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.
You Ain't Goin' Nowhere
Bob Dylan and The Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rain won't lift
Gate won't close
Railings froze
Get your mind off wintertime
You ain't goin' nowhere
Whoowee, ride me high
Tomorrow's the day
Oh, oh, are we gonna fly
Down in the easy chair
I don't care how many letters they sent
Morning came and morning went
Pick up your money
And pack up your tent
You ain't goin' nowhere
Whoowee, ride me high
Tomorrow's the day
My bride's gonna come
Oh, oh, are we gonna fly
Down in the easy chair
Buy me a flute
And a gun that shoots
Tailgates and substitutes
Strap yourself to the tree with roots
You ain't goin' nowhere
Whoowee, ride me high
Tomorrow's the day
My bride's gonna come
Oh, oh, are we gonna fly
Down in the easy chair
Genghis Khan
He could not keep
All his kings
Supplied with sleep
We'll climb that hill, no matter how steep
When we come up to it
Whoowee, ride me high
Tomorrow's the day
My bride's gonna come
Oh, oh, are we gonna fly
Down in the easy chair
The opening of the song "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" paints a picture of a cold and unforgiving winter landscape, with rain and frozen railings. However, the singer is encouraging the listener to get their mind off it - they ain't goin' nowhere. The song expresses a carefree attitude towards life with a sense of celebration that tomorrow will be a better day. The lyrics mention the singer's bride coming, and the excitement of flying down in the easy chair. The song is ultimately about living life in the moment, without worry about the future.
One interesting fact about the song is that it was first recorded during sessions for Bob Dylan's album, "The Basement Tapes," which he recorded with The Band in their home in upstate New York in 1967. The song was not included on the album, but the sessions produced numerous other songs that would be included on future Dylan albums, such as "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" and "Tears of Rage."
Another interesting fact is that the song has been covered by many artists over the years, including The Byrds, Glen Campbell, and Neil Diamond. The Byrds' version became a hit single in 1968, and it was the first version of the song to become widely known.
Additionally, the song's lyrics contain references to Genghis Khan, who was the founder and first emperor of the Mongol Empire. It's not entirely clear what the reference means in the context of the song, but it could be interpreted as a metaphor for the challenges that people face in life, and the need to keep climbing higher no matter the difficulty.
Here are the chords for the song:
(Instrumental intro)
G A D
Verse 1:
G A D G A D
Clouds so swift, rain won't lift, gate won't close,
G A D G A D
Railings froze, get your mind off wintertime,
G A D G A D
You ain't goin' nowhere.
Chorus:
G A D
Whoo-ee, ride me high,
G A D
Tomorrow's the day my bride's gonna come,
G A D
Oh, oh, are we gonna fly
G A D
Down into the easy chair.
Verse 2:
G A D G A D
I don't care how many letters they sent, morning came,
G A D G A D
And morning went, pick up your money and pack up your tent,
G A D G A D
You ain't goin' nowhere.
(Chorus)
Verse 3:
G A D G A D
Buy me a flute and a gun that shoots, tailgates and substitutes,
G A D G A D
Strap yourself to a tree with roots, you ain't goin' nowhere.
(Chorus)
Verse 4:
G A D
Genghis Khan, he could not keep
G A D
All his kings supplied with sleep.
G A D
We'll climb that hill, no matter how steep
G A D
When we come up to it.
(Chorus)
Line by Line Meaning
Clouds so swift
The clouds are moving quickly.
Rain won't lift
It is raining and the rain is not letting up.
Gate won't close
The gate is not fully closing.
Railings froze
The railings are frozen and possibly slippery.
Get your mind off wintertime
Don't focus on winter and its hardships.
You ain't goin' nowhere
You aren't making any progress or going anywhere at this moment in time.
Whoowee, ride me high
Expressing excitement and eagerness to go somewhere.
Tomorrow's the day
Tomorrow is the day something will happen, a moment to anticipate.
My bride's gonna come
My partner is coming to join me.
Oh, oh, are we gonna fly
Expressing eagerness to move and excitement at the prospect.
Down in the easy chair
Relaxing and taking it easy.
I don't care how many letters they sent
The letters he received are of no importance at this moment, they have no bearing on his excitement.
Morning came and morning went
Time is moving on quickly and it's important to seize the moment.
Pick up your money
Gather your resources.
And pack up your tent
Be ready to move on at any moment.
Buy me a flute
Expressing a desire for a musical instrument.
