Don't Think Twice, It's All Right

Written by

Released on

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963), Before the Flood (1974), At Budokan (1978), The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6: Live 1964 (2004), The Bootleg Series, Vol. 7: No Direction Home (2005), The Bootleg Series, Vol. 9: The Witmark Demos: 1962-1964 (2010), Live 1962-1966 — Rare Performances From The Copyright Collections (2018) and Greatest Hits, vol. 2 (1971)

Tabbed by

Eyolf Østrem

There’s a stubborn but false rumour (supported by Clinton Heylin) that the guitar part in the album version is played by Bruce Langhorn. The short version is: no, it’s not — it’s Dylan who plays. The long version can be read here: “It Wasn’t Bruce” (A Musical Whodunnit)

The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan version

Capo 4th fret (sounding key E major)

Standard fingerpicking

Intro:

   C                 G7                Am      C/g       F
   :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .
||-----------------|-------0h1-------|-----------------|-----------------|
||---------------1(|p0)------------1-|---------------0h|-1-----1-------0h|
||-----------0-----|---0-------0---(0|h2)2-------0-----|---2-------2-----|
||-----2-------2---|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|-----3-------3---|
||-3---------------|-----------------|-0---------------|-----------------|
||---------3-------|-3-------3-------|---------3-------|-1-------0h1-----|

   C/g               G7                C/g
   :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .
|--------0---------|-------0h1-------|-----------------|-----------------||
|-h1-------------0-|---------------1-|-------1---------|-------1-------1-||
|----0-------0-----|---0-------0-----|---0-------------|---0-------0-----||
|------2-------2---|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---||
|------------------|-----------------|---------3-------|-----------------||
|--3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3---------------|-3-------3-------||

Verse:

   C                 G                 Am                        C/g
   :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .
||-----------------|-------0h1-------|-----------------|-----------------|
||---------------1-|-----------0--(1)|---1-----------1-|---------------0-|
||-----------0-----|-----------------|-----------------|-----------0-----|
||-----2-------2---|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
||-3---------------|-----------------|-0-------0-------|-0---------------|
||---------3-------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|---------3-------|

  F                                   C/g               G7
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------0h1-------|
|-------1-------1-|-----------1-----|---------------0-|---------------1-|
|---2-------2-----|---2---0h2-------|-----------0-----|---0-------0-----|
|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|-----2-------2---|-----0-------0---|
|-----------------|---------3-------|-3---------------|-----------------|
|-1-------1-------|-1---------------|---------3-------|-3-------3-------|

  C                 G7                Am                        C/g
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .
|-----------------|-------0h1-------|-----------------|-----------------|
|---------------1-|-----------------|---1-----------1-|---------------1-|
|-----------0-----|---------------0-|h2---------2-----|-----------0-----|
|-----2-------2---|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
|-3---------------|-----------------|-0-------0-------|-0---------------|
|---------3-------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|---------3-------|

  D7/f#                               G       G6        G7
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .
|-----------------|-------0h2-------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------1-------1-|---------------0-|-------0-------0-|-------0-------0h|
|---0h2-----2-----|---2-------2-----|-----------0-----|---0-------0-----|
|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----0--(2)--2h3~|-----3------(0)--|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-2-------2-------|-2-------2-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|

  C/g                                 C7
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|h1-----1-------1-|-------1-------1-|-------1-------1-|-------1-------0h|
|---0-------0-----|---0-------0-----|---3-------3-----|---3-------3-----|
|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
|-----------------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|
|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|

  F                                   D7/f#
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .
|-----------------|-----------------|---------------2-|------h2---------|
|h1-----1-------1-|-------1-------0-|h1-----1---------|---------------1-|
|---2-------2-----|---2-------2-----|---2-------2-----|---2-------2-----|
|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-1-------1-------|-1-------1-------|-2-------2-------|-2-------2-------|

  C/g               G7                Am      C/g       F
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .
|-----------------|-------1---------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------1-------0-|-----------------|-------1-------0-|h1-----1-------0-|
|---0-------0-----|---0-------0--h2-|---2-------0-----|---2-------2-----|
|-----2-------2---|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|-----3-------3---|
|-----------------|-----------------|-0---------------|-----------------|
|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|---------3-------|-1-------1-------|

  C/g               G6      G7        C
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|h1-----1-------0-|-------0-------1-|---------------1-|---------------1-|
|---0-------0-----|---0-------0-----|-----------0-----|-----------0-----|
|-----2-------2---|-----2--(3)--3---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
|-----------------|-----------------|-3---------------|-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
 Iff'n 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.

