Down the highway
Bob Dylan/To Cry/ll Night) Lyrics

Well, I'm walkin' down the highway
The singer is starting a journey on the road.

With my suitcase in my hand
He is carrying his suitcase with him.

Yes, I'm walkin' down the highway
The singer is emphasizing he is traveling on foot.

Lord, I really miss my baby
He's deeply and painfully missing someone he loves.

She's in some far-off land
The person he misses is in a distant place.

Well, your streets are gettin' empty
He has noticed that the town or city he is walking through is not as populated as it used to be.

Lord, your highway's gettin' filled
On the other hand, he is witnessing an increase in traffic on the road.

And your streets are gettin' empty
The singer repeats that he is walking through an abandoned town.

And your highway's gettin' filled
Here he mentions again the busy road that's gradually becoming crowded.

Well, the way I love that woman
He emphasizes that he is in love with someone whom he misses.

I swear it's bound to get me killed
His love for the woman can be dangerous and even life-threatening.

Well, I been gamblin' so long
The singer has been taking risks for a long time.

Lord, I ain't got much more to lose
He's at a point in his life where he has very little left to lose.

Yes, I been gamblin' so long
He is restating his habit of taking chances.

Lord, I ain't got much more to lose
His situation gets increasingly precarious due to his predicament.

Right now I'm havin' trouble
He is currently in a difficult situation.

Please don't take away my highway shoes
He is asking for help, hoping his way of transportation won't get taken away from him.

Well, I'm bound to get lucky, baby
He's optimistic that he will eventually succeed.

Or I'm bound to die tryin'
The singer is determined to take risks until he finds success--and potentially die trying.

Yes, I'm a-bound to get lucky, baby
The singer restates his confidence that his luck will turn around.

Lord, Lord I'm a-bound to die tryin'
His intentions will likely cause him to die trying to achieve his goals.

Well, meet me in the middle of the ocean
The singer invites someone to take a journey with him, to meet him in the ocean.

And we'll leave this ol' highway behind
Together, they will abandon their current path and go on a new adventure.

Yes, the ocean took my baby
The singer lost someone he deeply loved to life's circumstances.

My baby took my heart from me
The lost loved one was the most important thing in his life.

She packed it all up in a suitcase
She left; what he cherished all fits in a single suitcase.

Lord, she took it away to Italy, Italy
She went to a foreign country, possibly for a new life or new opportunities.

So, I'm a-walkin' down your highway
The singer is still on his journey down the long road.

Just as far as my poor eyes can see
He goes as far as he is able, with no destination in sight.

From the Golden Gate Bridge
He references a famous American landmark on the west coast.

All the way to the Statue of Liberty
His path will take him all the way to a famous landmark in New York City, symbolizing the entirety of the United States.