in a new screen. Once Amsterdam was all our dreams: A paradise with open door To stoners, loners, perves and queens Where coppers told you where to score. But these days things just aren't the same: The tourist shops sell fake dope plants, >The squatters who fought on Damplein Now run arts festivals on grants. But Amsterdam you were a sham, You were not ever what you seemed. We couldn't see for >orange While we fare dodged on the tram For you were always >Heineken And >diamonds on the Dam. Now Amsterdam your refugees Keep heads down while they fry your >frites. There's deportations, beatings, sleaze And yes, there's beggars on your streets. But hey, we're all >gezellig here And liberal on drugs and sex. >We made the waters disappear, We're up in smugness to our necks. Questions As you probably have noticed the fragments of this song provide us with a more complicated picture of Amsterdam as it represents the city from various perspectives. Let’s unpick it. First verse 1. Line 1: What kind of image of Amsterdam is created in these first lines from the perspective of "all our dreams"? >Check your answer 2. Which era do you think the singer is referring to? >Check your answer 3. Line 5: The singer describes his perspective on the city now. What has changed since those rebellious days? >Check your answer Chorus 4. In the chorus the singer's tone and his attitude towards the city changes completely in the first 4 lines. What is his perception of the city now and what evidence does he find for this image? >Check your answer Second verse 5. The singer speaks with two different voices in the second verse: there’s a voice addressing a “you” and another one talking as “we”. Who are the ‘you’ and ‘we’? >Check your answer 6. What does the singer accuse Amsterdam and its people of? >Check your answer 7. What are the reply and the attitude of the “we”? >Check your answer In summary this song presents us with a somewhat different picture of Amsterdam than the tourist guide. Whereas the tourist guide represented Amsterdam as ‘gezellig' and tolerant, the song mocks these stereotypes. Instead it creates an image of Amsterdam as a place intolerant to refugees, a city where capitalism flourishes, and where the establishment and authorities in power are well respected. >Go to 'a short story'.