Gaslight III version (1962)

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'n 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

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.

Live 1964 version

Same as the album version, except:

The beginning of the first verse goes:

Well, there ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
It don't matter anyhow.
And there ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
It don't matter anyhow.

Between the verses, the G-G6-G7 figure is played (320003 — 32200x — 32300x)

In the third verse, the second to last line is played:

  C           E             Am     /g F
I gave her my heart but she wanted my soul

The last verse begins: So I’m walkin’ down that long, lonesome road, babe

Before the Flood version (1974)

Basically the same as the album version, with the following changes:

No fingerpicking energetic strumming instead.
No capo played in key of C.
Between each verse he stays on a Csus4-chord (x33010).

The first verse goes (as in most live renditions):

Well, it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
Iff'n 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)

And in the last verse, the first line is (as in the official lyrics):
```
I'm walkin' down that long, lonesome road, babe
```

Budokan version (1978)

Neat reggae version.

         C               G              Am
Well, it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
F                        G
 Iff'n 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

Current (2001) live version

Here’s the fingerpicking that is played (not by Dylan himself) these days. Tabbed from various fall shows 2001.
Capo 5th fret (so it’s still C major).

Chords:

D6      xx0202
G(v)    xx5707
D7(iii) xx0535

  G                 D6                Em
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .
|-3---------3-----|-2-----0---2-----|-0---------0-----|---0-------0-----|
|-------3---------|-0---------------|-------0-------0-|-------0---------|
|-----------------|-----2-------2---|-----0-----------|-----0-----------|
|-----0-------0---|-0-------0-------|-0h2-----2---4---|-5-------4---2---|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-3-------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

  C                                      G                 D/f#
  :   .   .   .     :      .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .
|-0---------------|--------------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------1-----|-1------------------|-----------3-----|-------3---------|
|-------0---------|-0h2p0----0---0---0-|-------0---------|-2---------2-----|
|-----2-------2---|--------2---0-------|-----0-------0---|-----0-----------|
|-3-------3-------|----------------3---|-2---------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|--------------------|---------3-------|-2-------2---0h2-|

  G                 D                 Em
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .
|-----3-----------|-2-----0---2-----|-0---------2-----|-3-----2---0-----|
|-----------3-----|---3---0---------|-------0-------0-|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----2-------2---|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|
|-----0-------0---|-0-------0-------|-2-------2-------|-2-------2-------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-3-------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

  A7                                  D/f#
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .
|-0-------------0-|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-2-----2---3-----|-------3---2-----|----------0----1-|-------0---------|
|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-------2---------|-----------2---0-|
|-2-------2-------|-2-------2-------|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-2-------2-------|-2-------2-------|

  G                                   G7
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------0-----|-------0---1-----|-3-----3---1-----|-0-----0---------|
|-------0---------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|

  C                                   A
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .
|---------------0-|-----------------|---------------0-|-----------------|
|-----1-1---3-----|-----------1-----|-----2-2---3-----|-----------2-----|
|-----------------|-------0---------|-----------------|-------2---------|
|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

  G(v)              D7(iii)           Em                C
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .
|-7-----7---------|-5-----5---------|-3-----2---3---0-|-----------------|
|---0-------0-----|---3-------3-----|---0-------------|-------3---1-----|
|-----7-------7---|-----5-------5---|-----0-------0---|---0-------------|
|-5-------5-------|-0-------0-------|-2-------2-------|-----2-------2---|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

  G                 D/f#              G
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .
|-----------------|-----------------|---------------3-|---------------3-|
|-0-----1---0-----|-------0---------|-----------3-----|-----------3-----|
|---0-------------|-2---------2-----|-0-----0---------|-------0---------|
|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-3-------3-------|-2-------2-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|

Samples of the between-the-lines flourishes played during the NET

(all taken from Brixton, March 29, 1995)

These are used both with the F and the D/f# chords.

