TRACK TALK #62 Simple Twist of Fate

SIMPLE TWIST OF FATE
ALBUM : Blood on the Tracks (1975)
Recorded : 19 Septembre 1974
Released : 17 Janvier 1975



Lyrics
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 alone by the old canal
A little confused I remember well
And stopped into a strange hotel with a neon burning 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 walking 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 sailers 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.

***

Première performance live : Burlington (5 novembre 1975)
Dernière performance live : Monterrey (7 mai 2012)
Total : 470 fois.
- Reprises notables : Joan Baez, Sean Costello, Bryan Ferry, Diana Krall, Jeff Tweedy, Concrete Blonde, Jerry Garcia...

C'est très simple, c'est une de mes chansons préférés de DYlan.
Un titre dont il n'a jamais perdu le fil
La version posté par used spoon ailleurs sur el forum et qui date de l'année dernière est absolument magnifique
Le texte est lui aussi magnifique

Un de mes morceaux favoris de Bob. Il est toujours très absorbé quand il la joue.

L'écriture est sublime, rien que l'expression "Simple twist of Fate" est belle.

Avec des Lives toujours excellents (1975, 1978, 1997, 2012 en tête)

J'adore la photo

C'est clairement une chanson que Dylan semble aimer chanter et qui a toujours tenu la route en concert. Mes versions favorites sont celles de la Rolling Thunder, qui foutent des frissons, comme le prouve la vidéo postée par Used_spoon. Comme avec "Tangled Up in Blue", Dylan s'amuse à changer le point de vue narratif, à refaçonner le texte sans cesse. C'est une belle histoire d'amour sans lendemain.

Elle fait partie de celle qui me touche le plus de Blood on the Tracks avec peut-être, If You See her Say Hello, et bien évidemment, You're a Big Girl Now.
Cette manière qu'il a de lancer la voix avant le "Just a simple twist of fate", ça vous met la larme à l'oeil..

Vraiment une très belle chanson.

Meilleur version.

voici mes 5 versions live favorites :

- cambridge 20/11/75 (BS LIVE 75)
- L.A 07/06/78
- london 17/10/87
- east lansing 12/11/90
- tokyo 04/04/14