In March 1988 their second independent single, “Be Still” was released on Harbour Sound Records, once again to critical acclaim. By this time, following various shifts in personnel, the band’s classic line-up was firmly established, with Nick and Robert now joined by Dermot Lynch (bass) and guitar player and multi-instrumentalist Tim Bradshaw.
In October 1989, The Fat Lady Sings released their third single “Arclight” on their own Fourth Base Record label. The critical and public interest in this song, and for the band’s follow-up single “Dronning Maud Land” (released January 1990), together with the enormous live following that they’d build up in both Ireland and the UK (they sold out both the National Stadium in Dublin and the Town & Country Club in London, an unprecedented feat for an unsigned band) attracted major label interest.
In 1990 the band signed to East West Records in London (Atlantic in America). Their first major label single “Man Scared” was released in October 1990. In May 1991, the band’s first album, “Twist” was released. This album spawned 3 more singles: a re-release of “Arclight” (April 1991), “Twist” (May 1991) and “Deborah” (August 1991).
Following a year of touring and promotional activity, taking in Ireland, the UK, Europe and the US, the band began preparations for their second album without drummer Robert Hamilton, who’d decided to leave and subsequently set up the “Peace Together” charity with another TFLS old boy Ali McMordie. (The charity went on to record and release a charity single version of the TFLS tune “Be Still” featuring Peter Gabriel, Nanci Griffith, Feragal Sharkey, Jah Wobble and Sinead O’Connor.)
The band’s second album “Johnson”, produced by Steve Osborne (and with Nic France on drums), was released in June 1993, preceded by the single “Show Of Myself”. The second single from the album, “Drunkard Logic” gave the band their highest ever chart placing in the UK, just falling short of the Top 40. The band once more threw themselves into a punishing 6 months of touring, culminating in a 3 month US stint that ended with a storming pre-Christmas show in New York punk mecca CBGBs.
In January 1994, the band split with Nick Kelly’s surprise announcement that he was quitting.
Following a self-imposed exile from the music industry, Nick subsequently achieved great critical acclaim for his first independently-released solo album, “Between Trapezes” (1997), which won him the accolade of “Best Solo Male Artist” at the 1998-99 Irish Music Critics Awards. Nick’s long-awaited follow-up album, “Running Dog”, released in January 2005, also on his own Self Possessed Records label, is already garnering similar plaudits.
Tim and Dermot both enjoyed Top 10 Chart success in America as members of the band Dog’s Eye View in 1995. Tim’s multi-instrumental and production / arrangement talents have been subsequently availed of by artists as diverse as Tanita Tikarem, Fatima Mansions and, most notably, David Gray, with whom he both tours and records on a full-time basis. Dermot’s recent playing career also includes stints with David Gray; in addition, in recent years he has also become established as one of the most sought-after tour and production managers in the UK, working with the likes of Keane, Fun Loving Criminals and Supergrass.
To celebrate the release of The Fat Lady Sings’ forthcoming double compilation album “The Fat Lady Singles (& Opera Obscura)”, the band have decided to reform for a one-off show in Dublin’s Vicar Street on Friday April 8th – the first time they will have appeared together onstage since the show in CBGB’s back in December 2003.
Twist
The Fat Lady Sings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every name you drop you stop my heart from beating
Everything I used to know you have made me doubt
You've never been hungry until you've tasted regret
And I almost killed myself trying to make myself forget
But you're the taste that I can't wash from my mouth
And makes me hurt everybody else?
I just do what anyone would do
I twist for you
I twist for you
I twist for you
I am twisted for you
History has made me all I am today
But I've already forgotton all those rotten games you play
I was born with everything but concentration
So what do I do when the love of you makes me hate myself
And makes me hurt everybody else?
I just do what anyone would do
I twist for you
I twist for you
I twist for you
Words like faith simply don't exist
I am twisted for you
And the wind can rattle windows
And you can shiver like it's new
And we can send these sins spinning
Until they taste true
I twist for you
I twist for you
I twist for you
I am twisted for you
(Words like faith simply don't exist
Words like fear simply don't exist
Words like fear simply don't exist
I am twisted for you
The song "Twist" by The Fat Lady Sings explores the destructive nature of love. Every time the singer touches their lover, they feel as though they're losing a part of themselves. They're also aware that their lover has the power to stop their heart from beating, indicating that their love is consuming them completely. The singer no longer has confidence in what they previously knew and their consciousness has been distorted.
