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Twist In My Sobriety

English translation: a blip in an otherwise sober life

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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

English term or phrase:	Twist In My Sobriety
English translation:	a blip in an otherwise sober life
Entered by:	xxxGiordano B

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08:29 Jul 29, 2011

English to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / Could you please rephrase or explain the meaning of the phrase? Thank you

English term or phrase: Twist In My Sobriety

Twist In My Sobriety
Original lyrics by Tanita Tikaram

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

?2We just poked a little empty pie
For the fun that people have 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 take 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

xxxGiordano B

a blip in an otherwise sober life

Explanation:
Definition of 'blip' from www.thefreedictionary.com:

4. A temporary or insignificant phenomenon, especially a brief departure from the normal: "The decline in the share of GNP going to health . . . appears to be a one-time blip in the historic trend rather than the start of a new trend" (Atlantic).

So the singer seems to mean that the person they are referring to does not have any stronger effect than causing a momentary deviation from their otherwise sober life.

But song lyrics often don't make much sense!

Selected response from:

Lindsay Spratt
Local time: 23:09

Grading comment

Thank you!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

3 +4

a blip in an otherwise sober life

Lindsay Spratt

a distortion (detour) in my sobriety

airmailrpl

an interesting diversion in a bleak journey

FelicityPilchar

an intoxicating moment

DLyons

3 +1

an alteration / distortion

Jenni Lukac

slip, aberration, lapse

Gert Sass (M.A.)

Discussion entries: 3

Answers

22 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

twist in my sobriety an alteration / distortion

Explanation:
This is poetry, any answer is an interpretation.

Jenni Lukac
Local time: 04:09
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 111

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks!

1 hr confidence:

twist in my sobriety an intoxicating moment

Explanation:
As Jenni says, an alteration (in an otherwise sober, staid, life).

DLyons
Ireland
Local time: 03:09
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 8

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks!

5 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

twist in my sobriety

a blip in an otherwise sober life

Lindsay Spratt
Local time: 23:09
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 20

Grading comment

Thank you!

6 hrs confidence:

twist in my sobriety a distortion (detour) in my sobriety

Explanation:
twist in my sobriety => ua distortion (detour) in my sobriety
Twist | Define Twist at Dictionary.com
dictionary.reference.com/browse/twist -
14. something formed by or as if by twisting: a twist of hair ... 17. a bend: a twist in the road. 18. a distortion of the original or natural shape or form ...

9. To alter the normal aspect of; contort: twist one's mouth into a wry smile.
10. To alter or distort the intended meaning of: The cross-examiner twisted the words of the witness. See Synonyms at distort.
11. To alter or distort the mental, moral, or emotional character of: The trauma twisted the child's outlook.
7. A change in direction; a turn: a sharp twist in the path.
8. An unexpected change in a process or a departure from a pattern, often producing a distortion or perversion: a twist of fate; a story with a quirky twist.
9. A personal inclination or eccentricity; a penchant or flaw: an odd twist to his character.

airmailrpl
Brazil
Local time: 23:09
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English,

Portuguese
PRO pts in category: 64

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks!

7 hrs confidence:

twist in my sobriety slip, aberration, lapse

Explanation:
i.e. the addressee has but temporarily dulled the singer's senses
(with affection etc.) and now she is back on track ('sober')

Gert Sass (M.A.)
Local time: 04:09
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

German
PRO pts in category: 4

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks!

246 days confidence:

twist in my sobriety an interesting diversion in a bleak journey

Explanation:
The word "twist" has many meanings, one being "a curled piece of orange or lemon used to flavour a drink". Given "...in my sobriety", and the poetic nature of the lyric, I consider this the most appropriate meaning for the term.

Also note that the singer said in an interview "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."

So "you'll never be more than twist in my sobriety" says: the journey of my life is bleak, prim, proper, very isolated, and everybody else is so distant and cold; I am the sort of person who reads improving books; I am imprisoned by my clear conscience; I thought I could reject the temptation you represent by force of my will; you were a brief interlude, a small spot of flavour but I have seen the light and that is all you will ever have been to me.

FelicityPilchar

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Twist In My Sobriety

English translation: a blip in an otherwise sober life

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Twist In My Sobriety

English translation: a blip in an otherwise sober life

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KudoZ™ translation helpThe KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

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