"Not Dark Yet" is a song by

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

, recorded in January 1997 and released in September that year as the seventh track on his album '' Time Out of Mind.'' It was also released as a single on August 25, 1997 and later anthologized on the compilation albums ''

The Essential Bob Dylan ''The Essential Bob Dylan'' is a compilation by Bob Dylan, released in 2000 as the inaugural entry in Sony Music's "The Essential" double-disc compilation series. ''The Essential Bob Dylan'' spans from 1963's "Blowin' in the Wind" (from ''The Fr ...

'' in 2000, '' The Best of Bob Dylan'' in 2005 and ''Dylan'' in 2007. The song was produced by

Daniel Lanois Daniel Roland Lanois ( , ; born September 19, 1951) is a Canadian record producer, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. He has produced albums by artists including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, Robbie Robertson, Emmylou Harris, Willie ...

Recording

''"''Not Dark Yet''"'' was recorded in the early sessions for ''Time Out of Mind'' in a version that featured "a radically different feel", according to

. " he demo of 'Not Dark Yet'was quicker and more stripped-down and

ater during the formal studio sessions Ater (Hebrew אֲתַר) is an Old Testament male name. #A descendant of Hezekiah, who returned from Babylon ; #An Israelite, who subscribed to Nehemiah Nehemiah is the central figure of the Book of Nehemiah, which describes his work in r ...

he changed it into a

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

ballad". In their book ''Bob Dylan All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track'', authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon describe the album version, recorded at

Criteria Studios Criteria Studios is a recording studio in North Miami, Florida, founded in 1958 by musician Mack Emerman. Hundreds of gold, platinum, and diamond singles and albums have been recorded, mixed or mastered at Criteria, for many notable artists and ...

in Miami in early 1997, as one where Lanois "uses multiple instruments to fuel a sonic vision that he alone has the talent and skill to create. All the musicians contribute to this sound:

Augie Meyers August "Augie" Meyers (born May 31, 1940) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, performer, studio musician, record producer, and record label owner. He is perhaps best known as a founding member of the Sir Douglas Quintet and the Texas ...

's organ is scored; the two drummers provide a heavy, haunting tempo; and Tony Garnier on bass moves in the depths of the sound spectrum. The guitars confer a rock-music atmosphere on the piece, but also contribute to its dreamlike ambience. Dylan delivers one of his best vocal performances on the album, touched with sincerity and resignation".

Critical reception

"Not Dark Yet" received widespread acclaim upon its release in 1997 with many critics citing it as the highlight of ''Time Out of Mind''. The refrain "It's not dark yet but it's getting there" is often interpreted as

, or at least the song's first-person narrator, confronting his mortality. Gilbert Cruz, writing in a ''Time magazine'' article about "The 10 Best Bob Dylan Songs", termed it "a moving end-of-life song written and sung by an aging artist who has somehow managed to remain vital". ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' ranked it 50th on a 2015 list of "The 100 Greatest Bob Dylan Songs", calling it "hauntingly beautiful" and noting that Dylan sang the lyric in "the weary and weathered voice of a man facing the twilight of his life". In the "Fortitude" chapter of his book ''

Dylan's Visions of Sin ''Dylan's Visions of Sin'' is a 2004 book by Christopher Ricks, a British poetry scholar and literary critic, in which he considers the songs of Bob Dylan as works of literature (in 2016 Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature). Ricks' ana ...

'', literary scholar

Christopher Ricks Sir Christopher Bruce Ricks (born 18 September 1933) is a British literary critic and scholar. He is the William M. and Sara B. Warren Professor of the Humanities at Boston University (US), co-director of the Editorial Institute at Boston Univ ...

wrote a lengthy analysis in which he compared the song to the

John Keats John Keats (31 October 1795 – 23 February 1821) was an English poet of the second generation of Romantic poets, with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley. His poems had been in publication for less than four years when he died of tuberculo ...

poem "

Ode on a Grecian Urn "Ode on a Grecian Urn" is a poem written by the English Romantic poet John Keats in May 1819, first published anonymously in ''Annals of the Fine Arts for 1819'' (see 1820 in poetry)''.'' The poem is one of the " Great Odes of 1819", which a ...

