Time Passes Slowly

Many of the songs on both Nashville Skyline and New Morning find Dylan singing the praises of the simple life of the country, surrounded by friends and family. An example, To Be Alone With You. There’s nothing in those lyrics to suggest that Dylan is not altogether satisfied with his workaday existence as long as he has his woman waiting for him at home.

That thought seems to be a bit too easy. It seems he’s trying to convince himself this new lifestyle is just fine and dandy. Time Passes Slowly seems proof that all might not really be so perfect. 

Time passes slowly up here in the daylight
We stare straight ahead and try so hard to stay right
Like the red rose of summer that blooms in the day
Time passes slowly and fades away

We stare straight ahead and try so hard to stay right” sounds like something a man who is about to bolt off the porch and catch the next train to the big city. Which Dylan will do shortly. He said once about this period, “I went into the bucolic and mundane as far as possible.” By the time of the writing of Time Passes Slowly, it seems he had about reached the breaking point.

Covers


Lyrics

Time passes slowly up here in the mountains
We sit beside bridges and walk beside fountains
Catch the wild fishes that float through the stream
Time passes slowly when you’re lost in a dream

Once I had a sweetheart, she was fine and good-lookin’
We sat in her kitchen while her mama was cookin’
Stared out the window to the stars high above
Time passes slowly when you’re searchin’ for love

Ain’t no reason to go in a wagon to town
Ain’t no reason to go to the fair
Ain’t no reason to go up, ain’t no reason to go down
Ain’t no reason to go anywhere

Time passes slowly up here in the daylight
We stare straight ahead and try so hard to stay right
Like the red rose of summer that blooms in the day
Time passes slowly and fades away

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