“Twist in My Sobriety” is a song written and recorded by Tanita Tikaram. Released as a single in 1988 from her debut album Ancient Heart, it was a top ten hit in many European countries, peaking at #2 in Austria and Germany, though it achieved only moderate success in the US and Australia. In 1996, the song was also released in UK in a remixed version peaking at #82.
In 2001, the song appeared on the soundtrack of the film “Bandits.” The first line of the song, “All God’s children need travelling shoes”, is the title of a book by writer/poet Maya Angelou. Wikipedia®.
Tanita Tikaram – Twist in my sobriety
The beginning of the song, “All God’s children need traveling shoes” is the title of a book by the writer Maya Angelou. It is the fifth and last book of her autobiography series in which Angelou writes about her dream to return home as a black American woman to Africa and her subsequent emigration to Ghana. Said Tikaram: “I don’t know why I used it but it sounded poetic and spiritual too me; the rest of the song is really about not understanding – when you’re 18, you’ve got a very particular emotional relationship with the world, you feel very isolated, and everybody else is so distant and cold. And I think I was singing about not feeling anything or not being moved by things around. I think this is a strong feeling when you’re just after adolescence. There is a very good film called Heavenly Creatures by a director from New Zealand, I don’t know if you’ve seen it, it’s about two girls that kill their mother… but it’s not the murder that matters but their feelings and how you’re feeling at that time. But then it passes by.” Songfacts®.
Tanita Tikaram – Twist in My Sobriety Lyrics:
All God’s children need travelling shoes.
Drive your problems from here.
All good people read good books.
Now your conscience is clear.
I hear you talk girl.
Now your conscience is clear.
In the morning when I wipe my brow.
Wipe the miles away.
I like to think I can be so willed.
And never do what you say.
I’ll never hear you.
And never do what you say.
Look my eyes are just holograms.
Look your love has drawn red from my hands.
From my hands you know you’ll never be.
More than twist in my sobriety.
More than twist in my sobriety.
More than twist in my sobriety.
We’ve just poked a little empty pie.
For the fun that people had at night.
Late at night don’t need hostility.
The timid smile and pause to free.
I don’t care about their different thoughts.
Different thoughts are good for me.
Up in arms and chaste and whole.
All God’s children took their toll.
Look my eyes are just holograms.
Look your love has drawn red from my hands.
From my hands you know you’ll never be.
More than twist in my sobriety.
More than twist in my sobriety.
More than twist in my sobriety.
Cup of tea, takes time to think, yeah.
Time to risk a life, a life, a life.
Sweet and handsome.
Soft and porky.
You pig out ’til you’ve seen the light.
Pig out ’til you’ve seen the light.
Half the people read the papers.
Read them good and well.
Pretty people, nervous people.
People have got to sell.
News you have to sell.
Look my eyes are just holograms.
Look your love has drawn red from my hands.
From my hands you know you’ll never be.
More than twist in my sobriety.
More than twist in my sobriety.
More than twist in my sobriety.
Writer: Tanita Tikaram.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