", whose narrator is likewise "half in love with easeful Death". Ricks claims that, broken down line for line, "similar turns of phrase, figures of speech, ndfelicities of rhyming" can be found throughout "Not Dark Yet" and the ''Ode''. Ricks also argues that "there is a strong affinity with Keats in the way that in the song ''night'' colours, darkens, the whole atmosphere while never being spoken of", just as Keats used ''winter'' to color and darken the atmosphere in another poem he wrote, ''To Autumn''. "Dylan's refrain or burden is 'It's not dark yet, but it's getting there'. He bears it and bares it beautifully, with exquisite precision of voice, dry humour, and resilience, all these in the cause of fortitude at life's going to be brought to an end by death". ''Spectrum Culture'' included the song on a list of "Bob Dylan's 20 Best Songs of the 90s". In an article accompanying the list, critic Peter Tabakis wrote, "The song’s languid, fatalistic beauty no doubt makes it his most beguiling composition since '

Blind Willie McTell Blind Willie McTell (born William Samuel McTier; May 5, 1898 – August 19, 1959) was a Piedmont blues and ragtime singer and guitarist. He played with a fluid, syncopated fingerstyle guitar technique, common among many exponents of Piedmont bl ...

'. Regret saturates every raspy couplet. Cynicism pervades this reflexive evaluation of a life lived. The Reaper’s a knock, knock, knockin’ on his front door". Yet Tabakis, writing in 2020, also noted that, in spite of the song's despairing tone, it provides catharsis: “'Not Dark Yet' offers succor, something like homeopathic medicine. There’s a reason many of us rushed to revisit Soderbergh’s ''Contagion'' when a real-life pandemic broke out earlier this year. That impulse goes straight back to

Ancient Greece Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity ( AD 600), that comprised a loose collection of cult ...

, to the birth of tragedy – ''catharsis''. On 'Not Dark Yet', Dylan is at once our

Aeschylus Aeschylus (, ; grc-gre, Αἰσχύλος ; c. 525/524 – c. 456/455 BC) was an ancient Greek tragedian, and is often described as the father of tragedy. Academic knowledge of the genre begins with his work, and understanding of earlier Greek ...

and

Agamemnon In Greek mythology, Agamemnon (; grc-gre, Ἀγαμέμνων ''Agamémnōn'') was a king of Mycenae who commanded the Greeks during the Trojan War. He was the son, or grandson, of King Atreus and Queen Aerope, the brother of Menelaus, the husb ...

, the tragedian and tragic hero. Bad shit may be timeless, but reality can, by contrast, be a little bit better than fiction. Cold comfort. And comforting, nonetheless". ''Ultimate Classic Rock'' critic Matthew Wilkening rated "Not Dark Yet" as the 3rd best song Dylan recorded between 1992 and 2011, praising it as "a stately, surprisingly clear-sung accounting of a painful life from a man who sees the end closing in on him." A 2021 ''Guardian'' article included it on a list of "80 Bob Dylan songs everyone should know".

Music video

An official music video for the song, directed by Michael B. Borofsky, was filmed in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

in October 1997. The video juxtaposes both color and black-and-white footage of Dylan, wearing riverboat gambler garb, and his band (including

Larry Campbell Larry W. Campbell (born 28 February 1948) is a Canadian politician that served as the 37th mayor of Vancouver, Canada from 2002 until 2005 and since 2005 has been a member of the Senate of Canada. Before he was mayor, Campbell worked for t ...

on electric guitar and

Bucky Baxter William "Bucky" Baxter (1955May 25, 2020) was an American guitarist. He is best known as a member of Steve Earle and The Dukes and as a member of Bob Dylan's backing band in the mid-90s during the Never Ending Tour. He released his only solo ...

on pedal steel guitar) performing the song on stage at the New Daisy Theatre on

Beale Street Beale Street is a street in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee, which runs from the Mississippi River to East Street, a distance of approximately . It is a significant location in the city's history, as well as in the history of blues music. Today, th ...

