The members of The Band first worked together as The Hawks, the backing band of rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins from 1959 until 1963. Shortly afterwards, Bob Dylan came to Toronto and recruited the quintet for his history-making 1965/1966 world tour. The Band also worked with Dylan on the initial Blonde on Blonde sessions which, bar two tracks, were ultimately abandoned in favour of versions recorded with Nashville session musicians.
After a motorcycle accident in mid-1966, Dylan retreated from the public eye to his country house near Woodstock, New York. He was joined by the Band for some informal jam sessions starting in the autumn of 1967, nearly all of which were recorded. After being heavily bootleged, Columbia Records finally released The Basement Tapes in 1975, a selection of the better tracks recorded during the sessions along with new recordings by The Band.
Bob Dylan and The Band were reunited in 1974, recording Planet Waves for Asylum Records, Dylan's first album recorded for a record label other than Columbia. Although the album was released under Dylan's name alone, The Band joined Dylan for his first tour in eight years in support of Planet Waves, with some of the material recorded and released on the 1975 concert record Before the Flood.
Columbia Records finally released The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete in November 2014, featuring every surving recording from the original sessions in Woodstock.
Katie's Been Gone
Bob Dylan and The Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She wrote one time'n sent her love
Katie's been gone for such a long time now
I wonder what kind of love she's thinkin' of
Dear Katie,
If you can hear me
I can't wait to have ya near me
Oh, Katie, since ya caught that bus
I'm still here and you're out there
Katie laughed when I said I was lonely
She said, there's no need t'feel that way
Katie said that I was her only one,
But then I wonder why she didn't want to stay
Dear Katie, if I'm the only one,
How much longer will you be gone?
Oh, Katie, won't ya tell me straight:
How much longer do I have to wait?
I'll believe you,
But please come through
I know it's wrong to be apart this long
You should be here, near me
Katie's been gone and now her face is slowly fading from my mind
She's gone to find some newer places
Left the old life far behind
Dear Katie, don't ya miss your home?
I don't see why you had to roam
Dear Katie, since you've been away
I lose a little something every day
I need you here, but you're still out there
Dear Katie, please drop me a line
Just write, love, to tell me you're fine
Oh, Katie, if you can hear me
I just can't wait to have you near me
I can only think
Where are you,
What ya do, may be there's someone new
The lyrics of Bob Dylan & The Band's "Katie's Been Gone" narrate a conversation between a man and his lover, who has been gone for a long time. The man, called my Katie in the song, expresses how much he misses her and how he wonders what kind of love she is thinking about. He mentions that she caught a bus and left; however, he still wants to know how she feels and if she plans to come back. He reminisces about all the times they spent together, but also expresses his concerns that he might live in uncertainty for a long time.
The song conveys a sense of loneliness, missing someone, and the uncertainty of whether the loved one will return. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of how the singer is feeling hopeless due to the uncertainty of their relationship, which is a common feeling when someone loves another deeply, but the latter has moved away, stressing how much the singer needs the loved one in their life, as they lose a little something every day without them. This song is a poignant reminder of how true love can create a strong bond, even when separated by distance.
Line by Line Meaning
Katie's been gone since the spring time
Katie left a long time ago during Spring season.
She wrote one time'n sent her love
Katie wrote a letter once and expressed her love.
Katie's been gone for such a long time now
Katie has been away for a very long time now.
I wonder what kind of love she's thinkin' of
I am curious about what kind of love Katie is thinking of while being away.
Dear Katie,
If you can hear me
I can't wait to have ya near me
Addressing Katie through the letter, the writer expresses their longing to have her close again.
Oh, Katie, since ya caught that bus
Well, I just don't know how things are with us
I'm still here and you're out there
The writer acknowledges that Katie's departure has complicated things between them and she's away while they're staying put.
Katie laughed when I said I was lonely
She said, there's no need t'feel that way
Katie said that I was her only one,
But then I wonder why she didn't want to stay
The writer reminisces about the conversation where Katie laughed at them for feeling lonely and claimed that they were her only one. However, they question her departure despite claiming such love.
Dear Katie, if I'm the only one,
How much longer will you be gone?
Oh, Katie, won't ya tell me straight:
How much longer do I have to wait?
The writer, still addressing Katie, wants to know how much longer she's going to remain away from them, now that she's claimed that the writer is the only one. They want a clear answer.
I'll believe you,
But please come through
I know it's wrong to be apart this long
You should be here, near me
The writer expresses their faith in Katie's claim while also urging her to come back as it's not healthy for them both to be away for so long.
