Folk Music

The song “Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right: was written by Bob Dylan and first recorded by him in 1962. It was the B-Side to “Blowin’ in the Wind” and on his 1963 album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. The critic and columnist Nat Hentoff said of the song that it’s “a statement that maybe you can say to make yourself feel better…as if you were talking to yourself.” Indeed. Speculation is that Dylan wrote it about his girlfriend Suze Rotolo. Dylan, who knew his folk music very well, based the song on “Who’s Gonna Buy Your Chickens When I’m Gone,” which was taught to him by Paul Clayton.

Anyway, the folk music revival had been going on from the 50s through the early 60s, and many artists covered it. Peter, Paul and Mary were folk singer and songwriter Peter Yarrow, (Noel) Paul Stookey, and Mary Travers. Other artists who had versions include Dick and Dee Dee, Bobby Darin, Dolly Parton, The Seekers, Jackie DeShannon, Odette, Joan Baez, and the list goes on and on. In 1963, the beautiful and touching version by Peter, Paul and Mary went to #9 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on Cashbox.

Here are the lyrics to “Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right” by Peter Paul and Mary:

“It ain’t no use to sit and wonder why, babe,
It don’t matter, anyhow.
And 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 gone
You’re the reason I’m travelin’ on,
Don’t think twice it’s all right.

It ain’t no use in turnin’ on your light, babe,
Light I never know’d
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,
Don’t think twice it’s all right.

I’m walkin’ down that long, lonesome road, babe,
Where I’m bound, I can’t tell
But goodbye is too good a word gal,
So I’ll just say “fair-thee-well”
I ain’t saying you treated me unkind,
You could’ve done better, but I don’t mind
You just sorta wasted my precious time,
Don’t think twice it’s all right.

It ain’t no use in callin’ out my name gal,
Like you never did before
It ain’t no use in callin’ out my name gal,
I can’t hear you anymore.
I’m a thinkin’ and a wonderin’ all the way down the road
I once loved a woman, a child I’m told,
I gave her my heart but she wanted my soul,
Don’t think twice it’s all right.”

If you are interested in reading and listening to another song by Peter Paul and Mary, please click here for “Leaving on a Jet Plane.”

For an album of songs by Peter Paul and Mary, please click on the photo below:

For More Golden Oldies Music                

The Daily Doo Wop Rec Room has daily featured doo wop, rock and roll, R&B, or rockabilly songs that were hits during the first era of rock and roll (that is, from about 1952 until the British invasion in 1964). After a song is featured, it then goes into the juke box. You are welcome to listen to any of the 40+ selections there. Every weekend, there is a Golden Oldies Juke Box Saturday Night, and the juke box is full of song requests from the 1950s and 1960s.

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