, with black-and-white footage of the city outside. The video was released in March 1998, the month after ''Time Out of Mind'' won three

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

s including one for

Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to: Awards * ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia * Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK * Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US * Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA * Lati ...

. Another music video was shot for the song " Love Sick" at the same location on the same day, featuring Dylan and model Rachel DiPaolo, but it has never been released.

Cultural references

The line "She wrote me a letter and she wrote it so kind" is a quote from the traditional folk song "Red River Shore". The line "I was born here and I'll die here against my will" is a paraphrase of a

Talmudic The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cente ...

passage from the Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers), Chapter 4, verse 22: "Let not your heart convince you that the grave is your escape; for against your will you are formed, against your will you are born, against your will you live, against your will you die, and against your will you are destined to give a judgement and accounting before the king, king of all kings, the Holy One, blessed be He".

Other versions

''The Bootleg Series Vol. 17: Fragments - Time Out Of Mind Sessions (1996-1997)'', released on January 27, 2023, contains a version of the original album track remixed by Michael Brauer as well as two studio outtakes of the song and a live version from 2000. On January 11, 2023, Dylan released a new video of one of the outtakes, in which the song is accompanied by a montage of archival photographs, to promote the album's release.

Live versions

Dylan has played the song live 191 times on the

Never Ending Tour The Never Ending Tour is the popular name for Bob Dylan's ongoing touring schedule which began on June 7, 1988. During the course of the tour, musicians have come and gone as the band has continued to evolve. The tour amassed a huge fan base with ...

between 1997 and 2019. Dylan performed the song with

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

on June 30 in 1999 at a benefit for the

Crossroads Centre The Crossroads Centre is a substance-abuse rehabilitation centre for drug and alcohol addiction located on the Caribbean island of Antigua in Antigua and Barbuda. It was founded with support from guitarist/singer Eric Clapton in 1998. He ...

Antigua Antigua ( ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the native population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Bar ...

, a concert that was later broadcast on television and released on home video. A live version from September 22, 2000, performed in Sheffield, England, is included on ''The Bootleg Series Vol. 17: Fragments - Time Out Of Mind Sessions (1996-1997)''. The song's live debut occurred at the

Columbus Civic Center Columbus Civic Center is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Columbus, Georgia, built in 1996. History The arena was built in 1996, along with a Softball Complex, to fully complete South Commons (an area consisting of a baseball and football s ...

Columbus, Georgia Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee County, with which it ...

on October 30, 1997 and the last performance (to date) took place at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. on December 8, 2019.

Cover versions

"Not Dark Yet" has been covered by many artists. Among the most notable covers: *

Robyn Hitchcock Robyn Rowan Hitchcock (born 3 March 1953) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano, and bass guitar. After leading the Soft Boys in the late 1970s and releasing the ...

covered it for his 2002 album of Dylan covers ''

Robyn Sings ''Robyn Sings'' is a double album by Robyn Hitchcock, released in 2002. The set is made up entirely of Bob Dylan covers, performed live at various dates. The CD was the second release on Hitchcock's own Editions PAF! label. Background Hitchc ...

'' *

Barb Jungr Barb Jungr (born 9 May 1954) is an English singer, songwriter and theatre writer, who has recorded versions of songs by Bob Dylan, Sting, Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen and Leonard Cohen. Career Barb Jungr was born in Rochdale, Lancashire ...

for her 2002 album '' Every Grain of Sand: Barb Jungr Sings Bob Dylan'' *

Julie Felix Julie Ann Felix (June 14, 1938 – March 22, 2020) was an American-British folk singer and recording artist who achieved success, particularly on British television, in the late 1960s and early 1970s. She later performed and released albums on h ...

for her 2002 album ''Starry Eyed and Laughing'' *

Kirsti Huke Kirsti Huke (born March 6, 1977 in Melhus, Norway) is a Norwegian singer, and composer. Huke was best recognized as the lead singer for Norwegian doom metal/experimental band The 3rd and the Mortal in the final line-up. She is also known from c ...

