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*This song was originally released under the title "Twist of Fate" for the Wild California soundtrack several years prior to its release on Gift of Screws. To me, it sounds like the same vocal; to me, it sounds like he is still saying "the right twist of fate" rather than "the right place to fade." Why Lindsey pretends he is saying something different now is inexplicable to me, but I'll play along and type the lyrics here as they are written in the booklet. In the speculations, however, I leave the references to "twist of fate."
WEBMISTRESS speculates:
This is a nice, positive song, although he does that funky thing with his voice in the chorus where he puts it through some kind of machine and makes it sound high-pitched and weird. At any rate, this reminds me of Out of the Cradle thematically because it talks about stepping out of the shadow of the past and starting to live in today.
He characterizes the past as the time when he was lost and even "dead" emotionally. He was selfish and under a lot of pressure and it caused him to make a lot of mistakes. But he "ain't got time for it now" - he's not going to dwell on the past anymore. No more waiting, hesitating - time to jump on in and take advantage of "the right twist of fate".
JESSICA speculates:
Just one interesting thing about this song: LB is a big Talking Heads fan, and the line "ain't got time for that now" is in their "Life During Wartime" song too. Just a small thing I noticed. Love this song.
DW speculates:
Given the timing, I think this song could possibly be about some self-realizations Lindsey made when he met his then girlfriend/now wife, Kristen. She seemed to inspire something in Lindsey that finally made him look happily toward the future (in his personal life), rather than remain with those "faces of glass all hung in the past" (see Down on Rodeo). In an interview just before the Dance tour started, Lindsey spoke about how much happier he felt and about how he was in the frame of mind to finally look at balancing out his music obsessed life in order to share it with a family of his own. Shortly thereafter Kristen was expecting Lindsey’s first child, which is a life-transforming event for anybody.
Such events often spur one to reflect starkly on the aspects of your life that you want to shed now that this new "light" has come into your world. The first verse introduces what he wants to leave behind: "I'm a little lost, let me find my way/ I'm a little dead, let me live/ Been living in the past, let me rise today/ Led a selfish life, don't forgive." The chorus celebrates his surprise and relief to discover that it’s never too late to change. He seems to feel he’d waited for certain things in life that never happened and that he sometimes hesitated to do things he should have done, which he later regretted. But now, he’s in the midst of something that finally feels like the "right twist." It's a new fate that he may never have allowed himself to believe he could have. He’s so optimistic and sure and without fear about it though, so I'm led to believe that this wasn't just a wish, but this was something he knew he was on the verge of with Kristen, and it was something very special and something that was going to save him from his previously envisioned fate, which was always full of loneliness. The tempo and charge of the music and the energy in the vocal adds to the joyous feel.
In the second verse, he’s trying to begin to forgive himself for those past mistakes so that he can go forward with a light heart: "You were living under the reign of kings/ You were living under the gun/ I know it made you do a lot of things/ You wish that you'd never done." In the third verse, beginning with "Come along, lay down and talk to me…" I think he’s saying now is the time to let go of those things we harbor from past relationships and past events that prevent us from being truly happy. I think this verse is addressed specifically to himself and Kristen. Time runs out too quickly and the past doesn’t matter; they have nothing to lose except something great together if they let the past interfere. I do hear one line differently than is transcribed here. Rather than, "tell me all you’re feeling right now," I hear "tell me all your fear will allow." [I think he's right and have changed the transcription. - WM] It’s a line in which he reveals that he understands how hard it can be to share deep parts of yourself when you’ve been deeply hurt in the past (and you're shy like Lindsey is anyway). But it’s also a line that tells her how much he wants to share with her and how much he wants to know everything about her.
The final rendition of the chorus contains the hope he others may be able to grasp onto as well: "I swear, I swear, I swear It's not too late ." It’s never the right time to accept a life without love and it's never too late to begin again to find that love.
KAT speculates:
What a great, happy, roll down the windows - summertime song. Should have been on the new FM album. Would love to hear this done live.
