Jerry Garcia Band Simple Twist Of Fate Lyrics

Simple Twist Of Fate
Music: Bob Dylan

Played by Dylan with the Grateful Dead and by Jerry Garcia with the JGB, but never by the Grateful Dead on their own.

They sat together in the park (note 1)
As the evening sky grew dark
She looked at him and he felt a spark tingle to his bones
'Twas then he felt alone and wished that he'd gone straight
And watched out for a simple twist of fate (note 2)

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 (note 3)
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 (note 4)
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 (note 5)
And walks along with a parrot that talks
Hunts her down by the waterfront docks where the sailors all come in
Maybe she'll pick him out again, how long he must wait
Once more for a simple twist of fate

People tell me it's a sin
To know and feel too much within (note 6)
I still believe she was my twin, but I lost the ring
She was born in the spring, but I was born too late
Blame it on a simple twist of fate

Notes
(1) Dylan sang "They sat together in the dark" with the Dead.
(2) Dylan sang "And forgot about that simple twist of fate."
(3) Dylan sang "A saxophone someplace quietly played."
(4) Dylan sang a more-or-less different verse here:
He woke up and she was gone
He couldn't see nothing but the dawn
[Got up] and put his suit back on and pushed back the blind
Found a note she'd left behind but just could not relate
Oh nothing except that simple twist of fate

(5) Dylan missed out this verse.
(6) Dylan sang "To remember her for too long [?]."

Jerry Garcia Recordings
Date Album Recorded By
29 Jul 1977 Pure Jerry 1: Theater 1839 Jerry Garcia Band
19 Feb 1978 Jerry Garcia Plays Dylan Jerry Garcia Band
18 Mar 1978 Pure Jerry 6: Warner Theatre Jerry Garcia Band
28 Feb 1980 After Midnight Jerry Garcia Band
studio 1982 Run For The Roses Jerry Garcia Band (note 1)
Oct 1987 Pure Jerry 3: Lunt-Fontanne: Best Of The Rest Jerry Garcia Band
2 Sep 1989 Pure Jerry 5: Merriweather Post Pavilion Jerry Garcia Band
1990 Jerry Garcia Band Jerry Garcia Band
Notes
(1) bonus track on the reissued album included in the box set All Good Things

Futher Information
For more information on recordings see Matt Schofield's Grateful Dead Family Discography
For sheet music, see:
Jerry Garcia Songbook (vocal line and chords)