for her 2007 album ''Deloo'' *

Jimmy LaFave Jimmy LaFave (July 12, 1955 – May 21, 2017) was an American singer-songwriter and folk musician. After moving to Stillwater, Oklahoma, LaFave became a supporter of Woody Guthrie. He later became an Advisory Board member and regular performer ...

for his 2007 album '' Cimarron Manifesto'' *

played it live during his 2009 Ireland/UK tour *

Silversun Pickups Silversun Pickups is an American alternative rock band from Los Angeles that was formed in 2000. The band is composed of Brian Aubert, Nikki Monninger, Christopher Guanlao, and Joe Lester. The band released their debut EP, '' Pikul'', in July 2 ...

for the '' Chimes of Freedom'' compilation in 2012 *

Trey Gunn Trey Gunn (born December 13, 1960) is an American musician, known for his membership in the progressive rock band King Crimson from 1994 to 2003, playing Warr Guitar and Chapman Stick. Biography A native Texan who now resides in Seattle, Washi ...

for his 2015 album ''The Waters, They Are Rising'' *

Ruby Amanfu A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sap ...

for her 2015 album ''Standing Still'', which takes its title from a phrase in the song *

Allison Moorer Allison Moorer (born June 21, 1972) is an American singer/songwriter. She signed with MCA Nashville in 1997 and made her debut on the U.S. Billboard Country Chart with the release of her debut single, “A Soft Place To Fall,” which she co-wr ...

and

Shelby Lynne Shelby Lynne (born Shelby Lynn Moorer, October 22, 1968) is an American singer and songwriter and the older sister of singer-songwriter Allison Moorer. The success of her pop rock album '' I Am Shelby Lynne'' (1999) led to her winning the Grammy ...

for their 2017 collaborative album ''

Not Dark Yet "Not Dark Yet" is a song by Bob Dylan, recorded in January 1997 and released in September that year as the seventh track on his album '' Time Out of Mind.'' It was also released as a single on August 25, 1997 and later anthologized on the compila ...

'', which takes its title from the song *

Calum Scott Calum Scott (born 12 October 1988) is an English singer and songwriter. In April 2015, he rose to prominence after competing on the ITV talent contest ''Britain's Got Talent'', where he performed his version of Robyn's hit "Dancing on My Own". ...

for his 2018 album ''Only Human'' *

Lucinda Williams Lucinda Gayle Williams (born January 26, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter and a solo guitarist. She recorded her first two albums: '' Ramblin' on My Mind'' (1979) and '' Happy Woman Blues'' (1980), in a traditional country and blues style ...

for her 2020 live album ''Lu's Jukebox Vol. 3 - Bob's Back Pages: A Night Of Bob Dylan Songs'' * Tom Jones for the expanded edition of his 2021 album ''

Surrounded by Time ''Surrounded by Time'' is the 41st studio album by Welsh singer Tom Jones, released on 23 April 2021 through EMI Records internationally and S-Curve Records in the United States. It is Jones' fourth covers album produced by Ethan Johns, whom he ...

'' *

Dave Gahan Dave may refer to: Film, television, and theater * ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver * ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film * Dave (TV channel), a digital television channel in the ...

Soulsavers Soulsavers (also known as The Soulsavers Soundsystem) is an English-American production and remix team composed of Rich Machin and Ian Glover. The Soulsavers' downtempo electronica sound incorporates influences of rock, gospel, soul, and country. ...

for their 2021 album ''

Imposter An impostor (also spelled imposter) is a person who pretends to be somebody else, often through means of disguise. Their objective is usually to try to gain financial or social advantages through social engineering, but also often for purposes ...

Inclusion on soundtracks

"Not Dark Yet" has been prominently featured on the soundtracks of many films and television shows, including ''

Wonder Boys ''Wonder Boys'' is a 1995 novel by the American writer Michael Chabon. It was adapted into a film with the same title in 2000. Plot summary Pittsburgh professor and author Grady Tripp is working on an unwieldy 2,611-page manuscript that is mean ...

