Born to a working-class family, Ferry studied fine art and taught at a secondary school before pursuing a career in music. In 1970 he began to assemble the rock band Roxy Music with a group of friends and acquaintances in London, and took the role of lead singer and main songwriter. The band achieved immediate international success with the release of their eponymous debut album in 1972, containing a rich multitude of sounds, which reflected Ferry's interest in exploring different genres of music. Their second album, For Your Pleasure (1973), further cultivated the band's unique sound and visual image that would establish Ferry as a leading cultural icon over the next decade.
Ferry began a parallel solo career in 1973 by releasing These Foolish Things, which popularized for the first time the concept of a contemporary musician releasing an album covering standard songs and was a drastic departure from his ongoing work with Roxy Music. His second album, Another Time, Another Place (1974), featured as its cover image Ferry posing by a pool in a white dinner jacket and represented one of his most impactful fashion statements. Over the next two years, Roxy Music released a trilogy of albums, Stranded (1973), Country Life (1974) and Siren (1975), which broadened the band's appeal internationally and saw Ferry take greater interest in the role of a live performer, reinventing himself in stage costumes ranging from gaucho to military uniforms.
Ferry disbanded Roxy Music following the release of their best-selling album Avalon in 1982 to concentrate on his solo career, releasing further singles such as "Slave to Love" and "Don't Stop the Dance" and the UK no. 1 album Boys and Girls in 1985. Including his work with Roxy Music, Ferry has sold over 30 million albums worldwide.
As well as being a prolific songwriter, Ferry has recorded many cover versions, including standards from the Great American Songbook, in albums such as These Foolish Things (1973), Another Time, Another Place (1974), Let's Stick Together (1976), Taxi (1993) and As Time Goes By (1999), as well as Dylanesque (2007), an album of Bob Dylan covers. In 2019, Ferry was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Roxy Music.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Ferry
Studio albums
These Foolish Things (1973)
Another Time, Another Place (1974)
Let's Stick Together (1976)
In Your Mind (1977)
The Bride Stripped Bare (1978)
Boys and Girls (1985)
Bête Noire (1987)
Taxi (1993)
Mamouna (1994)
As Time Goes By (1999)
Frantic (2002)
Dylanesque (2007)
Olympia (2010)
The Jazz Age (2012)
Avonmore (2014)
Bitter-Sweet (2018)
Don't Think Twice It's All Right
Bryan Ferry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you don't know by now
An' it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
It'll never do somehow
When your rooster crows at the break o' dawn
Look out your window and I'll be gone
You're the reason I'm trav'lin' on
And 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
But 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
Don't think twice, it's all right
So it ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
Like you never done before
And 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' walkin' down the road
I once loved a woman, a child I am told
I give her my heart but she wanted my soul
Don't think twice, it's all right
So long honey babe
Where I'm bound, I can't tell
Goodbye's too good a word, babe
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
Don't think twice, it's all right
The lyrics to Bryan Ferry's "Don't Think Twice It's All Right" are a poetic reflection on the end of a relationship. The opening lines assert that there is "no use to sit and wonder why" about the end of the relationship, because if the reason is not clear by now, it never will be. The singer acknowledges that he is leaving and implies that the lover he is leaving behind is the reason that he is "traveling on."
The second verse makes clear the singer's feelings of isolation and frustration. He speaks of being on the "dark side of the road" and wishing that the lover would say something to make him want to stay. The third verse is a reflection on the past and the singer's lost love. Despite loving her deeply, she wanted more than he was willing to give ("I gave her my heart but she wanted my soul").
Ultimately, the singer bids his lover farewell in a melancholy tone ("Goodbye's too good a word, babe, so I'll just say fare thee well"). The last lines are particularly striking in their tone of resignation, with the singer acknowledging that the relationship was not ideal but still expressing that he doesn't mind. It's as if he is ready to move on, with a sense of grace and acceptance.
Line by Line Meaning
Well it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
If you don't know by now
It's pointless to keep wondering about the reason for things if you haven't figured it out yet.
An' it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
It'll never do somehow
Mulling over the past mistakes and events won't change anything.
When your rooster crows at the break o' dawn
Look out your window and I'll be gone
You're the reason I'm trav'lin' on
But don't think twice, it's all right
Leaving you behind was always on my mind, so don't feel bad. You should move on, and don't worry about me.
And 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
Don't bother trying to help me; my path is unclear and I need to figure it out on my own.
But 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
Don't think twice, it's all right
I'm open to suggestions, but I'm not sure if anything you say could convince me to change my mind. We never had the best communication anyway, so just let it go.
So it ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
Like you never done before
And it ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
I can't hear you any more
Don't try to win me back or plead with me like you did before. I've already made up my mind, and I don't want to hear it anymore.
I'm a-thinkin' and a-wond'rin' walkin' down the road
I once loved a woman, a child I am told
I give her my heart but she wanted my soul
Don't think twice, it's all right
I'm reflecting on my past and the woman I loved. She wanted more than I could give her, and now I'm just trying to move on.
So long honey babe
Where I'm bound, I can't tell
Goodbye's too good a word, babe
So I'll just say fare thee well
I'm saying goodbye to you, but I'm not sure where I'm headed next. Goodbye is too formal, so I'll leave it at farewell.
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
Don't think twice, it's all right
You didn't intentionally mistreat me, but you could have done better. Ultimately, you just weren't worth the time and effort. So, move on with it.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Suzanne Lawson
Before I listened to Bryan singing this great Dylan song, I was sceptical that
it would be very good - well just because I am a huge fan of Dylan's early material in particular.. Wow, was I totally surprised in how great of a job that Bryan did in covering this song. Just fantastic and love the harmonica playing too!
MotherofpearlMusic
When Bryan sings this one it's always just such a magical moment. Such a beautiful, touching and haunting rendition.
Joan Cloto
MotherofpearlMusic
Lady Bird
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Asha Biswas
This is one of my best-loved songs and has been covered by many great artists but Bryan's rendering surely remains the most haunting , gentle and uniquely phrased of all.I would like to express my deep appreciation to you for posting this gem. Bryan tugs at our hearts and charms us with his understated style. Thank you CitizenGatsby.
Gerald King
These Dylan tunes take on a life of their own....
Lissanne Oliver
I saw Bryan perform this song in Melbourne this week. Had never heard it before and found myself crying the whole song. So much LOVE and gratitude for this man.
Cathy Gordon
And I'm in church. My knees aren't at all sore. Thank you Mr. Ferry!
Terp751
my god.... this is a great version of this tune. And that harmonica playing is amazing!!!
Gilles Temprement
Magique!!!!Sexy!!!!Onirique!!!!Piano tellement present!!!!Harmonica faisant le show!!!