Katie's been gone and now her face is slowly fading from my mind
She's gone to find some newer places
Left the old life far behind
The writer admits that Katie has been gone for so long that they're slowly starting to forget what she looks like. They assume that she's left to explore some new opportunities and left behind her old life.
Dear Katie, don't ya miss your home?
I don't see why you had to roam
Dear Katie, since you've been away
I lose a little something every day
Addressing her again, the writer wonders if she misses home and why she's traveling. They also admit that they're losing something every day that she remains away.
I need you here, but you're still out there
Dear Katie, please drop me a line
Just write, love, to tell me you're fine
Oh, Katie, if you can hear me
I just can't wait to have you near me
The writer implores Katie to get in touch with them, assure them that she's okay through a letter as they anxiously wait for her to return.
I can only think
Where are you,
What ya do, may be there's someone new
The writer has hit a point of anxiety where they're only capable of thinking about where Katie is, what she's doing, and possibly if she's with someone new.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RICHARD MANUEL, JAIME ROBERTSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lauvshahi1439
Katie's been gone since the spring time
She wrote one time'n sent her love
Katie's been gone for such a long time now
I wonder what kind of love she's thinkin' of
Dear Katie
If you can hear me
I can't wait to have ya near me
Dear Katie, since ya caught that bus
Well, I just don't know how things are with us
I'm still here and you're out there somewhere
Katie laughed when I said I was lonely
She said, "There's no need t'feel that way"
Katie said that I was her only one
But then I wonder why she didn't wanna stay
Dear Katie, if I'm the only one
How much longer will you be gone?
Oh, Katie, won't ya tell me straight
How much longer do I have to wait?
I'll believe you
But please come through
I know it's wrong to be apart this long
You should be here, near me
Katie's been gone and now her face is slowly fading from my mind
She's gone to find some newer places
And left the old life far behind
Dear Katie, don't ya miss your home?
I don't see why you had to roam
Dear Katie, since you've been away
I lose a little something every day
I need you here, but you're still out there
Dear Katie, please drop me a line
Just write, Love, to tell me you're fine
Oh, Katie, if you can hear me
I just cant wait to have you near me
I can only think
Where are you
What ya do, maybe there's someone ne
@rosendoruiz7364
Katie se ha ido desde la primavera;
Ella escribió una vez que le envió su amor.
Katie se fue hace mucho tiempo.
Me pregunto en qué clase de amor estará pensando.
Querida Katie,
Si puedes oírme,
No puedo esperar a tenerte cerca de mí.
Oh, Katie, desde que tomaste ese autobús,
Bueno, simplemente no sé cómo están las cosas entre nosotros.
Yo todavía estoy aquí y tú estás ahí afuera.
Katie se rió cuando dije que me sentía solo.
Ella dijo: No hay necesidad de sentirse así.
Katie dijo que yo era él único,
Pero luego se pregunto por qué no quería quedarse.
Querida Katie, si soy el unico
¿Cuánto tiempo más estarás fuera?
Oh, Katie, ¿no me lo dirás directamente?
¿Cuánto más tengo que esperar?
Te creeré,
Pero por favor pasa.
Sé que está mal estar separados tanto tiempo;
Deberías estar aquí, cerca de mí.
Katie se ha ido y ahora su rostro se está desvaneciendo lentamente de mi mente.
Ella ha ido a buscar algunos lugares más nuevos.
Dejó muy atrás la antigua vida.
Querida Katie, ¿no echas de menos tu casa?
No veo por qué tuviste que deambular.
Querida Katie, desde que estás fuera
pierdo algo cada día
Te necesito aquí, pero todavía estás ahí afuera.
Querida Katie, por favor escríbeme.
Sólo escribe, Amor, para decirme que estás bien.
Oh, Katie, si puedes oírme,
No puedo esperar a tenerte cerca de mí.
solo puedo pensar
Dónde estás,
Lo que hagas, puede ser que haya alguien nuevo.
@Nick215NY
This is a sad sad song. A man struggles to believe and accept the brutal reality that his woman has left him. Only Richard Manuel could give this the emotional power that it requires.
@TheStokes8
Always loved the organ chord segue at the end of the bridge, 1:30 so melancholy and resolute in slight contrast to the emotional singing. Beautiful.
@maltesetony9030
Exquisite.
@robertwoodward9231
The Basement Tapes. Totalling 138 full and unfinished compositions. One of the most important times in music history!
@sonyesq
This song gets me every single time!!
@davidcopson5800
Glad to see this is on YouTube.
@thescoobymike
So many different styles omg
@philveness8154
One of Robbie’s finest!
With Manuel’s help
And the Band never sounded better!
@FilmicFocus
This is a co-write...
@kennyglesga
lovely song!