And a gun that shoots
Expressing a desire for a firearm.
Tailgates and substitutes
Important parts that can be replaced or substituted, but that wouldn't be ideal.
Strap yourself to the tree with roots
Get firmly rooted and be prepared for anything.
Genghis Khan
A historical reference to a powerful figure.
He could not keep
Even someone as powerful as Genghis Khan couldn't fully control everything.
All his kings
Even his royalty had their own issues and concerns.
Supplied with sleep
Struggling with rest and being drained.
We'll climb that hill, no matter how steep
We'll work hard to overcome the challenges we face, no matter what they are.
When we come up to it
When we are faced with this particular challenge.
Lyrics © DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@James-rq4rq
Bob Dylan
Clouds so swift, the rain falling in
Gonna see a movie called Gunga Din
Pack up your money, pull up your tent, McGuinn
You ain't goin' nowhere
Ooh-wee, ride me high
Tomorrow's the day that my bride's a-gonna come
Ooh-wee, are we gonna fly
Down into the easy chair
Genghis Khan and his brother Don
Couldn't keep on keeping on
We'll climb that bridge after it's gone
After we're way past it
Ooh-wee, ride me high
Tomorrow's the day that my bride's a-gonna come
Ooh-wee, are we gonna fly
Down into the easy chair
Buy me some rings and a gun that sings
A flute that toots and a bee that stings
The sky that cries and a bird that flies
A fish that walks and a dog that talks
Ooh-wee, ride me high
Tomorrow's the day that my bride's a-gonna come
Ooh-wee, are we gonna fly
Down into the easy chair
Ooh-wee, ride me high
Tomorrow's the day that my bride's a-gonna come
Ooh-wee, are we gonna fly
Down into the easy chair
@Anthony-hu3rj
Love this version for 2 reasons. 1) Harmonica reminds me of John Wesley Harding from 1967 as well. 2) The lyrics (which I've typed up below) are more fun than that "official" version, seem to be influenced by "Tattle O'Day" (aka "Little Brown Dog").
Clouds so swift
The rain fallin in
Gonna see a movie called Gunga Din
Pack up your money put up your tent in the wind
You ain’t a goin nowhere
Ooh Wee ride me high
Tomorrow's the day that my bride's a gonna come
Ooh wee, we gonna fly down in the easy chair
Genghis Khan and his brother Don
Couldn’t keep on keepin on
We’ll climb that ridge after it’s gone
After we’re way past it
Ooh Wee ride me high
Tomorrow's the day that my bride's a gonna come
Ooh wee, we gonna fly down in the easy chair
Buy me some rings and a gun that sings
A flute that toots and a bee that stings
A sky that cries and a bird that flies
A fish that walks and a dog that talks
Ooh Wee ride me high
Tomorrow's the day that my bride's a gonna come
Ooh wee, we gonna fly down in the easy chair
Ooh Wee ride me high
Tomorrow's the day that my bride's a gonna come
Ooh wee, we gonna fly down in the easy chair
@Justlookingmostly
My father listened to Bob Dylan all my young life. My brother hates it now, but I love it. Feels like home to me. Miss you dear old Dad ❣️
@EdgarStyles1234
Rest in peace dad.
@archiet2205
The sheer joy and comfort this man has given me over the years is immeasurable. I thank dylan with all my heart for his brilliant pieces of art…
@DH-xm3hc
I totally agree 😊 I'm so glad I got to see him, with the Band in '74. The best ✌️❤️🌼
@carlkuss
joy and comfort. Exactly!!
@brianmiller9926
This song and I Shall Be Released were my go to songs on my player when I was having a bad day in prison.
@marcosmontalvo9589
Years ago my twin brother and I were listening to Bob Dylan while working on his 66 Chevy Impala. While doing so I happened to look up and noticed my father looking out the door of our home.
Shortly after my brother took his own life. I've never been the same.
Anyway years later I was listening to Dylan when my father sprung a conversation about that day years earlier. He told me he has never forgotten that day. It was the first time he'd heard of Bob Dylan. It was also that day he'd fallen in love with his music. My father has long been gone. What an incredible inspiration to have had such a cool father. I deeply miss them both.
@SpindlyScoudrel
Isn't it amazing that after 20+ years of listening to Dylan, reading books and magazines and seeing him live I can still find a song I've inexplicably never heard before and it's the best thing ever!?
@johnconway6976
Especially this one. Not exactly obscure. But good for you
@SidecarB
@@johnconway6976 😂