Twisted
John Kay And The Sparrow Lyrics


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At six a.m. this morning, oh the man knocked at my door
I screamed in his ear, I'm not the guy you're looking for
But got taken, I got taken just the same
When it comes to getting sleep at night
Oh I just can't seem to win

I went down to the zoo where I thought I might hide
There I met a friendly grizzly bear, who took me for a ride
And I got mangled, oh I got pushed all out of shape
When it comes to being sociable
Oh I just can't seem to win

While climbing up Mt. Everest to get away from all the noise
I slipped on a banana peel and almost got destroyed
And I was worried all the way down to the ground
When it comes to holding safety nets
Nobody seems to be around

When I put myself together I found that it was best
If I no longer tried to be just like all the rest
Because I'm twisted, yeah but that's the bag I'm in




When it comes to being normal
Oh I just can't seem to win

Overall Meaning

The song "Twisted" by John Kay And The Sparrow is a commentary on the struggle to fit in and be accepted in society. The singer recounts a series of misfortunes that befall him as he tries unsuccessfully to escape his problems. The first verse tells of a mistaken identity where the singer is taken away by someone looking for another person. The second verse portrays the singer's inability to socialize and make friends, as he finds himself getting hurt even by a friendly grizzly bear at the zoo. In the third verse, the singer tries to climb Mt. Everest to escape from the noise of everyday life, but meets with an unexpected obstacle on the way down. The song ends with the realization that the singer is "twisted," but that it is who he is, and he accepts that it is impossible for him to conform.


Line by Line Meaning

At six a.m. this morning, oh the man knocked at my door
Early this morning, I was disturbed by someone knocking at my door.


I screamed in his ear, I'm not the guy you're looking for
I tried to explain to the person at my door that they had the wrong person.


But got taken, I got taken just the same
Despite my explanation, the person did not believe me and took me anyway.


When it comes to getting sleep at night
I have trouble sleeping at night.


Oh I just can't seem to win
I always seem to be unlucky.


I went down to the zoo where I thought I might hide
I tried to escape by going to the zoo and hiding there.


There I met a friendly grizzly bear, who took me for a ride
While at the zoo, I encountered a grizzly bear who took me on an unexpected adventure.


And I got mangled, oh I got pushed all out of shape
During my adventure with the grizzly bear, I got hurt and disfigured.


When it comes to being sociable
I am not good at interacting with others.


While climbing up Mt. Everest to get away from all the noise
I tried to escape to Mt. Everest to get some peace and quiet.


I slipped on a banana peel and almost got destroyed
Unfortunately, I had an accident and nearly got seriously hurt.


And I was worried all the way down to the ground
During my fall, I was very scared and anxious.


When it comes to holding safety nets
There is no one there to catch me if I fall.


Nobody seems to be around
I am always alone and without help.


When I put myself together I found that it was best
After everything I've been through, I realized it's best to be true to myself.


If I no longer tried to be just like all the rest
I don't need to conform to what others expect of me.


Because I'm twisted, yeah but that's the bag I'm in
I may not be like everyone else, but that's just who I am.


When it comes to being normal
I don't fit into society's definition of normal.


Oh I just can't seem to win
No matter what I do, I always end up being unlucky.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS

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Comments from YouTube:

@ivindrustad5181

One of the best pre-Wolf tunes.John at his best.

@GeraldBoyClassical

We used to go down to Yorkville to listen to them.

@jrnylvr

I never thought much about John Kay either and I also thought he was just being cool with the sunglasses, but I have learned a lot about him in the past few days.  He really is a very good singer!

@floyJoy0729

What a great voice & nice guitar!

@toneyisaiah3556

The song appeared on the group's Live Steppenwolf album.

@toneyisaiah408

Birth of success.

@markhill3627

I saw The Sparrow perform at the Matrix in San Francisco

@willafilla

Really great sound!

@ablethevoice

I never thought much about it because I always thought John Kay was just being 'cool' with his sunglasses, but it turns out his eyes are extremely sensitive to light. The things you can find out on Wiki...
John Kay will be 70 on April 12 of this year.

@vinmanr2d2

Happy birthday to the world's BEST storyteller ! I truly dig that man !

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