The Dutchman

The Dutchman's not the kind of man who keeps his thumb jammed 
  In the dam that holds his dreams in 
  But that's a secret that only Margaret knows; 
  When Amsterdam is golden in the summer, 
  Margaret brings him breakfast; she believes him. 
  He thinks the tulips bloom beneath the snow; 
  He's mad as he could be, 
  But Margaret only sees that sometimes 
  Sometimes she sees her unborn children in his eyes 

  Let us go to the banks of the ocean 
  Where the walls rise above the Zuider Zee; 
  Long ago I used to be a young man 
  And dear Margaret remembers that for me 

  The Dutchman still wears wooden shoes 
  His cap and coat are patched with the love that Margaret sewed there; 
  Sometimes he thinks he's still in Rotterdam 
  And he watches the tugboats down canals 
  And calls out to them when he thinks he knows the captain 
  'til Margaret comes to take him home again 
  Through unforgiving streets that trip him though she holds his arm 
  Sometimes he thinks he's alone and he calls her name 

  Let us go to the banks of the ocean 
  Where the walls rise above the Zuider Zee; 
  Long ago I used to be a young man 
  And dear Margaret remembers that for me 

  The winters whirl the windmills round, she winds his muffler tighter 
  And they sit in the kitchen 
  Some tea with whisky keeps away the dew 
  And he sees her for a moment, calls her name, and she makes the bed up singing 
  Some old love song 
  A song Margaret learned when it was very new 
  He hums a line or two 
  They sing together in the dark 
  The Dutchman falls asleep and Margaret blows the candle out 

  Let us go to the banks of the ocean 
  Where the walls rise above the Zuider Zee; 
  Long ago I used to be a young man 
  And dear Margaret remembers that for me