Comments on: Five Songs With Twist Endings

By: John King

John King — Sat, 07 Jun 2025 21:53:55 +0000

I’ve been thinking more about songs with Twist Endings and specifically the songs of 10CC and wondering, however,
“Overdraft in Overdrive” isn’t a particularly good twist
“Shock on the Tube (Don’t Want Love)” telegraphs the ending (the opening lines are about falling asleep.
“Survivor” has a great ending (changing the identity of who is the Survivor) but its borderline as to whether it is a twist
and then there is “Blackmail”

“Blackmail” is told from the would-be blackmailer’s point of view as he follows a rich, adulterous woman around taking photographs for the intended purpose.
He sends her the photos and the blackmail note
….
and then…
————SPOILER WARNING————————————-
…
she shows the photos to her husband, he REALLY likes them, sends them to Hugh Hefner, she becomes a centrefold, she becomes famous (a movie star, perhaps)

By: Ethan Shuster

Ethan Shuster — Sun, 17 Sep 2023 04:37:41 +0000

My favorite examples are two songs by Jim Croce, “Leroy Brown” and “You Don’t Mess around with Jim.” They both have essentially the same “plot”: the title character is touted as a big, dangerous guy that no one should ever mess with. But at the end of the song the tough guy runs into someone worse and gets his ass kicked. “Leroy Brown” is probably the better known song, but the other is more fun. The last line of the chorus is “and you don’t mess around with Jim,” but the final line of the song changes it to “you don’t mess around with Slim.”

By: Tim Pendergast

Tim Pendergast — Sat, 16 Sep 2023 20:09:39 +0000

What is the twist in The Night Chicago Died?

By: Xander

Xander — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 21:15:46 +0000

That’s a really good example, John. When I was a teacher, I would use that poem and song as an example of how poetry and music are intertwined with poems becoming songs. Because students who “didn’t like poetry” still liked music.

The other example I would use is “The Unicorn Song.”

By: John King

John King — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 20:54:04 +0000

For me, the best song with a twist ending is “Richard Cory” written by Paul Simon based on an earlier poem with the same ending.
The lyrics from a factory worker’s point of view show his perception of Richard Cory – “He had everything a man could want” “he surely must be happy with everything he’s got” “I wish that I could be Richard Cory” but the song takes an abrupt change of tone showing that Richard Cory’s private life is not as happy as it seemed.

By: Bruce Phillips

Bruce Phillips — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 21:06:53 +0000

The Night Chicago Died

By: Allen Winstead

Allen Winstead — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 21:01:30 +0000

One of favorite twist endings is Bruce Springsteen’s “Brilliant Disguise”. Through most of the song he sings about how he doesn’t really trust the woman he loves – he’s afraid she’s wearing a brilliant disguise. But when he ends the song he warns his love “So when you look at me you better look hard and look twice – is that me baby or just a brilliant disguise?”

By: Xander

Xander — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 23:02:04 +0000

How about “A Boy Named Sue”?

“If I ever have a son… I’m naming him Bill … or Jimmy … anything but Sue!”

By: Rich Steeves

Rich Steeves — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 15:17:14 +0000

Great list! I’d add “come sail away” by Styx. “I thought that they were angels and much to my surprise they climbed aboard their starship and headed for the skies!”

By: Jazzy

Jazzy — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 12:34:20 +0000

Another twist ending is one of my favorite’s. Dido’s Christmas Day, on one of those Can’t Believe It’s Christmas compilation CD’s. It’s a sweet song, until the end………