Don't Think Twice It's All Right
#BobDylan Lyrics
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Ifin' you don't know by now
An' it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
It'll never do some how
When your rooster crows at the break a dawn
Look out your window and I'll be gone
You're the reason I'm trav'lin' on
But don't think twice, it's all right
And it ain't no use in a-turnin' on your light, babe
The light I never knowed
An' it ain't no use in turnin' on your light, babe
I'm on the dark side of the road
But I wish there was somethin' you would do or say
To try and make me change my mind and stay
We never did too much talkin' anyway
But don't think twice, it's all right
No it ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
Like you never done before
And it ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
I can't hear ya any more
I'm a-thinkin' and a-wond'rin' wallkin' way down the road
I once loved a woman, a child I am told
I give her my heart but she wanted my soul
But don't think twice, it's all right
So long honey babe
Where I'm bound, I can't tell
Goodbye is too good a word, babe
So I just say fare thee well
I ain't sayin' you treated me unkind
You could have done better but I don't mind
You just kinda wasted my precious time
But don't think twice, it's all right
In "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right," Bob Dylan sings about a relationship that has come to an end. He communicates his acceptance of this reality to his former partner, urging her to not try to change the situation or make him stay. The song is characterized by Dylan's signature biting wit and clever turn of phrase.
The first verse sets the tone by telling the listener that it is pointless to wonder about what has happened between the couple. Dylan is telling his former partner that it is time to move on and not waste time dwelling on what has occurred in the past. In the second verse, Dylan mentions the light of his former lover, which he says he never knew. This can be interpreted in different ways, but perhaps he is suggesting that the relationship between the two was never very illuminating. Dylan then mentions their lack of communication, which could be a contributing factor in their break-up. The third verse could be seen as a rejection of his former partner's attempt to reconcile with him. Dylan is telling her that he has moved on and is no longer bound to her. He ends the song with a slight dig at his past lover, saying that he doesn't mind that she didn't treat him better but that she did waste his time.
Overall, "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" is a song about accepting the end of a relationship, moving on, and not getting caught up in the past. Dylan communicates these themes with his wit and biting language.
Line by Line Meaning
Well it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
It's pointless to keep pondering why things went wrong if you still haven't figured it out by now
Ifin' you don't know by now
If you don't know the reason why we are having problems, you never will
An' it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
Continuing to wonder about the past won't change anything anyway
It'll never do some how
It's unlikely to make any difference or help anything if you keep dwelling on the past
When your rooster crows at the break a dawn
When you wake up in the morning
Look out your window and I'll be gone
I won't be there anymore
You're the reason I'm trav'lin' on
I'm leaving because of you
But don't think twice, it's all right
But don't worry about it, everything will be okay
And it ain't no use in a-turnin' on your light, babe
You don't need to turn on the light for me
The light I never knowed
I never knew that kind of light
An' it ain't no use in turnin' on your light, babe
I don't need any more light, I'm already gone
I'm on the dark side of the road
I'm in a bad place right now
But I wish there was somethin' you would do or say
I wish you could convince me to stay or at least try
To try and make me change my mind and stay
I want to have a reason to stay but I don't right now
We never did too much talkin' anyway
We never talked very much so this shouldn't be a surprise
But don't think twice, it's all right
But don't worry about it, everything will be okay
No it ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
Don't bother calling my name because I won't be able to hear it
Like you never done before
Like you're not familiar with the situation
I can't hear ya any more
I won't be able to hear you call my name because I'm gone
I'm a-thinkin' and a-wond'rin' wallkin' way down the road
I'm thinking and wondering as I walk away
I once loved a woman, a child I am told
I loved someone in the past who was younger than me
I give her my heart but she wanted my soul
I gave everything I had to that person, but they wanted more
But don't think twice, it's all right
But don't worry about it, everything will be okay
So long honey babe
Goodbye, my love
Where I'm bound, I can't tell
I don't know where I'm going
Goodbye is too good a word, babe
Saying goodbye is too formal and final
So I just say fare thee well
So, I'll just say farewell
I ain't sayin' you treated me unkind
I'm not accusing you of being cruel or mean
You could have done better but I don't mind
Perhaps you could have tried harder, but I'm not really angry
You just kinda wasted my precious time
You took up a lot of my time that I won't be able to get back
But don't think twice, it's all right
But don't worry about it, everything will be okay
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, AUDIAM, INC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@drothberg3
Going through a breakup at 64 years old, and this song, written by a 21-year-old, 60 years ago, is at the top of my list.
@jumbles1957
Same here… but I’m 66. The song pretty much sums it all up for me. I’m traveling down that road, where I’m going I don’t know… but I certainly can’t go back
@didierdousset2666
Messieurs, si la mélodie de ce morceau est effectivement de très bonne facture, le texte en revanche ne brille certainement pas par sa poésie, et est plutôt d'un faible niveau littéraire.
Gentlemen, if the melody of this piece is indeed very good, the text on the other hand certainly does not shine with its poetry, and is rather of a low literary level.
@beanboi3178
It be like That
@sybell100
Please take care of yourself. I send you my love from Kerala, India. There are people in this world who want to be with you right now.
I wish I could send you some warm hugs and gifts @drothberg3
I wish I could make you a hot beverage.
I am a 26 year old man, I just had my break up with a wonderful woman. I feel you my old pal.
@ivanangeli
it should be easy at 64, to break with someone - just know that all important things you already have done, carier, kids, maybe grandkids, house, education - now it is all just fun and support. Don;t think about it, focus on your family
@jel011
As a kid, I used to think the "you just kinda wasted my precious time" line was kind of a throwaway line. As and adult, I understand it might be the soul of the whole song.
@5trezip23
Nice point
@wills9709
Very interesting point. I never thought about it that way until yuh ou
@wills9709
you pointed that out. But I sort of felt that way too.