if not for you
Bob Dylan(巴布狄倫) Lyrics


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If not for you
Babe, I couldn't find the door
Couldn't even see the floor
I'd be sad and blue
If not for you

If not for you
Babe, I'd lay awake all night
Wait for the mornin' light
To shine in through
But it would not be new
If not for you

If not for you
My sky would fall
Rain would gather too
Without your love I'd be nowhere at all
I'd be lost if not for you
And you know it's true

If not for you
My sky would fall
Rain would gather too
Without your love I'd be nowhere at all
Oh! What would I do
If not for you

If not for you
Winter would have no spring
Couldn't hear the robin sing
I just wouldn't have a clue




Anyway it wouldn't ring true
If not for you

Overall Meaning

The song "If Not for You" is a love song that expresses the importance of the relationship between the singer and the person they love. The lyrics point to the fact that the singer would be lost and sad without their lover in their life. The first two stanzas of the song describe the difficulty the singer would experience if their lover was not in their life. They paint a picture of a person that would be unable to function without the presence of the one they love. The chorus of the song repeats the motif that the singer would be lost, sad, and without any direction if the person they love was to leave them.


The third stanza of the song is an actualization of the importance of the lover in the singer's life. The singer recognizes that without the presence of their lover, their life would be torn apart. The singer acknowledges that their lover brings meaning, direction, and joy to their life. The final stanza of the song is a poetic expression of the wonder that the singer feels when they are with their lover. The singer's world would be dull and uninteresting without their lover, and they would be unable to recognize the beauty and wonder of the world around them without their lover.


Line by Line Meaning

If not for you
Without you


Babe, I couldn't find the door
I would lose my way


Couldn't even see the floor
I would face difficulty in every step


I'd be sad and blue
I would be unhappy and depressed


Babe, I'd lay awake all night
I would suffer from insomnia


Wait for the mornin' light
I would eagerly await the dawn


To shine in through
To bring light into my life


But it would not be new
It wouldn't be exciting or fresh


My sky would fall
Everything would come crashing down


Rain would gather too
I would feel overwhelmed


Without your love I'd be nowhere at all
I would be lost without your love


Oh! What would I do
I wouldn't know what to do


Winter would have no spring
My life would be bleak and unchanging


Couldn't hear the robin sing
I wouldn't appreciate the beauty of nature


I just wouldn't have a clue
I would be clueless and lost


Anyway it wouldn't ring true
Things wouldn't feel genuine or honest




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, AUDIAM, INC
Written by: Bob Dylan

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Fevertorium

This entire album has always been one of my favorites by Dylan. It sounds so intimate. Still digging it at 67!

Mike Galvin

There are no bad Dylan albums and of course the early ones (Freewheeling, Blonde on Blonde etc) are immortal but as someone who also grew up with his work this is one I like to come back to very often.

Ickys Trash Can .... anothers mans treasure

​It's a good one
..guess all of Dylans stuff is
...the greatest songwriter ...period

Diane Mahan

Bob Dylan is always the best; he saved my inner child. God bless you Bobbie Dylan!

Greg Boardman Band

If not for you...

Javier Bermúdez Méndez

Happy 81th birthday Bob Dylan!!!
The best lyricist that ever existed!

Michael Goins

Bob said the best is Smokey Robinson. Hard to disagree with Mr. Zimmerman.

Javier Bermúdez Méndez

Easy to disagree if you have enough personality and an opinion of your own.

Michael Goins

@Javier Bermúdez Méndez Bob Dylan was born with the name of Robert Zimmerman. They are the same person. I was making a joke, my apologies.
I love Bob Dylan; he tore away the pretenses of society and exposed the falsehoods of those in power. He also wrote beautiful love songs, wistful and elegant in their simplicity. God writes through Bob Dylan and Bob reciprocates by having a strong faith in God. Bob has spoken for those without a voice, a noble endeavor that has garnered him respect and an undying loyalty, such as your own.

Javier Bermúdez Méndez

@Michael Goins obviously I know that the real name of Bob Dylan is Robert Allen Zimmerman..... Don't worry, it doesn't matter.
Have a nice day

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