Bob Dylan – Not Dark Yet

Lyrics:

[Verse 1]
Shadows are falling
And I’ve been here all day
It’s too hot to sleep
And time is running away
Feel like my soul has
Turned into steel
I’ve still got the scars
That the sun didn’t heal
There’s not even room enough
To be anywhere

[Refrain]
It’s not dark yet
But it’s getting there

[Verse 2]
Well, my sense of humanity
Has gone down the drain
Behind every beautiful thing
There’s been some kind of pain
She wrote me a letter
And she wrote it so kind
She put down in writin’
What was in her mind
I just don’t see why I should even care

[Refrain]
It’s not dark yet
But it’s getting there

[Verse 3]
Well, I’ve been to London
And I’ve been to gay Paris
I’ve followed the river
And I got to the sea
I’ve been down on the bottom
Of a world full of lies
I ain’t lookin’ for nothin’
In anyone’s eyes
Sometimes my burden
Is more than I can bear

[Refrain]
It’s not dark yet
But it’s getting there

[Instrumental Interlude]

[Verse 4]
I was born here, and I’ll die here
Against my will
I know it looks like I’m moving
But I’m standing still
Every nerve in my body
Is so vacant and numb
I can’t even remember what it was
I came here to get away from
Don’t even hear a murmur of a prayer

[Refrain]
It’s not dark yet
But it’s getting there

“Not Dark Yet” is a song by Bob Dylan, recorded in January 1997 and released in September that year on his album Time Out of Mind. It was the first single from the album.

“Not Dark Yet” subsequently featured on the Wonder Boys soundtrack. The song also appeared on the album The Passion of the Christ: Songs Inspired by The Passion of the Christ.^[1]

Christopher Ricks has remarked on the song’s close affinities to John Keats Ode to a Nightingale.^[

Covers

“Not Dark Yet” was covered by Robyn Hitchcock for his 2002 album of Dylan covers Robyn Sings, by Eric Clapton during his 2009 Ireland/UK tour, by the Silversun Pickups for the Chimes of Freedom compilation and by Kirsti Huke for her album Deloo. Jimmy LaFave covered the song on his album Cimarron Manifesto; LaFave’s version was used on the Showtime program Californication (Season 3, Episode 3). Trey Gunn and Dylan Nicole Bandy cover this song on the Trey Gunn album “The Waters, They Are Rising.”

The song was covered by sisters Allison Moorer and Shelby Lynne on their 2017 collaborative album “Not Dark Yet“, which takes its name from this track.^[3]

Track listings

CD (COL 665443 2):

1. “Not Dark Yet” – 6:29
2. “Tombstone Blues” (Live) – 6:26
3. “Ballad of a Thin Man” (Live) – 8:47
4. “Boots of Spanish Leather” (Live) – 6:35

2-track CD (COL 665443 1):

1. “Not Dark Yet” – 6:29
2. “Tombstone Blues” (Live) – 6:26

Not Dark Yet: Dylan Alive Vol. 2 Japanese EP:^[4]

1. “Not Dark Yet”
2. “Boots of Spanish Leather” (Live) – 6:34
3. “Tears of Rage” (Live) – 7:20
4. “Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)” (Live) – 4:39

References in popular culture

• “Not Dark Yet” is played in the ending part of the documentary Why We Fight
• The song was referenced in the movie High Fidelity
• A portion of the song was played during the ending credits to the Deadwood Season 2 premiere “A Lie Agreed Upon, Part 1”
• A portion was played in the movie Henry Poole Is Here
• It plays during the death scene of a character in Knockaround Guys
• A portion was played on the Showtime hit Californication (Season 3, Episode 3).
• The chords were rearranged by The National guitarist Aaron Dessner to write the song Slipped that appeared on their 2013 album Trouble Will Find Me.^[5]
• The song was played at the end of Robert Icke’s production of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet at the Almeida Theatre, London.
• The song was played at the end of the 2017 movie Last Flag Flying.

End