  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :
|-5-5-5-7-----8---|-----7\5-----5---|-3----
|-6-6-6-8-----10--|-----8\6-----6---|-5----
|-----------------|-----------------|------
|-----------------|-----------------|------
|-----------------|-----------------|------
|-----------------|-----------------|------

  :   .   .   .     :   .    .   .     :
|-5-5-5-7---------|-8-----10-----12--|-----
|-6-6-6-8---------|-10----12-----13--|-----
|-----------------|------------------|-----
|-----------------|------------------|-----
|-----------------|------------------|-----
|-----------------|------------------|-----

 .     :   .   .   .     :   .    .     .     :
-5---|-----7-------8---|-8-/---10---12-12---|-12---
-6---|-----8-------10--|-10/---12---13-13---|-13---
-----|-----------------|--------------------|------
-----|-----------------|--------------------|------
-----|-----------------|--------------------|------
-----|-----------------|--------------------|------

Contact

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	Bob Dylan (1962)
	The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963)
	The Times They Are A-Changin' (1964)
	Another Side Of Bob Dylan (1964)
	Bringing It All Back Home (1965)
	Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
	Blonde on Blonde (1966)
	John Wesley Harding (1967)
	Nashville Skyline (1969)
	Self Portrait (1970)
	New Morning (1970)
	Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid (1973)
	Dylan (1973)
	Planet Waves (1974)
	Blood on the Tracks (1975)
	The Basement Tapes (1967/1975)
	Desire (1976)
	Street-Legal (1978)
	Slow Train Coming (1979)
	Saved (1980)
	Shot of Love (1981)
	Infidels (1983)
	Empire Burlesque (1985)
	Knocked Out Loaded (1986)
	Down In The Groove (1988)
	Oh Mercy (1989)
	Under the Red Sky (1990)
	Good As I Been To You (1992)
	World Gone Wrong (1993)
	Time out of Mind (1997)
	"Love And Theft" (2001)
	Modern Times (2006)
	Together Through Life (2009)
	Christmas in the Heart (2009)
	Tempest (2012)
	Shadows In the Night (2015)
	Fallen Angels (2016)
	Triplicate (2017)
	Rough and Rowdy Ways (2020)

	The Bootleg Series, Vol. 1–3: Rare & Unreleased 1961-1991 (1991)
	The Bootleg Series, Vol. 4: Live 1966 (1998)
	The Bootleg Series, Vol. 5: Live 1975 (2002)
	The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6: Live 1964 (2004)
	The Bootleg Series, Vol. 7: No Direction Home (2005)
	The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs (2008)
	The Bootleg Series, Vol. 9: The Witmark Demos: 1962-1964 (2010)
	The Bootleg Series, Vol. 10: Another Self Portrait (2013)
	The Bootleg Series, Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete (2014)
	The Bootleg Series Vol. 12: The Cutting Edge 1965–1966
	The Bootleg Series Vol. 13: Trouble No More 1979–1981
	The Bootleg Series vol. 15: Travelin’ Thru: 1967–1969 (2019)
	The Bootleg Series vol. 16: Springtime in New York 1980–1985
	The Bootleg Series Vol. 17: Fragments – Time Out of Mind Sessions (1996–1997)

	Before the Flood (1974)
	Hard Rain (1976)
	At Budokan (1978)
	Real Live (1984)
	Unplugged (1995)
	Live at the Gaslight 1962

	Greatest Hits (1967)
	Greatest Hits, vol. 2 (1971)
	Biograph (1985)
	Traveling Wilburys vol. 1 & 3 (1988/1990)
	Greatest Hits, vol. 3 (1994)
	Live 1961-2000: Thirty-Nine Years of Great Concert Performances
	Side Tracks (2013)
	Live 1962-1966 — Rare Performances From The Copyright Collections (2018)
	The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings

	Miscellaneous
	Early Acoustic Dylan (–1965)
	(More or Less) Electric Bob, 1965–75
	Rolling Thunder Revue (1975–76)
	1978 World Tour
	Gospel Period (1979–81)
	Studio outtakes, Soundtracks, etc. 1978–
	Shadow Kingdom (2021)