Simple Twist of Fate
Jeff Tweedy Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

They sat together in the park
As the evening sky grew dark
She looked at him and he felt a spark
Tingle to his bones
'Twas then he felt alone
And wished that he'd gone straight
And watched out for a simple twist of fate
They walked along by the old canal
A little confused, I remember well
And stopped into a strange hotel
With a neon burnin' bright
He felt the heat of the night
Hit him like a freight train
Moving with a simple twist of fate

A saxophone someplace far-off played
As she was walkin' on by the arcade
As the light bust through a beat-up shade
Where he was waking up
She dropped a coin into the cup
Of a blind man at the gate
And forgot about a simple twist of fate

He woke up, the room was bare
He didn't see her anywhere
He told himself he didn't care
Pushed the window open wide
Felt an emptiness inside
To which he just could not relate
Brought on by a simple twist of fate

He hears the ticking of the clocks
And walks along with a parrot that talks
Hunts her down by the waterfront docks
Where the sailors all come in
Maybe she'll pick him out again
How long must he wait?
One more time, for a simple twist of fate

People tell me it's a sin
To know and feel too much within
I still believe she was my twin
But I lost the ring
She was born in spring




But I was born too late
Blame it on a simple twist of fate

Overall Meaning

Jeff Tweedy's "Simple Twist of Fate" is a song that captures the essence of nostalgia and regret that comes after a missed opportunity or a tragic event. The song tells the story of a young couple who sit together in the park, watching the evening sky turn dark. As they walk along a canal, they stop at a strange hotel, and the man feels an inexplicable heat of the night. The woman drops a coin into the cup of a blind man at the gate, and forgets about the simple twist of fate that separates her from her lover.


The man wakes up alone in the hotel room, feeling empty and alone. He hears the ticking of the clocks and walks along with a talkative parrot, hunting her down by the waterfront docks where the sailors come in. He hopes that maybe she'll pick him out again, waiting one more time for a simple twist of fate. The song ends with the man lamenting that he lost his love and blaming it on a simple twist of fate.


Line by Line Meaning

They sat together in the park
A couple spent time with each other in a park.


As the evening sky grew dark
The sunset started displaying darker shades of color in the sky.


She looked at him and he felt a spark
She made him feel special with her gaze.


Tingle to his bones
It is speculated that he felt a tingling sensation due to the gaze.


'Twas then he felt alone
After feeling the spark, he experienced a sense of loneliness.


And wished that he'd gone straight
He regretted some of his past decisions and pondered what would have happened if he chose differently.


And watched out for a simple twist of fate
He hoped that, in the future, he would learn from his mistakes and avoid any mishap.


They walked along by the old canal
The couple decided to take a stroll besides an old canal.


A little confused, I remember well
The memory he had is that they were a bit confused.


And stopped into a strange hotel
The couple decided to rest in a peculiar hotel.


With a neon burnin' bright
The hotel had a brightly lit neon signboard.


He felt the heat of the night
He started feeling the sensations of the surrounding environment due to the night's heat.


Hit him like a freight train
The environment's heat suddenly blew him away and felt like a freight train.


Moving with a simple twist of fate
He noticed that one simple circumstance could cause a significant impact like it did on this occasion.


A saxophone someplace far-off played
A saxophone's sound was audible from a far-off distance.


As she was walkin' on by the arcade
As the woman walked by the indoor game arcade, she heard saxophone music.


As the light bust through a beat-up shade
The light rays pierced through the worn-out shade and lit the area more clearly.


Where he was waking up
The man was waking up in another place.


She dropped a coin into the cup
She donated some money to a beggar.


Of a blind man at the gate
The beggar was a blind man seated by the gate.


And forgot about a simple twist of fate
She conveniently managed to get past the beggar, forgetting how even minor events can alter destinies.


He woke up, the room was bare
He woke up in a different room with just the basics.


He didn't see her anywhere
The woman wasn't present at that place.


He told himself he didn't care
He tried to convince himself that her absence didn't bother him.


Pushed the window open wide
He opened the window fully to let some air come in.


Felt an emptiness inside
He felt an emptiness inside him due to her absence.


To which he just could not relate
He couldn't understand the emptiness since he doesn't usually care about people's presence or absence.


Brought on by a simple twist of fate
The sudden change in events caused him to feel unhappy and empty.


He hears the ticking of the clocks
He started hearing the sound of the clocks ticking.


