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.
too much of nothing
Bob Dylan and The Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can make a man ill at ease
One man's temper rises
Where another man's temper might freeze
Now it's a day of confession
And we cannot mock a soul
Oh, when there's too much of nothing
No one has control
Say hello to Valerie
Say hello to Vivian
Give her all my salary
On the waters of oblivion
When there's too much of nothing
Can cause a man to weep
He can walk the streets and like most and boast
Of what he'd like to keep
But it's all been done before
It's all been written in the book
And when there's too much of nothing
Nobody should look
Say hello to Valerie
Say hello to Vivian
Give her all my salary
On the waters of oblivion
Now too much of nothing
Can make a man a liar
It can cause some men to sleep on nails
It can cause others to eat fire
Everybody's doin' somethin'
I've heard it in a dream
But when there's too much of nothing
It just makes a fella mean
Say hello to Valerie
Say hello to Vivian
Give her all my salary
On the waters of oblivion
In "Too Much of Nothing," Bob Dylan and The Band use vivid imagery to comment on the emptiness and futility of material possessions and the search for meaning in life. The repetition of the phrase "too much of nothing" throughout the song underscores the idea that having everything and nothing at the same time can lead to a sense of unease and lack of control. The lyrics suggest that some people try to fill this void with love, represented by the two women mentioned in the song, but even that can be fleeting and ultimately unsatisfying.
The use of contrasting images of temper rising versus freezing and sleeping on nails versus eating fire reinforces the idea that there are many ways to react to the emptiness of too much nothingness. The idea that too much of nothing can make a man a liar suggests that the pressure to project a certain image or persona in order to fit in or be accepted can be toxic and can lead to a loss of authenticity. The song ends on a somber note, with the suggestion that too much of nothing just makes people mean, emphasizing the harm that can be caused by a lack of purpose or direction in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Too much of nothing
Having an excess of nothing is an issue in itself
Can make a man ill at ease
It can cause a man to feel uncomfortable
One man's temper rises
Some men become angry
Where another man's temper might freeze
While others become calm
Now it's a day of confession
This is a time of honesty
And we cannot mock a soul
We cannot ridicule someone for being honest
Oh, when there's too much of nothing
When there's an abundance of nothingness
No one has control
There is no one who can maintain control
Say hello to Valerie
Greet Valerie for me
Say hello to Vivian
Also, greet Vivian for me
Give her all my salary
Give away all the money I have earned
On the waters of oblivion
Let it all be forgotten
Can cause a man to weep
Having an excess of nothingness can make a man cry
He can walk the streets and like most and boast
Despite this, he can still walk and be proud of his life
Of what he'd like to keep
He wishes to retain certain things in life
But it's all been done before
However, everything has already been experienced
It's all been written in the book
All of life's experiences are already recorded and shared
And when there's too much of nothing
When there's an abundance of nothingness
Nobody should look
People shouldn't bother trying to find meaning
Can make a man a liar
An excess of nothingness can make a man dishonest
It can cause some men to sleep on nails
Others might suffer by sleeping on uncomfortable surfaces
It can cause others to eat fire
Alternatively, it can cause some to intentionally harm themselves
Everybody's doin' somethin'
Everyone is trying to accomplish something
I've heard it in a dream
This message came to the singer in a dream
But when there's too much of nothing
But in the presence of too much emptiness
It just makes a fella mean
It can cause someone to become ill-mannered
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@idiotsavant751
Now, too much of nothing
Can make a man feel ill at ease
One man’s temper might rise
While another man’s temper might freeze
In the day of confession
We cannot mock a soul
Oh, when there’s too much of nothing
No one has control
Say hello to Valerie
Say hello to Vivian
Send them all my salary
On the waters of oblivion
Too much of nothing
Can make a man abuse a king
He can walk the streets and boast like most
But he wouldn’t know a thing
Now, it’s all been done before
It’s all been written in the book
But when there’s too much of nothing
Nobody should look
Say hello to Valerie
Say hello to Vivian
Send them all my salary
On the waters of oblivion
Too much of nothing
Can turn a man into a liar
It can cause one man to sleep on nails
And another man to eat fire
Ev’rybody’s doin’ somethin’
I heard it in a dream
But when there’s too much of nothing
It just makes a fella mean
Say hello to Valerie
Say hello to Vivian
Send them all my salary
On the waters of oblivion
@youbigtubership
This song has prophetic power for the hard times we're facing. Lots of meanness around too.
@blairdawson9506
Very true statement and times are strange days these times
@KevinBurke-zg5pk
Best Dylan song overall. At least today.
@thetrevorosborne
classic Dylan one of the highlights from the sessions
@natasak1034
The best!
@arsenzhamagortsyan
SIMPLY GENIUS
@AlexAlexon3897
Spooky Tooth's heavy version made me seek out the original. Apart from most of the lyrics, you'd hardly link the two hugely different performances. Fair play to Zim, though - and what a lovely little dog! 💙
@stevenlawlor520
Fotheringay version great too.
@emailxyzxxx
Nice
@JorgeLMarquezsM
Muchos recuerdos asociados a esto!! Mucho Tiempo, aspectos valiosos