One Too Many Mornings

Bob Dylan

Down the street the dogs are barkin'
And the day is a-gettin' dark
As the night comes in a-fallin'
The dogs'll lose their bark
An' the silent night will shatter
From the sounds inside my mind
Yes, I'm one too many mornings
And a thousand miles behind

From the crossroads of my doorstep
My eyes they start to fade
And I turn my head back to the room
Where my love and I have laid
An' I gaze back to the street
The sidewalk and the sign
And I'm one too many mornings
An' a thousand miles behind

It's a restless hungry feeling
That don't mean no one no good
When everything I'm a-sayin'
You can say it just as good
You're right from your side
I'm right from mine
We're both just one too many mornings
An' a thousand miles behind


Lyrics submitted by Jack

One Too Many Mornings Lyrics as written by Bob Dylan

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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One Too Many Mornings song meanings
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10 Comments

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  • +5
    My Interpretation
    Again love is the engine for Dylan. I think the song is about realizing that it was a mistake. Nothing got more shiny by meeting each other. things get dull and over-realistic. No dialog - just confrontation. "we weren't made for each other" - so what! As in "It aint me, babe" (mentioned erlier)the man leaves a relation with pride, not sobbing. This girl was just not IT! Males can learn a lot from his attitude to relationships. He is not bitter, he doesn't blame himself. He just reasons that this didn't work. No freudian digging, just noticing that our love didn't lift us up; but build us down, and now I have to build it all up again. Hard work - but endurable. Strong male attitude in these hard times for male strenghts.
    moonmaanon May 07, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General Comment
    why are there no comments on this? seriously, this might be my favorite dylan song. it's a song that reminds me of those insomniac nights, so lonely and beautiful.
    BorrowedTuneon December 28, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    This song has morphed several times. The 1975 'Rolling Thunder Review' version on 'Hard Rain' has an added verse, but my own personal favourite is the Live 1966 version. It's just a song about agreeing to disagree. The last verse sums it up.
    elephant_rangeon February 27, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    Such a beautiful song. I know I'm not alone when I say how much that 'restless hungry feeling' rings true.. when everything feels like shit, and there doesn't feel like anything left to tie you down, and you just want to get away. Heavily reminiscent of 'It Ain't Me Babe'.
    dongiovannion March 11, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    Here is the additional half-verse from the "Hard Rain" live album: I've no right to be here If you've no right to stay Until we're both one too many mornings And a thousand miles away
    Mad Woman Moonon July 29, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    A good song of analagous theme is John Mayer's "Quiet," don't bother telling me he's no Dylan, I know, but just a sugesstion for a different take on the wee small hours.
    myfriendbrennon June 01, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    one of my fav dylan songs i think its about two people breaking up and not knowing why they did it
    dylanfan71on June 15, 2007   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation
    The 2 had a falling out, and as soon as she felt unloved, she hit the road. He broke her heart so she left. After she left, he was willing to do almost anything to get her back, thinking irrationally almost. He wanted to go after her, but she could be anywhere. As soon as he gets out the front door, he wants to ask for directions. He puts himself into a panic, and nearly passes out when he realized he's not going to find her. The “restless hunger feeling" is just your heart being shattered into a million pieces, and he knows that she was feeling the same thing after he pushed her away.
    dougl88on November 28, 2014   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation
    Most people focus on the implied relationship issues in this song, and they are certainly there. I feel him being pulled by a sense of destiny: he can't find it here. Dylan also wrote: "my weariness amazes me; I'm branded on my feet ...", and in that song he was also waiting for his muse; the Tambourine Man who would take him into a new life of magic swirling ships ... while he is numb: branded on his feet. I'm sure that somewhere early along the way, Dylan knew that he was the Tamborine Man.
    jamesmanon December 07, 2017   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    I feel that every comment before mine are right. I will just add a thought: he is on a doorstep. Half in a house and half outside. He turns his head back to the room (where my love and I have laid / and where they were supposed to live together), but there's no more sense in living there. He gazes back to the street, the sidewalk and the sign. The night comes in a-fallin'. His eyes they start to fade. There are crossroads to choose, but the stress is on the feeling of having no right to stay home: just taking (whatever) road is the only (temporary?) answer.
    wolf56on November 05, 2022   Link

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