Don't Think Twice, It's All Right

Words and music Bob Dylan
Released on Freewheelin' (1963) and on Greatest Hits II (1971), and in live versions on Before the Flood (1974) and Budokan (1978). Included is also the lyrics from Gaslight III (late 1962), which differ considerably from the later
Tabbed by Eyolf Østrem


Freewheelin' version

Capo 4th fret (sounding key E major)

Standard fingerpicking

Intro:

   C               G7                Am      C/g     F
   |       .       .       .         |       .       .       .
E------------------------0h1-------|---------------------------------|
B----------------1---------------1-|---------------0h1-----1-------0-|
G------------0-------0-------0-----|---2-------0-------2-------2-----|
D------2-------2-------0-------0---|-----2-------2-------3-------3---|
A--3-------------------------------|-0-------------------------------|
E----------3-------3-------3-------|---------3-------1-------1-------|
   C/g             G7                C/g
   |       .       .       .         |       .       .       .
E--------0---------------0h1-------|---------------------------------|
B-h1-------------0---------------1-|-------1---------------1---------|
G----0-------0-------0-------0-----|---0---------------0-------------|
D------2-------2-------0-------0---|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|
A----------------------------------|---------3-----------------------|
E--3-------3-------3-------3-------|-3---------------3-------3-------|

 

         C               G              Am         /g
Well, it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
F                        C        G   
 Given you don't know by now
       C               G              Am         /g
An' it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
D7/f#              G  (G6-G7)
It'll never do somehow
          C                    C7
When your rooster crows at the break of dawn
F                        D7/f#
Look out your window and I'll be gone
C          G          Am   /g   F
You're the reason I'm trav'lin' on
C           G               C
Don't think twice, it's all right
C   G    Am      /g F   C
An' 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
Still 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
But don't think twice, it's all right

So it ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
Like you never did before
An' 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'm told
I give her my heart but she wanted my soul
But don't think twice, it's all right

So long, honey babe *)
Where I'm bound, I can't tell
Goodbye is too good a word, gal
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
But don't think twice, it's all right

*) "I'm walking down that long and lonesome road" in most live versions ever since.


Before the Flood version

Basically the same as above, with the following changes:

Well, it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
Given you don't know by now.
And it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
It don't matter anyhow.

(the lyrics from bobdylan.com are:

It ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
It don't matter, anyhow
An' it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
If you don't know by now)

I'm walkin' down that long, lonesome road, babe

 


Budokan version

Neat reggae version.
         C               G              Am         
Well, it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
F                        G
 Given you don't know by now
       C               G              Am         
An' it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
D7/f#              G7
It don't matter anyhow
          F       C            F        C
When your rooster crows at the break of dawn
Bb            F          Bb      F
Look out your window and I'll be gone
C          G          Am        F
You're the reason I'm trav'lin' on
C           G               Am     F
Don't think twice, it's all right, babe
C           G               C
Don't think twice, it's all right

Gaslight III version

Well, it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
[hm]
An' it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
If you don't know by now
When the rooster crows at the break of dawn
Look out your window and I'll be travellin' on
You're the reason I'll be gone
Don't think twice, 'cause it's all right
So it ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
[a-ia] like before
An' it ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
I can't hear you any more
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
But don't think twice, 'cause it's all right
I'm a-thinkin' and a-wond'rin' walkin' down the road
Well it ain't no use in turnin' on your lights, babe
Lights I never knowed
An' it ain't no use in burnin' your lamp, babe
I'm on the dark side of the road
Well, it's lonesome travellin' down the lonesome road
I once loved a woman, a child I'm told
I give her my heart but she wanted my soul
But don't think twice, 'cause it's all right
So I'm ramblin' all by myself babe.
This time, maybe more
And I can't use nobody else, babe
Whatever you claimed before.
I ain't sayin' you treated me unkind
You could have done better but I don't mind
You just wasted my precious time
But don't think twice, 'cause it's all right.