Jerry Garcia Band employs many of the same elements and similar style to the Grateful Dead, such as rock influenced by blues, folk, country, and jazz.
Over the years, the lineup of the Jerry Garcia Band changed a number of times. The one constant member besides Garcia himself was bassist John Kahn. Melvin Seals had the next longest tenure, serving as keyboardist from 1980 onward. Seals became band leader following Garcia's death and changed the band's name to JGB.
Simple Twist of Fate
Jerry Garcia Band Lyrics
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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
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' by the arcade.
As the light bust through a beat-up shade where he was wakin' 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
Once more 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.
The Jerry Garcia Band’s rendition of Simple Twist of Fate is a heart-wrenching ballad about the tragedy of missed connections and the inescapable impact of the unpredictable twists of fate. Starting with the scene of two people sitting together in a park as the evening creeps in and the park empties out. The primary character is regretting not making straight choices in his past and avoiding a simple twist of fate. Unfortunately, their relationship was doomed from the start, and hence he could never settle down with his loved one. The melancholy of the song deepens as the pair walks by an old canal and stop by a neon-lit hotel where he's assaulted by the heat of the night, feeling defeated by the twists of fate that brought him to this point.
The second verse continues with the saxophone playing in a distance, adding to the melancholic tone of the song. As they strolled past an arcade, the light shining through a beat-up shade gives the person hope. Still, it's all for naught. The woman he loved flicks a coin in a blind man's bowl and forgets all about him. Finally, the man wakes up alone in a bare room, wondering where the woman he loved has gone. He's nostalgic, feeling the emptiness within, and here he realizes genuinely that it was a simple twist of fate that removed her from his life, and all that remains is the ticking of the clocks.
Line by Line Meaning
They sat together in the park
They both sat in the park adjacent to each other.
As the evening sky grew dark,
The sky above them started to change colours as the sun was setting.
She looked at him and he felt a spark tingle to his bones.
She gazed at him and he felt a slight electric sensation flowing through his body.
'Twas then he felt alone and wished that he'd gone straight
It was at that moment the man realised his solitude, and wished that he had taken a different path in life.
And watched out for a simple twist of fate.
He wished he had warned himself about the small and unanticipated changes in circumstance that could have caused a much different outcome.
They walked along by the old canal
The two individuals together proceeded down the side of the canal that had been in existence for quite some time.
A little confused, I remember well
I recall vividly that the two parties seemed a bit perplexed at the time.
And stopped into a strange hotel with a neon burnin' bright.
They took a break and stayed at an unusual accommodation which had a bright neon sign lighting up the area.
He felt the heat of the night hit him like a freight train
He experienced the heat of the night with great intensity, likened to that of a freight train hitting him unexpectedly and suddenly.
Moving with a simple twist of fate.
These unforeseeable occurrences happened swiftly and caused a change in trajectory just like a simple twist of fate.
A saxophone someplace far off played
He could hear the sound of a saxophone playing from a distance away.
As she was walkin' by the arcade.
As she walked near the arcade.
As the light bust through a beat-up shade where he was wakin' up,
At the moment, the light was shining through a torn and tattered window shade, and he was awoken from his slumber.
She dropped a coin into the cup of a blind man at the gate
She lost a coin into the cup of a blind man at the gate.
And forgot about a simple twist of fate.
She didn't care about the small and unforeseeable occurrence that could change one's entire course.
He woke up, the room was bare
He woke up, the room was empty and deserted.
He didn't see her anywhere.
He couldn't see her presence around him.
He told himself he didn't care, pushed the window open wide,
He didn't show any concern, and opened the window to relieve the room of its emptiness.
Felt an emptiness inside to which he just could not relate
He felt an empty space inside of him that he was not able to understand or perceive.
Brought on by a simple twist of fate.
The occurrence of a small and cutting twist of fate resulted in this sudden feeling of emptiness.
He hears the ticking of the clocks
He could hear the ticking from the clocks around him.
And walks along with a parrot that talks,
He's walking with a parrot by his side which speaks to him.
Hunts her down by the waterfront docks where the sailors all come in.
He's searching for her, by the dockside where the sailors all arrive.
Maybe she'll pick him out again, how long must he wait
He believes she might be able to identify him once more, and is uncertain of how long he'll take to find her.
Once more for a simple twist of fate.
He's searching once again for the small, unexpected change that can change the course of his life.
People tell me it's a sin
Others tell me it's wrong and immoral.
To know and feel too much within.
To have so much emotion inside that it almost hurts.
I still believe she was my twin, but I lost the ring.
He still thinks that she was his soulmate, but he lost the connection they had.
She was born in spring, but I was born too late
She was born in the season of Spring, but he just wasn't born on time to coincide with her.
Blame it on a simple twist of fate.
He blames the lack of coordination of him and her due to the small, sudden changes in life that affected them.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thomasanderson9515
8 months ago I got diagnosed with 4th stage pancreatic cancer it’s in my lymph and liver, the first oncologist gave me 6 months to a year to live. Chemotherapy with mushrooms and many other Herbs …along with a lot of Jerry , my tumors are shrinking ! Thanks Jerry!!!!!
@relicmeisterstewart5626
That’d be my prescription too. Best of luck my friend
@haikat4
Hope you are still with us my friend. Life is a long strange trip.
@user-db5ts2yt6o
God bless you and keep you well.
@sharonbakley8922
Tears .
@greggnewman7547
How are you doing?
@kooneya
His solo has it all. Despair, sweet sorrow and a moment of clarity
@slipyourhips
I miss the patience, the subtlety, the sweetness. The Jerry
@joem6555
very well said
@penrosenorrisgill123
Grass valley 2020. Waylon listenin Jerry mo fo