Don't Think Twice It's All Right
Bob Dylan & Eric Clapton Lyrics


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It ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
It don't matter, anyhow
An' it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
If you don't know by now
When your rooster crows at the break of dawn
Look out your window and I'll be gone
You're the reason I'm trav'lin' on
Don't think twice, it's all right

It ain't no use in turnin' on your light, babe
That 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
Still 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
So don't think twice, it's all right

It ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
Like you never did before
It ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
I can't hear you any more
I'm a-thinkin' and a-wond'rin' all the way down the road
I once loved a woman, a child I'm told
I give her my heart but she wanted my soul
But don't think twice, it's all right

I'm walkin' down that long, lonesome road, babe
Where I'm bound, I can't tell
But goodbye's too good a word, gal
So I'll 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

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Bob Dylan & Eric Clapton's song "Don't Think Twice It's All Right" are a mix of love and heartbreak. The song reflects on the end of a relationship, where the singer has made up his mind to move on, and the lyrics depict his conviction.


The song's opening line, "It ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe, It don't matter, anyhow," indicates that the singer does not want to ponder over what went wrong in the relationship. He has arrived at the realization that the relationship is over, and there is no point in analyzing it further. The lyrics, "When your rooster crows at the break of dawn, look out your window, and I'll be gone. You're the reason I'm travelin' on. Don't think twice; it's all right," suggest that the singer has decided to move on with his life and leave the relationship behind.


The second verse, "It ain't no use in turnin' on your light, babe, that 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," reflects the singer's feeling of being on the "dark side" of the road. He is in a lonely place and has no desire to turn back. The verse "Still, I wish there was somethin' you would do or say, to try and make me change my mind and stay" suggests that the singer had hoped for some effort on his partner's part to salvage the relationship, but the damage was already done.


Throughout the song, the lyrics express the singer's disillusionment with the relationship, and his firm decision to move forward in his life. These lyrics are well-crafted and express a multitude of emotions, making this song a masterpiece.


Line by Line Meaning

It ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
There's no benefit in trying to understand why things didn't work out, my dear


It don't matter, anyhow
It doesn't matter, regardless


An' it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
And it's not worth dwelling on the past, my love


If you don't know by now
Because if you don't know why, even till now


When your rooster crows at the break of dawn
As soon as the sun starts to rise


Look out your window and I'll be gone
If you look out the window, you'll see I've already left


You're the reason I'm trav'lin' on
You're the reason why I have to leave and continue my journey


Don't think twice, it's all right
So don't dwell on it, everything will be fine


It ain't no use in turnin' on your light, babe
There's no point in turning on the light, my love


That light I never knowed
The light that you turned on, I never knew it existed


An' it ain't no use in turnin' on your light, babe
And there's no point in doing it now either, my dear


I'm on the dark side of the road
I'm on the road that's not well lit


Still I wish there was somethin' you would do or say
Even though I know it's pointless, I still wish you would say or do something


To try and make me change my mind and stay
So that you might try to persuade me to stay with you


We never did too much talkin' anyway
We never really had much of a conversation


So don't think twice, it's all right
So let's not overthink things, everything will be okay


It ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
There's no point in calling my name, girl


Like you never did before
Just like you've never called it before


I can't hear you any more
I can't hear you anymore


I'm a-thinkin' and a-wond'rin' all the way down the road
I'm thinking and wondering as I make my way down the road


I once loved a woman, a child I'm told
Once, I loved a woman, as I'm being told


I give her my heart but she wanted my soul
I gave her my love, but she demanded more than I could offer


But don't think twice, it's all right
But let's not overthink things, everything is going to be alright


I'm walkin' down that long, lonesome road, babe
I'm moving along that never-ending, lonely path, my love


Where I'm bound, I can't tell
Where I'm heading, I don't know


But goodbye's too good a word, gal
Saying goodbye is too kind, girl


So I'll just say fare thee well
So instead, I'll just say farewell


I ain't sayin' you treated me unkind
I'm not saying that you've been unkind to me


You could have done better but I don't mind
You might have done better, but I don't hold any grudges


You just kinda wasted my precious time
You've just squandered my valuable time


But don't think twice, it's all right
But let's not overthink things, everything will be okay




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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Vestatucky Eagle

This is simply an outstanding performance. I understand that some Dylan fans might not care for it, but if one can avoid comparing it with the original (quite possibly one of Dylan's best ever) it really stands out. It is obvious that the crowd, the band, and Dylan himself enjoyed it.

Mindy Christopoulos

I am so glad they have a video of this song and these two priceless performers together. You can see how happy Eric Clapton is performing with Bob Dylan, 🎼

Russell Coppack

What I love about this is the respect Eric shows for Bob's song. He does'nt overwhelm the version with guitar pyrotechnics as he may have been able to do, but is happy just providing a bit of a riff at roughly the same standard as Bob whilst allowing Dylan to lead the song. Very classy.

Super241946

Are you serious.....get your brain see to.

Steve Firth

As one of the greatest, if not the greatest, guitar player, of all time. Eric Clapton is perfectly happy to back up others, as long as their work is worthy. That's what makes Clapton legendary.

Kathie Ropele

⁠@Steve FirthClapton is the best. Love him. Saw him for the first time in 1966 at the Twisted Wheel club in Manchester England, with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, and also the same place when in the Yardbirds. Early days in his career. He is amazing and still GORGEOUS

UYD6J

I’ve always loved the way Clapton always acts deferentially to his guests and then he lays on that melody that clearly marks his presence. And of Bob Dylan - what can I say of the maestro? - that almost ‘I don’t care what you think voice’ that just sucks you in with the power of his lyrics. It’s a real treat to see these two musical geniuses in performance. Thanks for sharing.

chris booth

Blown away by this. What a great version and Bob has to finally give in and show how much he's enjoying it. For Eric it's there on his face from the start

S B

Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton playing their own solos at the same time! Priceless

Super241946

Educate your ears the playing is crap and you know it, if you don't please leave the planet!

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