The lyrics indicate that the singer is aware of the consequences of their love, but they're unable to break free from it. They've almost killed themselves trying to forget their lover, but they can't get rid of the taste of their love. The love has made them hate themselves and hurt everyone around them, and they feel helpless, seeing no way out of this.
In the end, the singer admits to twisting for their lover, which means they are willing to constantly contort themselves to maintain the relationship. They're willing to compromise their identity until they're entirely twisted for their lover. The lyrics show how painful love can be, how it can lead someone to lose themselves and twist their identity to satisfy another person.
Line by Line Meaning
Every time we touch I lose another layer of skin
My love for you is hurting me to the point where it feels like I'm peeling away my own skin every time we are intimate.
Every name you drop you stop my heart from beating
You have such an impact on me that even the mention of someone else's name stops my heart from beating momentarily.
Everything I used to know you have made me doubt
You have made me question and doubt everything that I used to believe in and know for certain.
You've never been hungry until you've tasted regret
Regret is a feeling so intense that it's almost physical, and nothing else can quite compare to it.
And I almost killed myself trying to make myself forget
I was so consumed with trying to forget you that I nearly destroyed myself in the process.
But you're the taste that I can't wash from my mouth
Despite my efforts to move on, the memory of you lingers, and I can't seem to get rid of it like I would a bad taste in my mouth.
So what do I do when the love of you makes me hate myself
My love for you is causing me so much pain and self-loathing that I don't know how to handle it.
And makes me hurt everybody else?
My obsession with you is causing me to hurt those around me, regardless of whether or not they are involved in our situation.
I just do what anyone would do
I am so blinded by my love for you that I am willing to do anything, even if it's harmful or self-destructive.
I twist for you
I am willing to contort myself and change who I am in order to please you and make you happy.
History has made me all I am today
My past experiences and mistakes have shaped me into the person I am today.
But I've already forgotton all those rotten games you play
Despite the pain you have caused me in the past, I have forgiven you and moved on, perhaps too quickly.
I was born with everything but concentration
While I may have been born with many gifts, the ability to focus and concentrate is not one of them.
Words like faith simply don't exist
My love for you is so strong that it defies explanation or description through conventional vocabulary like faith, it's simply beyond that.
And the wind can rattle windows
Even the natural elements like wind can't shake or change the way I feel about you.
And you can shiver like it's new
Even though we have been through love and loss before, the passion and intensity we share still feels new and thrilling.
And we can send these sins spinning
Our relationship, with all its ups and downs, can make us feel as if we are committing sins or doing something wrong, yet we continue to revel in it.
Until they taste true
Our love may have started out shaky or uncertain, but now it feels so pure and real that it's impossible to deny or ignore.
I am twisted for you
My love and obsession with you has caused me to become twisted and contorted, and I can't seem to break free from it.
Contributed by Jordan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@declanhowley4679
one of the best irish bands live..the story telling in their songs is a poet at work who loves what he does and the band brings it to life...
@pabrown733
I have loved this song for 20+ years. I had the pleasure of working with tfls on their first American tour. a wonderful band, never forgotten.
@billkane5462
Brilliant band love this song and album never tire of it What a great irish music scene we had back then great memories
@liamshanahan7355
It still sounds as fresh today and it did back then in 1991 when I first heard it! It evokes great memories!
@08appleseed
My pals,was roadie for them at their very first gig in the International bar with original line up for about 6 years on and off,amazing bunch of talented guys,this video was shot in Blackpool.There was a better video made for this in like a parish hall and a couple rock n' roll dancing in slow motion to the band on the stage,beautiful..love these guys and honored to be their friend.
@eddiebolton5722
Mill Butler o
@eddiebolton5722
Mill Butler
@remainremain
https://youtu.be/fBg4nMFOb5E
@ewanboltom4059
mill it's eddie
@ewanboltom4059
some hard lad to try and get in contact with