SUSAN speculates:
i was listening to twist of fate tonight and went to go check out your speculations. i think that weird thing he does with his voice sounds sort of stevie-ish...and the lyrics make me think of stevie as well. the word "fate" alone makes me think of stevie...destiny rules afterall. the second verse especially..."you were living under the reign of kings/you were living under the gun/i know it made you do a lot of things/you wish that you'd never done." Maybe he's reflecting on his own life, but maybe he's thinking of stevie..."living under the reign of kings," "rulers make bad lovers," "you will never rule again the way you ruled me..." and then the line "it doesn't matter who we thought we were..." sounds to me like the opening of closure :)
LINDSAY speculates:
I'm a little lost, let me find my way
I'm a little dead, let me live
Been living in the past, let me rise today
Led a selfish life, let me giveI think he wrote this song after they reunited for the Dance. Here he is saying he's been lost (which parallels "running from everything he loved best" in the song Deep Dense), been dead and hasn't felt any real love and passion for a long time, been obsessed with past problems and mistakes, and he's been selfish and put his needs and desires first. After he admits each of his flaws, he say's he's ready to change, experience life and forgive past mistakes. He ends, saying he wants to try again and "give" himself to Stevie.
How long, how long, how long
How long we wait
Wait for the light that might light our way
Wait for the right twist of fateStevie and Lindsey hated each other for a long time and could not stand to be around each other. They thought they were destined to be apart. Now they are working on The Dance and enjoying each other's company and everything has come back into play. They are no longer destined to be apart. They saw "the light" and now their fate has changed.
You were living under the reign of kings
You were living under the gun
I know it made you do a lot of things
You wish that you'd never doneThis is similar to the first verse except he's addressing Stevie's faults. (It reminds me of Twister where Stevie writes about both of their faults. Maybe he was influenced by that song.) He's saying she was "under the reign of kings"- drugs, fame and money ruled her life like a king. He realizes that she too has changed and regrets a lot of the things she did in the past. This verse and the first verse show their maturity and that they have finally broken down all the barriers to them being able to have a successful relationship.
How long, how long, how long
We hesitate
Wait for the light that might light our way
Wait for the right twist of fateLindsey changes "how long we wait" to "we hesitate". The "we hesitate" makes me think he is talking about the present situation. They are trying to decide if they should give their relationship another chance. They both realize they have changed but they are still wondering if this is the right time. They had given up all hope of a relationship and now that it seems possible they're scared and questioning if this is really the "right" time- have they really had a "twist of fate"?
Rah-ta-ta-ta-ta
Rah-ta-ta-ta-ta
Rah-ta-ta-ta-tah
Rah-ta-ta-ta-ta
Rah-ta-ta-ta-ta
Rah-ta-ta-ta-tahCome along, lay down and talk to me
Tell me all your fear will allow
It doesn't matter who we thought we were
We ain't got time for it nowLindsey is asking Stevie for physical intimacy by saying "lay down" but more importantly he's asking for emotional intimacy. The old Lindsey and Stevie used sex to solve their problems, but now he wants to talk. He wants to know as much as she is willing to tell him. He isn't pressuring her to tell him everything. He may want to know everything, but he is being understanding and respectful of her privacy. He knows Stevie wants a little mystery (Gold and Braid) and he's demonstrating his growth by not repeating a past mistake. In the last two lines he is trying to convince her that they are different people now and they can make it work. (This reminds me of Thrown Down where Stevie writes "he fell for her again…she listened to what he had to say". In both songs, he is initiating the relationship. I think those two songs are connected. In Thrown Down, Stevie is reflecting back on the exact events Lindsey is writing about here.)
How long, how long, how long
How long we wait
Wait for the light that might light our way
Wait for the right twist of fate
I swear, I swear, I swear
It's not too late
Wait for the light that might light our way
Wait for the right twist of fate
Wait for the light that might light our way
Wait for the right twist of fate
Wait for the right twist of fate
Wait for the right twist of fateHe's pleading with her saying it isn't too late for them. They've had a "twist of fate" and now they have a real chance to be together. After he finishes the lyrics he does this "ooooooohhh unnnnhaaaa…bop bop bop…" thing and ends with a long guitar solo that evokes feelings of optimism and happiness. The ending makes me believe he was able to convince Stevie to give their relationship another chance.
Also, Lindsey made the back-up vocals sound like Stevie to add significance to the lyrics.