'', ''The Passion of the Christ: Songs Inspired by The Passion of the Christ'', ''

Why We Fight ''Why We Fight'' is a series of seven propaganda films produced by the US Department of War from 1942 to 1945, during World War II. It was originally written for American soldiers to help them understand why the United States was involved in th ...

,'' the Dylan-starring ''

Masked and Anonymous ''Masked and Anonymous'' is a 2003 drama film directed by Larry Charles. The film was written by Larry Charles and Bob Dylan, the latter under the pseudonym "Sergei Petrov". It stars Dylan alongside a star-heavy cast, including John Goodman, Jeff ...

'', '' Life Itself'', the

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

series ''

Californication Californication may refer to: *Californication (word), an expression that refers to the influx of Californians into various western states in the U.S. * ''Californication'' (album), a 1999 album by the Red Hot Chili Peppers ** "Californication" (son ...

'' (Season 3, Episode 3), '' Deadwood'' (Season 2 premiere "A Lie Agreed Upon, Part 1"), '' After Life'' (Season 3, Episode 2), '' Henry Poole Is Here,

Knockaround Guys ''Knockaround Guys'' is a 2001 American action crime thriller film starring Barry Pepper, Vin Diesel, Seth Green, John Malkovich and Dennis Hopper. It was filmed in locations in the U.S. and Canada including the small town of Delia, Alberta. Pl ...

,'' and

Richard Linklater Richard Stuart Linklater (; born July 30, 1960) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is known for films that revolve mainly around suburban culture and the effects of the passage of time. His films include the comedies '' ...

's ''

Last Flag Flying ''Last Flag Flying'' is a 2017 American war comedy-drama film directed by Richard Linklater with a screenplay by Linklater and Darryl Ponicsan, based upon the latter's 2005 novel of the same name. It stars Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, and Laurenc ...

'' where the song plays in its entirety over the closing credits. "Not Dark Yet" played on the soundtrack of the opening of Episode 2, Season 3 of ''After Life''.

Track listings for CD singles

CD (COL 665443 2): # "Not Dark Yet" – 6:29 # "

Tombstone Blues "Tombstone Blues" is the second song on Bob Dylan's 1965 album ''Highway 61 Revisited''. Musically it is influenced by the blues, while the lyrics are typical of Dylan's surreal style of the period, with such lines as "the sun's not yellow, it's c ...

" (Live) – 6:26 # "

Ballad of a Thin Man "Ballad of a Thin Man" is a song written and recorded by Bob Dylan, and released in 1965 on his sixth album, ''Highway 61 Revisited''. Recording Dylan recorded "Ballad of a Thin Man" in Studio A of Columbia Records in New York City, located at 799 ...

" (Live) – 8:47 # "

Boots of Spanish Leather "Boots of Spanish Leather" is a ballad written and performed by Bob Dylan, recorded in New York City on August 7, 1963, and released in 1964 on his album '' The Times They Are a-Changin. It features Dylan solo on the acoustic guitar, playing the ...

" (Live) – 6:35 2-track CD (COL 665443 1): # "Not Dark Yet" – 6:29 # "Tombstone Blues" (Live) – 6:26 ''Not Dark Yet: Dylan Alive Vol. 2'' Japanese EP: # "Not Dark Yet" – 6:29 # "Boots of Spanish Leather" (Live) – 6:34 # "

Tears of Rage "Tears of Rage" is a song with lyrics written by Bob Dylan and melody by Richard Manuel. Dylan and the Band first recorded the song in 1967, but it was not released until 1975 on ''The Basement Tapes'' album. In 1968, the Band recorded it for t ...

" (Live) – 7:20 # " Senor (Tales of Yankee Power)" (Live) – 4:39

Notes

* "Tombstone Blues" and "Ballad of a Thin Man" were recorded live at the House of Blues, Atlanta, GA; August 4, 1996. * "Boots of Spanish Leather" was recorded live at the House of Blues, Atlanta, GA; August 3, 1996.

References

External links

*
Lyrics
from Bob Dylan's official site {{DEFAULTSORT:Not Dark Yet 1997 singles Bob Dylan songs Columbia Records singles Song recordings produced by Daniel Lanois Songs written by Bob Dylan