Words and music Bob Dylan
Released on Blood on the Tracks (1975) and live on At Budokan (1978)
Tabbed by Eyolf Østrem
The lyrics were re-written already in time for the Rolling Thunder Revue in 1975, and
the new lyrics have stuck - he never sings it like on the record anymore. There are
numerous variations along the way.
The lyric changes in 1984 were more substantial, and have been awarded a separate section
below. They are also on the whole less clear, and they keep changing from day to day.
Chords:
E 054000 Emaj7 044000 E7 034000 A 020120 Am x05450 B4 x42000 B' x02120
E
They sat together in the park
Emaj7
As the evening sky grew dark,
E7
She looked at him and he felt a spark
A
tingle to his bones.
Am
'Twas then he felt alone
E B4 A
and wished that he'd gone straight
E B' E
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' 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 sailers 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.
Standard tuning
G
They sat together in the park
Bm
As the evening sky grew dark,
G7
She looked at him and he felt a spark
C /b Am
tingle to his bones.
C /b Am
'Twas then he felt alone
G D C
and wished that he'd gone straight
G Am C
And watched out for a simple twist of fate.
These are the default lyrics for live versions of this song from 1975 until today, with some of the numerous variations indicated in the right column. For more substantial variations that were used only at a specific time, the year has been indicated.
| They sat together in the park As the evening sky grew dark, She looked at him and felt a spark tingle to her bones. 'Twas then she felt alone and wished that she'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 river front hotel with a neon burnin' bright. He [she] felt the heat of the night hit him [her] like a freight train Moving down with a simple twist of fate. |
[renovated/cheap/little hotel] [threw his wide-brimmed hat on the bed (1981)] [/with a neon burning dim, he looked at her and she looked at him with that lock that can manipulate brought on by a simple twist of fate (1980)] |
| A saxophone someplace softly played As she was walkin' on by the arcade. She heard a melody rise and fade and the sun was coming up, She dropped a coin into the cup of a blind man at the gate And forgot about that simple twist of fate. |
|
| He woke up, and she was gone He didn't see nothing but the dawn. Got out of bed and put his shoes back on, pushed back the blinds, Found a note she'd left behind but he just could not relate to anything 'cept that simple twist of fate. |
[clothes/wide-brimmed hat (1981)] [/concentrate on] [/to which he just could not relate, all about that simple twist of fate] |
| He hears the ticking of the clocks hunts for her through the city blocks Even down by the waterfront docks where the sailers all roll in. Maybe he'll see [spot] her once again, how long must he wait One more time for a simple twist of fate. |
[/Looks for her everywhere he walks (1988)] [/people hear him humming as he walks (1997)] |
| People tell me it's a crime To know to much * for too long a time. She should have caught me in my prime, She would have stayed with me. Instead of going off to sea, and leaving me to meditate upon that simple twist of fate. |
[think of her/remember her] |
The lyrics kept changing from night to night. Here are two takes on it, one from Paris (Jul 1), with variants from Brussels (Jun 7), Gothenburg (Jun 9) and Wembley (Jul 7), the other from Barcelona (posted to r.m.d by Arthur Jarosinski).
If you have any suggestions for the blanks in the lyrics below, I'd be more than happy to receive them.
| They sat together in the park As the evening sky grew dark, She looked at him and felt a spark tingle to her bones. 'Twas then she felt alone and wished that she'd gone straight And watched out for a simple twist of fate. |
|
| They walked along by the old canal Down Waterfront Street, by the tolling bell stopped into the Grand Hotel where the desk clerks dressed in white. With a face as black as night he said: "Check-out time's at eight". All a part of that simple twist of fate. |
Brussels: All by the cathedral bell Wembley: Rio Grande Hotel, Gothenburg and Brussels: Saint Claire Hotel |
| Additional verse in Gothenburg and Brussels:
She was walking by the street parade [...] but underpaid The sun is bursting through a beat-up shade Where he's waking up, etc. (as the standard version in the next verse) |
|
| He woke up, and the room was thick Something there inside was making him sick. He heard her bootheels in the hallway click, The sun was coming up She dropped a coin into the cup of a blind man at the gate And forgot about that simple twist of fate. |
Brussels: Something inside this room
was making him sick [...] Hears those bootheels in the hallway click Bursts the window open wide Then throws it all up outside You know it just could not wait. All the time for that simple twist of fate. |
| [Head out to wind] and the rain and snow [Didn't leave from far, where] the chilly winds blow He said: "I've taught you all you know, now, don't bother me no more. You know where to find the door. Go on before it's too late and forget about that simple twist of fate." |
Wembley: He's walkin' out through the
city streets look into the eyes of the people he meets And late in time, you know, [he tries and greets] [he waited all I can do] He said: "I'm leaving my heart with you" Take good care of it, be on your freight" All about that simple twist of fate. |
| People tell me it's a crime To remember her for too long of a time. She should have caught me in my prime, She would have stayed with me. Instead of going back off to sea, and leaving me to meditate all on that simple twist of fate. |
As transcribed by Arthur Jarosinski, with suggestions from Eben Hensby incorporated.
They sat together in the park
As the evening sky got dark
She looked at him and felt a spark
Tingle to her bone
'Twas then she felt alone
And wished that she'd gone straight
And watched out for a simple twist of fate
They walked along by the old canal
Down Waterfront Street by the bell
Stopped into the Riverfront hotel
The desk clerk dressed in white
With a face as black as night
He said, "Check out time's at eight"
Remember now 'bout that simple twist of fate
He woke up and it sure was dim
He could feel her eyes looking at him
That's all right, but her chance was slim
And in everyway he came pushing through
He said, "Baby, I'm leaving my heart with you,
Take good care of it, and don't berate
All about that simple twist of fate."
Morning comes and she was there
He could feel her climb on his hair
But he couldn't see her anywhere
And the dawn was coming up
She dropped a coin into the cup
Of a blind man at the gate
And forgot about the simple twist of fate
Oh for the times that are really slow
He thought about just before she'd know
He said I taught you everything you know
So don't bother me no more
I don't think you know where to find the door
She said, 'No, I just can't wait'
All about that that simple twist of fate
People say that it's a crime
To look commonly for too long a time
She should have caught me in my prime
She wouldn't leave that way
'I'm leaving my heart with you and I can't stay
I'm going where the winds are wet
Always there upon a simple twist of fate'