Vietnamese Government Approved Bob Dylan Lyrics

In a memorandum from the ministry of communications, the Bob Dylan show scheduled for April 10 has been approved, but with revisions to some of Mr. Dylan's original lyrics. This has caused great consternation amongst many long and loyal Dylan fans in Vietnam as many of the songs were popular during a time of great national struggle. In response to these concerns, the Ministry has issued the following statement and approved lyric:

"The appearance of Mr. Robert Zimmerman (AKA: Bob Dylan) and his band will indeed be a watershed event in Vietnamese history. Some of Mr. Zimmerman's early songs played an important part in Vietnam's struggle for independence but the passing of 50 years has made many of his lyrics difficult for young Vietnamese people to understand. Working with top Ph.D.s from our most prestigious universities, we have carefully re-crafted and updated his lyrics to be more like what a Vietnamese student may have actually learned in school. Understanding also, that many of Mr. Zimmerman's lyrics are intended to employ 'poetic license' we have either left phrases alone, or substituted more contemporary American idioms from a bunch of idiom books we had lying around the office. We believe these lyrics accurately depict the author's feelings to today's Vietnamese audience and will be pleased to hear them sung in a contemporary socialist context." - The Ministry

Don't Think Twice, It's Alright


It ain’t no usto sit and wonder why, babe


It is of no value to sit and be confused about the circumstances, young lady


It don’t matter, anyhow


It is not of any importance in any case.


An’ it ain’t no use to sit and wonder why, babe


And it is no longer of any purpose to sit and ponder things that already are, adolescent female


If you don’t know by now


If you are not already aware of this fact


When your rooster crows at the break of dawn


When your male chicken sings as the sun comes up


Look out your window and I’ll be gone


Look out your window and I will have vacated the premises.


You’re the reason I’m trav’lin’ on


Because of you I am now in transit


Don’t think twice, it’s all right


Do not consider this two times, there are no anomalies here.


It ain’t no use in turnin’ on your light, babe


It is of no purpose to turn on your torch, young female


That light I never knowed


That torch I have never been familiar with.


An’ it ain’t no use in turnin’ on your light, babe


And it is of no purpose to turn on your torch, young female


I’m on the dark side of the road


I am on the side of the road that has less light than the other side


Still I wish there was somethin’ you would do or say


Still I wish that you would do something or say something


To try and make me change my mind and stay


To try and make me change my mind and hang around for a bit


We never did too much talkin’ anyway


You and I were never very conversational in the first place


So don’t think twice, it’s all right


So do not consider this two times, there are no anomalies here.


It ain’t no use in callin’ out my name, gal


It is of no purpose to call out my name, young woman.


Like you never did before


As if you had ever done that previously


It ain’t no use in callin’ out my name, gal


It is of no purpose to call out my name, young woman.


I can’t hear you anymore


I can't hear you anymore.


I’m a-thinkin’ and a-wond’rin’ all the way down the road


I am thinking and wondering all the way down the road


I once loved a woman, a child I’m told


I once had improper sexual relations with an underage female I am told


I give her my heart but she wanted my soul


I gave her a lot of money but she wanted a house in America and a credit card and many, many things


But don’t think twice, it’s all right


But do not consider this two times, there are no anomalies here


I’m walkin’ down that long, lonesome road, babe


I am walking down a road that does not have any other people on it, young lady.


Where I’m bound, I can’t tell


I do not have any f*&@#$% idea where I am going.


But goodbye’s too good a word, gal


But the word 'goodbye' is a much better word than I should use here, young woman.


So I’ll just say fare thee well


So I will just say goodbye anyway because that's the only English word I know that means goodbye.


I ain’t sayin’ you treated me unkind


I have not said that you treated me poorly.


You could have done better but I don’t mind


You screwed me over pretty badly but I do not care in any case.


You just kinda wasted my precious time


But I thought you were extremely time consuming and generally high maintenance.


But don’t think twice, it’s all right


But do not consider this two times, there are no anomalies here.


(additional suggestion)


With sincere thanks,


Robert

D a v i d E v e r i t t - C a r l s o n

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