Farewell
Bob Dylan Lyrics


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Oh, all the money that in my whole life I did spend
Be it mine right or wrongfully
I let it slip gladly to friends
To tie up the time most forcefully
But the bottles are done
We've killed each one
And the table's full and overflowed
And the corner sign
Says it's closing time
So I'll bid farewell and be down the road

Oh, ev'ry girl that ever I've touched
I did not do it harmfully
And ev'ry girl that ever I've hurt
I did not do it knowin'ly
But to remain as friends
You need the time to make amends
And stay behind
And since my feet are now fast
And point away from the past
I'll bid farewell and be down the line

Oh, ev'ry foe that ever I faced
The cause was there before we came
And ev'ry cause that ever I fought
I fought it full without regret or shame
But the dark does die
As the curtain is drawn and somebody's eyes
Must meet the dawn
And if I see the day
I'd only have to stay
So I'll bid farewell in the night and be gone

Oh, ev'ry thought that's strung a knot in my mind
I might go insane if it couldn't be sprung
But it's not to stand naked under unknowin' eyes
It's for myself and my friends my stories are sung
But the time ain't tall
Yet on time you depend and no word is possessed
By no special friend
And though the line is cut
It ain't quite the end
I'll just bid farewell till we meet again

Oh, a false clock tries to tick out my time
To disgrace, distract, and bother me
And the dirt of gossip blows into my face
And the dust of rumors covers me
But if the arrow is straight
And the point is slick
It can pierce through dust no matter how thick
So I'll make my stand




And remain as I am
And bid farewell and not give a damn

Overall Meaning

The song "Farewell" by Bob Dylan from "The Bootleg Series, Vols. 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961-1991" was likely written in 1964 and subsequently recorded a few times throughout the 60s, but never officially released until 1991. The song has a clear structure of the singer bidding farewell to different aspects of their life and the world. Each verse covers a different topic. The singer starts with their money, saying that they spent it mostly on friends, even if it wasn't necessarily earned rightfully. They then move on to all the girls they have touched, explaining that they didn't mean to harm or hurt anyone and need time to make amends, but are now moving on. The next verse covers their foes, explaining that every fight they fought was done so wholeheartedly and with no regrets or shame. However, they know that the darkness dies and they have to say goodbye. The fourth verse covers the singer's thoughts, how they need to untangle them to remain sane, but the stories are ultimately for themselves and their friends. The final verse is perhaps the most defiant, calling out false clocks, gossip and rumors, and saying that they'll stand their ground and bid farewell without giving a damn.


As with many Bob Dylan songs, "Farewell" is lyrically dense and filled with meaning to decipher. It seems to be a reflection on the singer's past and a declaration that they are moving on from it all, but not without acknowledging and bidding farewell to each aspect. The idea of bidding farewell is about closure, saying goodbye to what has been and leaving space for new things, but it's also about taking control of the narrative and the direction of one's life.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh, all the money that in my whole life I did spend
Reflecting on all the money he spent throughout his lifetime


Be it mine right or wrongfully
Regardless of whether he obtained the money rightfully or wrongfully


I let it slip gladly to friends
He willingly gave away his money to his friends


To tie up the time most forcefully
In order to make the most of his time, he spent his money on things to keep himself occupied


But the bottles are done
Drinking is over


We've killed each one
They've finished all the bottles


And the table's full and overflowed
The table is covered in empty bottles and glasses


And the corner sign
The bar's sign in the corner


Says it's closing time
The bar is closing


So I'll bid farewell and be down the road
He's saying goodbye and leaving


Oh, ev'ry girl that ever I've touched
Reflecting on every girl he's been intimate with


I did not do it harmfully
He never intended to harm any of the girls he was with


And ev'ry girl that ever I've hurt
Every girl he's hurt emotionally or otherwise


I did not do it knowin'ly
He didn't hurt anyone on purpose


But to remain as friends
To stay friends despite any issues they had


You need the time to make amends
Sometimes you need time to mend relationships


And stay behind
To remain in one's past


And since my feet are now fast
Because he's moving on quickly


And point away from the past
He's moving on and leaving things behind him


I'll bid farewell and be down the line
He's saying goodbye and leaving


Oh, ev'ry foe that ever I faced
Every person that has ever been his enemy


The cause was there before we came
The issue existed before they became foes


And ev'ry cause that ever I fought
Every issue he fought against


I fought it full without regret or shame
He fought for what he believed in and is proud of it


