Album: Ancient Heart Release date: September 13, 1988 Video: Live in Norway, 1990 "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 Tikaram's biggest international success, achieving top 10 placings in several European countries.The first line of the song, "All God's children need traveling shoes", is the title of a book by writer/poet Maya Angelou. Speaking about the somewhat obscure and enigmatic lyrics, Tikaram has offered different views on their meaning, but said it's mostly about the particular relationship with the world one feels when entering adulthood. "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." Malcolm Messiter plays the oboe on the song, which is featured prominently on the song's chorus, as well as being used on instrumental solos throughout the song. A rarity on pop songs, the use of the oboe was favourably remarked by several reviewers, citing that it made the song unique and distinct from other charts hits of the time. In 2001, the song appeared on the soundtrack of the film Bandits.