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.
One Too Many Mornings
Bob Dylan and The Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the day is a-gettin' dark
As the night comes in a-fallin'
The dogs'll lose their bark
An' the silent night will shatter
From the sounds inside my mind
Yes, I'm one too many mornings
And a thousand miles behind
From the crossroads of my doorstep
My eyes they start to fade
And I turn my head back to the room
Where my love and I have laid
An' I gaze back to the street
The sidewalk and the sign
And I'm one too many mornings
An' a thousand miles behind
It's a restless hungry feeling
That don't mean no one no good
When everything I'm a-sayin'
You can say it just as good
You're right from your side
I'm right from mine
We're both just one too many mornings
An' a thousand miles behind
The song "One Too Many Mornings" by Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash is a melancholy tune that depicts the struggles of a relationship that has fallen apart over time. The lyrics begin with the sounds of barking dogs on the darkening street, setting the scene for a lonely and desolate night. The singer is plagued by the sounds in his mind, indicating the turmoil that he is experiencing internally. He feels that he is behind by a thousand miles and is "one too many mornings" from being able to reconcile with his lover.
As he stands at the crossroads of his doorstep, he gazes back to the room where he and his lover used to lay. He recalls the memories of the past and laments the distance that has grown between them. The street, sidewalk, and sign all seem too far away, and he feels stuck in a world of isolation and disconnection. The line "restless hungry feeling that don't mean no one no good" expresses the pain of a failed relationship and the difficulties of moving on from a past love.
Line by Line Meaning
Down the street the dogs are barkin'
I can hear the sounds of life continuing outside as the day turns into night.
And the day is a-gettin' dark
It's getting late, and the darkness of night is coming.
As the night comes in a-fallin'
The night is approaching and it's getting darker outside.
The dogs'll lose their bark
The barking dogs will eventually stop making noise as the night quiets down.
An' the silent night will shatter
My thoughts and worries will break the silence and disturb the peace of the night.
From the sounds inside my mind
These disturbances in the peace are coming from my own thoughts and feelings.
Yes, I'm one too many mornings
I have outstayed my welcome, and it's time for me to move on.
And a thousand miles behind
I am far behind where I should be in life and need to catch up.
From the crossroads of my doorstep
I am at a point in my life where I need to make some decisions.
My eyes they start to fade
As I become lost in thought, my vision seems to blur.
And I turn my head back to the room
I look back on the past with regret and wish I could go back.
Where my love and I have laid
I miss the love and companionship I once had.
An' I gaze back to the street
I reflect on the world around me and what I have left behind.
The sidewalk and the sign
I focus on the simple things around me that once brought me joy.
And I'm one too many mornings
I have overstayed my welcome, and it's time for me to leave.
An' a thousand miles behind
I am far behind where I should be in life and need to make up lost ground.
It's a restless hungry feeling
I feel anxious and unsettled, like there is a void in my life.
That don't mean no one no good
The emptiness in my life is not beneficial to anyone, including myself.
When everything I'm a-sayin'
The words I use to describe my situation are just empty phrases.
You can say it just as good
Others could describe my situation just as accurately as I could.
You're right from your side
Others have their own perspectives on my situation that may be equally valid.
I'm right from mine
While I believe my perspective on my situation is valid, others may disagree.
We're both just one too many mornings
We are both in a position where it's time to move on to the next chapter in our lives.
An' a thousand miles behind
We are both behind where we should be in life and need to catch up.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
city zen
Down the street the dogs are barkin'
And the day is a-gettin' dark
As the night comes in a-fallin'
The dogs'll lose their bark
An' the silent night will shatter
From the sounds inside my mind
Yes, I'm one too many mornings
And a thousand miles behind
From the crossroads of my doorstep
My eyes, they start to fade
And I turn my head back to the room
Where my love and I have laid
An' I gaze back to the street
The sidewalk and the sign
And I'm one too many mornings
An' a thousand miles behind
It's a restless hungry feeling
That don't mean no one no good
When ev'rything I'm a-sayin'
You can say it just as good
You're right from your side
I'm right from mine
We're both just one too many mornings
An' a thousand miles behind
아메TV
Down the street the dogs are barkin'
And the day is a-gettin' dark.
As the night comes in a-fallin',
The dogs 'll lose their bark.
An' the silent night will shatter
From the sounds inside my mind,
For I'm one too many mornings
And a thousand miles behind.
From the crossroads of my doorstep,
My eyes they start to fade,
As I turn my head back to the room
Where my love and I have laid.
An' I gaze back to the street,
The sidewalk and the sign,
And I'm one too many mornings
An' a thousand miles behind.
It's a restless hungry feeling
That don't mean no one no good,
When ev'rything I'm a-sayin'
You can say it just as good.
You're right from your side,
I'm right from mine.
We're both just too many mornings
An' a thousand miles behind
Juan Camacho
Down the street, the dogs are barkin'
And the day is gettin' dark
As the night comes in a-fallin'
The dogs, they'll lose their bark
An' the silent night will shatter
From the sounds inside my mind
As I'm one too many mornings
And a thousand miles behind
🎵🎶🎵🎶
From the crossroads of my doorstep
My eyes start to fade
And I turn my head back to the room
Where my love and I have laid
An' I gaze back to the street
The sidewalks and the sign
Never know I'm one too many mornings
An' a thousand miles behind
🎵🎶🎵🎶
It's a restless hungry feeling
And it don't mean no one no good
When ev'rything that I'm sayin'
You can say it just as good
You're right from your side
And I'm right from mine
We're both just one too many mornings
An' a thousand miles behind
🎵🎶🎵🎶
I know right, I'll behave
If you've got right to stay
Or tell about the one too many mornings
An' a thousand miles behind
John Tucker
The beauty of Dylan is that he has a hundred gems like this one, that 99% of people have never heard of. You can spend your whole life trying to wrap your head around dylan songs that he had written by age 30.
Robert Cronin
No doubt, my friend.
Joe M.
I was listening to Joan Baez talking about something like that. How alot of people don't "get" Dylan, but those that do...it goes deep.
Bridget Clary
It goes so deep. Started listening to Dylan as a young 13 year old girl. I am now a 63yo woman who has lived a full life and loved many. Thru out my life he has been a constant backdrop to my comings and goings. It never ceases to amaze me when I continue to find new (old) songs of his, hearing them for the first time.
John Forde
Well you probably have heard the melody before. It is the melody from 'The Times are a-changin'.
supernffc
Probably my favourite Dylan song. Very simple tune and one of his best vocals. Just brilliant
amaterasu
It were 160 seconds of pure joy. Thank you Bob Dylan. This song will be great forever. I'm 21 and i love it as much as the 20yo were loving it back in the day.
Geoffrey Marsh
Not one of his most well known songs but a work of genius. Simple observations that pass most of us by turned into something so beautiful and true. I am humbled whenever I listen to his perceptiveness.
Robert Cronin
Me as well.
Rachael Stanley
Yes, my favourite song by Bob. Gives me goosebumps.