But the dark does die
The dark times eventually come to an end


As the curtain is drawn and somebody's eyes
As the night comes to an end and the morning begins


Must meet the dawn
The morning will come whether he likes it or not


And if I see the day
If he's still alive to see another day


I'd only have to stay
He'd have to stay and face whatever comes his way


So I'll bid farewell in the night and be gone
He's leaving in the night and saying goodbye


Oh, ev'ry thought that's strung a knot in my mind
Every thought that's troubled him


I might go insane if it couldn't be sprung
If he can't get rid of his troubled thoughts, he might go insane


But it's not to stand naked under unknowin' eyes
He won't put himself in a vulnerable position in front of strangers


It's for myself and my friends my stories are sung
He tells his stories to himself and his close friends


But the time ain't tall
Time is running out


Yet on time you depend and no word is possessed
Time is important and can't be saved, and no one can take their words back


By no special friend
Even a close friend can't save time or take back words


And though the line is cut
The relationship is over


It ain't quite the end
It may seem like the end, but there's still hope


I'll just bid farewell till we meet again
He's saying goodbye, but leaving the possibility open to meet again in the future


Oh, a false clock tries to tick out my time
A fake sense of urgency is stressing him out


To disgrace, distract, and bother me
The urgency is meant to shame, distract, and irritate him


And the dirt of gossip blows into my face
People are spreading rumors about him and it's getting back to him


And the dust of rumors covers me
The rumors are sticking to him like dust


But if the arrow is straight
If he stays true to himself


And the point is slick
And he's careful with his words and actions


It can pierce through dust no matter how thick
He can rise above the rumors and not let them affect him


So I'll make my stand
He's taking a stand for himself


And remain as I am
He's staying true to himself


And bid farewell and not give a damn
He's not letting the rumors get to him and he's leaving without a care in the world




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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@Skanda1111

Oh it’s fare thee well my darlin’ true
I’m leavin’ in the first hour of the morn
I’m bound off for the bay of Mexico
Or maybe the coast of Californ
So it’s fare thee well my own true love
We’ll meet another day, another time
It ain’t the leavin’
That’s a-grievin’ me
But my true love who’s bound to stay behind

Oh the weather is against me and the wind blows hard
And the rain she’s a-turnin’ into hail
I still might strike it lucky on a highway goin’ west
Though I’m travelin’ on a path beaten trail
So it’s fare thee well my own true love
We’ll meet another day, another time
It ain’t the leavin’
That’s a-grievin’ me
But my true love who’s bound to stay behind

I will write you a letter from time to time
As I’m ramblin’ you can travel with me too
With my head, my heart and my hands, my love
I will send what I learn back home to you
So it’s fare thee well my own true love
We’ll meet another day, another time
It ain’t the leavin’
That’s a-grievin’ me
But my true love who’s bound to stay behind

I will tell you of the laughter and of troubles
Be them somebody else’s or my own
With my hands in my pockets and my coat collar high
I will travel unnoticed and unknown
So it’s fare thee well my own true love
We’ll meet another day, another time
It ain’t the leavin’
That’s a-grievin’ me
But my true love who’s bound to stay behind

I’ve heard tell of a town where I might as well be bound
It’s down around the old Mexican plains
They say that the people are all friendly there
And all they ask of you is your name
So it’s fare thee well my own true love
We’ll meet another day, another time
It ain’t the leavin’
That’s a-grievin’ me
But my true love who’s bound to stay behind



All comments from YouTube:

@Goatchild90

Fun fact: This is the version they played at the end of Inside Llewyn Davis (One of my favourite movies of all time)

@pufferfishins

love that movie. How they put this song to the end of the movie is outstanding

@francomunozcretier8403

Im with you brother, beautiful music and movie as well

@boorobertson1985

Mine too!

@jeffbrehove2614

Marcus Mumford's cover is just as good. I never get tired of it.

@shiyanggao9567

Count me in!

@codyjarrett8274

Greatest artist of the 20th century.

@JayHarveyRockNRoll

How do you make music like that at 21 years of age? Astounding...

@BDB78

Dylan’s in full-blown Woodie mode here. Right down to the slight accent. What a bottomless well-spring of creativity he’s been. Especially at this age. Like Rimbaud, language just poured out of him at such a young age. Love ya, Bob.

@stevenn33

The last song from Bob I discovered that made me cry

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