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Tomorrow Is a Long Time Lyrics

If today was not a crooked highway
If tonight was not a crooked trail
If tomorrow wasn't such a long time
Then lonesome would mean nothin' to you at all

Yes, and only if my own true love was waitin'
If I could hear her heart a-softly poundin'
Yes, and only if she was lyin' by me
Then I'd lie in my bed once again

I can't see my reflection in the water
I can't speak the sounds to show no pain
I can't hear the echo of my footsteps
Or remember the sounds of my own name

Yes, and only if my own true love was waitin'
And if I could only hear her heart a-softly poundin'
Yes, and only if she was lyin' by me
Then I'd lie in my bed once again

There's beauty in that silver singin' river
There's beauty in that rainbow in the sky
But none of these and nothin' else can touch the beauty
That I remember in my true love's eyes

Yes, and only if my own true love was waitin'
If I could only hear her heart a-softly poundin'
Yes, and only if she was lyin' by me
Then I'd lie in my bed once again
Song Info
Copyright
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Writer
Bob Dylan
Producer
John Hammond
Release date
Apr 06, 1962
Sentiment
Positive
Submitted by
sexiesadie On Jun 08, 2005
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14 Meanings

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Cover art for Tomorrow Is a Long Time lyrics by Bob Dylan

This song is about the meaning of life and love to me. What do you love about life? I love nature, mountains, rivers. I love the sun, the moon and the stars. I love music. I love people who remind me that life is fragile and that we are all imperfect and broken. And that we must, simply MUST enjoy ourselves and love one another. We are all going to be gone before we know it.

"Tomorrow is a Long Time" reminds me of these things. It breaks my heart every time I hear it. (And, the man who turned me on to it broke my heart. How ironic.) It is about the beauty in nature and in people. And LOVE. How love is so rare and beautiful. It happens once in a lifetime if we are lucky. And I was lucky.

Even if it feels like "blood on the tracks", it is love, and as long as I am alive I will feel grateful for the feelings I have experienced. I will always and forever treasure the man who brought me true love. I will always wish I could be with him. This song makes me remember just how much I wish things could be different. And remind me of the feelings that he gave me when I looked into his eyes.

Life is beautiful. Music is amazing. In my opinion, you can't have life without music. And, "Tomorrow is a Long Time" is a true gem. Bob Dylan is a genius.

If your heart is broken, consider yourself lucky. Life is so sad, but it is beautiful. And so is this song.

@tomorrowisalongtime Yes I feel you. Imo life without music is possible, without love would be much harder. But without music, it's possible, it's just the fact that we speak our souls through it - that's ehy music is all around. Music shouldn't be competition, music is not any of it. Well, it's just my opinion. But I highly belive that there is more to music. I don't know if you know/remember the scene from Batman Begins when Bruce talks to Rachel and says something like "you know, the way you see me, that's not really me. Deep inside, I'm different, I...

Cover art for Tomorrow Is a Long Time lyrics by Bob Dylan

i absolutely love this song especially the whole sunset, rain bow and beauty in loves eyes part.

It is a sing about a man who misses a girl and is falling apart without her. In the first verse he is probily talking about himself and how he is traveling and lonsome without his girl. when he says I'd lie in my bed once again bed is symbolic for a place of comfort and safety so he wont be comfortable and happy with out her. The second verse is about how he is falling apart without her and he is sick becasue she is not with him. The last verse is about remembering his girl and how he finds beauty in only her.

Cover art for Tomorrow Is a Long Time lyrics by Bob Dylan

I agree with "wantobeready". For some reason I hadn't heard it until recently - after my husband died. And that's how I felt about it. We were separated for over 40 years and found each other again. He died 6 months after we married. To find each other, to have that chance to be together was extraordinary, but there was never a moment of doubt all those years. I know how lucky I am to have known that kind of love. "Tomorrow is a Long Time" tells that story. She was the world to him and now she's gone. In the end, he will "lie" in his bed "if only" she's lying with him once again. He will not lie with another.
To me the song is profoundly sad.

Song Meaning
Cover art for Tomorrow Is a Long Time lyrics by Bob Dylan

i love this song, it reminds me of my dad, its his favorite dylan song, mine too i think.

Cover art for Tomorrow Is a Long Time lyrics by Bob Dylan

Completely agree with farrell, it all makes sense to me.

Cover art for Tomorrow Is a Long Time lyrics by Bob Dylan

I have always taken this song as a song about missing a true love who has passed on. This is probably my favorite Dylan song. Mason Jennings also does a great version of this song.

Cover art for Tomorrow Is a Long Time lyrics by Bob Dylan

I love this song. You should check out the Nickel Creek cover, Sara Watkins does an excellent job on it.

Cover art for Tomorrow Is a Long Time lyrics by Bob Dylan

I love this song. I sang it for my love while I was away in the army.

Cover art for Tomorrow Is a Long Time lyrics by Bob Dylan

What can I say after tomorrowisalongtime's comment? (S)he not only expressed everything I carried in my mind about this song, but still did with such a beauty that is only matched by the song itself. That's easily the best thing I've read on this website. Dylan is indeed a genius, but it takes another genius to recognise one in such rich detail.

This is one of my all-time favourites, Dylan's or otherwise, but to me the greatest version is by long time country rocker Chris Hillman, on his 1982 album Morning Sky.

Cover art for Tomorrow Is a Long Time lyrics by Bob Dylan

What can I add... well I love Zé Ramalho's approach to this song. He is brazillian, he does it in portuguese, it is indeed beautifully translated and shines in its own beauty and originality... worth a listen. Got that exitic feel to it, for me it is one of the best recordings that I heard. By the way, nothing beats Bob Dylan live versions. Especially the old-scrachy-voice Dylan, aka 'The Tempest' album style. Say what you want, it doesn't get much better than this.