Album version
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 A'
tingle to his bones.
Am
'Twas then he felt alone
E B(ii) A A'
and wished that he'd gone straight
E B11 B11' 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.
Rolling Thunder Revue version (1975)
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 G
And watched out for a simple twist of fate.
Budokan version
C
They sat together in the park
Cmaj7/g
As the evening sky grew dark,
C7
She looked at him and felt a spark
F
tingle to her bones.
Fm6
'Twas then she felt alone
C F
and wished that he'd gone straight
C F G C
And watched out for a simple twist of fate.
Or in A, with a capo on the 3rd fret:
A
They sat together in the park
E6
As the evening sky grew dark,
A7
She looked at him and felt a spark
D
tingle to her bones.
Dm
'Twas then she felt alone
A (/c#) D
and wished that he'd gone straight
A D E A
And watched out for a simple twist of fate.
Lyric variations
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 [renovated/cheap/little hotel]
with a neon burnin' bright. [threw his wide-brimmed hat on the bed (1981)]
[/with a neon burning dim,
He [she] felt the heat of the night he looked at her and she looked at him
hit him [her] like a freight train with that look that can manipulate
Moving down with a simple twist of fate. 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, [clothes/wide-brimmed hat (1981)]
pushed back the blinds,
Found a note she'd left behind
but he just could not relate [/concentrate on]
to anything 'cept that simple twist of fate. [/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 [/Looks for her everywhere he walks (1988)]
[/people hear him humming as he walks (1997)]
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.
People tell me it's a crime
To know to much * for too long a time. [think of her/remember her]
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.
1984 version
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 Brussels: All by the cathedral bell
stopped into the Grand Hotel Wembley: Rio Grande Hotel
Gothenburg and Brussels: Saint Claire 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.
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 Brussels: Something inside this room
was making him sick
Something there inside was making him sick. [...]
He heard her bootheels in the hallway click, Hears those bootheels in the hallway click
The sun was coming up Bursts the window open wide
She dropped a coin into the cup Then throws it all up outside
of a blind man at the gate You know it just could not wait.
And forgot about that simple twist of fate. All the time for that simple twist of fate.
[Head out to wind] and the rain and snow Wembley: He's walkin' out through the
city streets
[Didn't leave from far, where] look into the eyes of the people he meets
the chilly winds blow
He said: "I've taught you all you know, And late in time, you know, [he tries
and greets]
now, don't bother me no more. [he waited all I can do]
You know where to find the door. He said: "I'm leaving my heart with you"
Go on before it's too late Take good care of it, be on your freight"
and forget about that simple twist of fate." 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.
28 June 1984 Barcelona
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'
1988 version
Intro as played in Radio City, NY, Oct 19, 1988
D Dmaj7
: . . . : . . . : . . . : . . .
-----|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
-----|-----7-7-7-7-----|-7-7---10--------|-----7-7-7-7-7-7-|-8---7-----7-----|
-----|-----7-7-7-7-----|-7-7---7---------|-----6-6-6-6-6-6-|-6---6---9-6-----|
-----|-7-------------7-|-----------------|---7-------------|---------7-------|
-2/9-|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
-----|-----------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------|
D7 G : . . . : . . . : . . . : . . . |-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|-----------------| |-----7-7---7-----|-8p7-7p5-5h7-7---|-----8---8-10-11-12-|-----------------| |-----5-5---5-----|-5---5---5---5-5-|--------------------|-----------------| |---7-----------7-|-----------------|-6/9---9---10-11-12-|-----------------| |-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|-----------------| |-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|-----------------|
Gm D A G : . . . : . . . : . . . : . . . |---3-----6---3---|-3-3---3---------|-5---------------|-----------------| |---3-----3---3---|---3---3---------|-----7---5-------|-3---------------| |---3-------3-----|-3---------------|-7---------------|-4---------------| |-5-----5---------|-----------------|---------7-------|-5---------------| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D A D Aaug : . . . : . . . : . . . : . . . |-----5-----------|-----7-----------|-----------------|---------5-------| |-5h7-7-7---5-----|-5h7-7-7---5-----|-------7---------|-------6---------| |-6h7---7---6-----|-6h7---7---6-----|-7-----7---------|-----6-----------| |-----------------|---------------7-|-----------------|---7-------------| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Recent (as of 2019) lyrics
Thanks to David Broad
Well they sat together in the park While the evening sky grew dark She looked at him and he felt a spark Tingle to her bones It was then she felt alone And wished 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 Stopped into a strange hotel With a neon burning sign She said put your hand in mine Ain't no need to hesitate It was all about that simple twist of fate A saxophone someplace softly played She was walking down by the arcade She heard the melody rise and fade 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 bed he put his shoes back on Then he pushed back the blinds Found a note she'd left behind that said You should have met me back in '58 We could have avoided this little simple twist of fate Now he hears the ticking of the clocks And he hunts for her through the city blocks Even down there at the waterfront docks Where the sailors all row in Maybe he'll see her once again How long must he wait One more time, one more time for a simple twist of fate People tell me it's a sin That it's wrong, it's wicked and it's too far down in I let her get under my skin Under my skin too late I had another date A date that couldn't wait Blame it on a simple twist of fate
Version from Palo Alto, 14 Oct 2019
They sat together in the park
As the evening sky got dark,
She looked at him and he felt a spark
tingle to the bones.
‘Twas then she felt alone
and wished that she’d gone straight
or watched out, watched out for the simple twist of fate.
They walked along by the old canal
A little confused, I remember well
stopped into a strange hotel
with a neon-burnin’ sign.
She said: “Put your hand in mine!
Ain’t no need to hesitate.
It was all about that simple twist of fate.”
A saxophone someplace softly played
As she was walkin’ by the arcade.
she heard the melody rise and fade
as 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
He pushed back the blinds.
Found a note she’d left behind. What’d it say?
You should have met me back in ‘58
We could have avoided this little simple twist of fate.
He hears the ticking of the clocks
And he hunts for her through the city blocks
Even down there by the waterfront docks
where the sailers all roll in.
Maybe he’ll see her once again,
how long must he wait
Once more for a simple twist of fate.
People tell me it’s a sin
That it’s wrong and it’s wicked, too far down in
I let her get under my skin,
under my skin too late
I had another date,
A date that couldn’t wait
Blame it all, blame it on a simple twist of fate.