And walks along with a parrot that talks
While walking, a talking parrot accompanied him.


Hunts her down by the waterfront docks
He goes in search of her in the docks by the waterfront.


Where the sailors all come in
He searches near the docks where sailors dock their boats.


Maybe she'll pick him out again
He hoped she might recognize and find him again.


How long must he wait?
He asked himself an unsure question about when he will meet her again.


One more time, for a simple twist of fate
He hoped it would only take a single, minor event to bring him and the woman together again.


People tell me it's a sin
Some people believe it's a crime


To know and feel too much within
To have strong emotions and be passionate is wrong to some people's beliefs.


I still believe she was my twin
He still felt a connection with her even though he cannot explain it.


But I lost the ring
Some crucial detail that he needed to find her was lost somewhere along the way.


She was born in spring
The woman was born in spring.


But I was born too late
He was born too late to have had the opportunity to experience things with the woman.


Blame it on a simple twist of fate
He believes that he couldn't control how fate turned out, so it's not his fault.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, AUDIAM, INC
Written by: Bob Dylan

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

English Fast! Amplie Seu Vocabulário!

They sat together in the park
As the evening sky grew dark
She looked at him and he felt a spark tingle to his bones
It was then he felt alone and wished that he'd gone straight
And watched out for a simple twist of fate

They walked along by the old canal
A little confused, I remember it well
Stopped into an old hotel with the neon burnin' bright
He felt the heat of the night hit him like a freight train
Moving with a simple twist of fate

A clarinet some place softly played
She was walkin' on by the arcade
She heard the melody rise and fade, the sun was comin' up
She dropped a coin into the cup of a blind man at the gate
And forgot about a simple twist of fate

He woke up and she was gone
He didn't see nothing but the dawn
He got out of bed with his clothes back on, pushed back blind
Found a note she'd left behind, to which he just could not relate
All about a simple twist of fate

He hears the ticking of the clocks
And walks along through the city blocks
Hunt her down by the waterfront docks where the sailors all come in
Maybe she'll see him once again, how long must he wait?
Once more time for a simple twist of fate

People tell me that it's a crime
To feel too much at any one time
She should have caught me in my prime, she would have stayed with me
Instead of goin' off to sea and leavin' me to meditate
Upon a simple twist of fate



All comments from YouTube:

Tuzotonic

This cover version completely knocks me out every time I hear it. It's one of the most sad, mournful songs I've ever heard. Jeff Tweedy just knocks it out of the park. Spot on classic.

Drifer Dark

Could not agree with you more.

Hope Tyler

Tuzotonic agreed

Madeleine Hague

Beautiful cover, Mr. Tweedy. I still listen to "Mermaid Avenue", a favourite. One of the real deal musicians out there.

Rafa Santos

Great version! Jeff rocks

Andrea Cerutti

Una delle più belle canzoni mai scritte. Probabile che l'amore transiti per posti impensabili e sparisca cosí come è arrivato👍

Camsblue

This is the fucking song, your cover is perfect, even more than Bob Dylan’s version. I just wanna cry rn because you made my day

English Fast! Amplie Seu Vocabulário!

They sat together in the park
As the evening sky grew dark
She looked at him and he felt a spark tingle to his bones
It was then he felt alone and wished that he'd gone straight
And watched out for a simple twist of fate

They walked along by the old canal
A little confused, I remember it well
Stopped into an old hotel with the neon burnin' bright
He felt the heat of the night hit him like a freight train
Moving with a simple twist of fate

A clarinet some place softly played
She was walkin' on by the arcade
She heard the melody rise and fade, the sun was comin' up
She dropped a coin into the cup of a blind man at the gate
And forgot about a simple twist of fate

He woke up and she was gone
He didn't see nothing but the dawn
He got out of bed with his clothes back on, pushed back blind
Found a note she'd left behind, to which he just could not relate
All about a simple twist of fate

He hears the ticking of the clocks
And walks along through the city blocks
Hunt her down by the waterfront docks where the sailors all come in
Maybe she'll see him once again, how long must he wait?
Once more time for a simple twist of fate

People tell me that it's a crime
To feel too much at any one time
She should have caught me in my prime, she would have stayed with me
Instead of goin' off to sea and leavin' me to meditate
Upon a simple twist of fate

TroutBondy

This is the song that introduced me to Jeff Tweedy and Wilco. So thankful.

marcards steve

First time I heard this, I thought it was Ian Hunter . Great job Jeff !!!!

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