Background: This song came to be after the death of my Bubby (Yiddish for grandmother) at the age of 92 in
mid-November, 2005.
Technique: I put this together by mixing a 'bootleg' version of Bob Dylan's ÒDon't Think Twice, It's All RightÓ with excerpts from a bootleg interview on life, death and love I'd recorded with my grandmother, Rivke Alboim Pofelis, in 2002 at her apartment in Montreal.
Some Bubbies tend to get a bit skittish around electronic equipment that doesn't have a Cuisinart logo on it, so I chose to keep my Dictaphone concealed in my shirt pocket to preserve her candid nature.
Since she passed away before I made this, she never did hear what you'll hear now, nor did she ever know about the original recording I'd made of her that afternoon. I suspect, however, that she'd dig this song. What Bob Dylan will think if he ever hears this is anybody's guess.
Source materials: ÒDon't Think Twice, It's All RightÓ sung and played by Bob Dylan, from The Gaslight Tapes, 1962 (Columbia Records). Spoken word by Rivke Alboim Pofelis, 2002.
Lyrics:
Well, thereÕs an end to
everything, and thatÕs it.
Oy...
I canÕt do anything about
that feelingÉ because I canÕt change it.
The world was madeÉ and
thatÕs the way itÕs going to remain. And we canÕt do anything about it.
Well,
it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
And
it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
If
you donÕt know by now
And
the rooster crows at the break of dawn
Look
out your window and I'll be trav'lin' on
You're the reason IÕll be
gone
Don't
think twice, cuz it's all right
Nature is pulling, pulling, pulling me down and thatÕs it.
Well,
it ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
Oh
yeah, like before
And
it ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
I
canÕt hear you anymore
I
wish there was somethin' you would do or say
To
try and make me change my mind and stay
But
we never did too much talkin' anyway
But
don't think twice, it's all right
Well,
It ain't no use in turnin' on your lights, babe
Lights
I never knowed
And
it ain't no use in burninÕ your lamp, babe
I'm
on the dark side of the road
Well, itÕs lonesome travÕlinÕ
down the lonesome road
I once loved a woman, with a
child I am told
IÕd given my heart but she
wanted my soul
Don't think twice, cuz it's
all right
So, IÕm ramblinÕ all by
myself babe
This time, maybe more
And I canÕt use nobody else,
babe
If you paid me for
I ainÕt sayinÕ you treated me
unkind
God forbid!
You coulda done better, but I
donÕt mind
Ah,
you just wasted my precious time
Don't think twice, it's all
right
You should think of
everything thatÕs good, everything thatÕs hopeful.
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Ezra Soiferman is a Montreal-based documentary filmmaker, photographer and songwriter.
More info
about Ezra here.
See EzraÕs photos at EzraPix.