The ‘but’ seems to suggest some finality about the darkness. It is about the unbearable state of the world he lives in. "Not Dark Yet is a quiet, introspective, and ultimately, bleak book: one that explores the possibilities and limits of the human need for engagement—and even more, for aloneness. " Nevertheless, the phrase ‘get away’, in reminding us of its opposite ‘getting there’ in the refrain, suggests that getting away might be a matter of getting away from the eternal consequences of his failure to act. To be, to exist in a meaningful way in the present, requires having been usefully active in the past. However, the full implications of the second quote are made clear if we take ‘still’ in the temporal sense it has in the first quote. 22 and 45) with a role in saving not just himself but humanity generally from ‘the drain’. [8] The video was released in March 1998, the month after Time Out of Mind won three Grammy Awards including one for Album of the Year. In fact since the line ‘I was born here, I’ll die here …’ must be about physical death, that would seem to suggest that the ‘dark’ referred to up to that point concerns a different sort of death. Not Dark Yet is one of the triumphs of Dylan’s later work – a pivotal point on the album, the darkest moment (despite the title) which then leads the way towards light. There’s not even room enough to be anywhere. The narrator fails to act and then, absurdly, tries avoid the consequences by running away. He needs then to take advantage of Christ’s having made humanity’s spiritual regeneration possible. By contrast the third-person pronouns ‘she’ and ‘her’ occur a total of just four times. The repetition of the word ‘down’ – ‘down the drain’/’down in writing’ – makes us link the points. That, too, might be cause for hope. One of Dylan’s deepest and simplest, and it is very “Biblical” in the OT sense (Original Testament). If so, getting away amounts to running away. The narrator tells a story in a very matter of fact way, it is stark and devoid of sentimentality. [6], Spectrum Culture included the song on a list of "Bob Dylan's 20 Best Songs of the 90s". And as Ricks points out, the song comprises twenty-four lines – one for each hour of that day. The use of a spatial term for eternity suggests that perhaps unconsciously the narrator sees eternity as something other than mere darkness. ‘I’ve been here all day’ the narrator tells us right at the beginning. Since the sun is the Son, the narrator will then be the Son, a second Adam (cf 1Cor 15. ‘It’s too hot to sleep,’ he complains, and since that sleep is death, it would seem that death is being put off for a little while. The most obvious answer is that to create something extraordinary takes abnormal effort and sacrifice but it might also allude to the fact that often the catalyst for the creation of an artwork - like a song, book or painting - is the inspiration that comes from a sad or psychologically painful event event. "Something There Is About You" / "Tough Mama", "Is Your Love In Vain?" Translator. Comment and share your favourite lyrics. **’ I ain’t lookin’ for nothin’ in anyone’s eyes’ is one of three lines in the song apparently borrowed from Dylan’s own Marchin’ To The City where it appears without the ‘I ain’t’. He is reflecting on a past life but not from a degree of what you see as total finality, ie death. The original Greek word is katalmbano, which can mean "acquire," "grasp," or "lay hold of." At the time of diagnosis, he was given 4 years to live. ( Log Out /  Warning: This video may contain copyright material and is being used under Title 17 U.S.C. At the same time he comes across as self-centred, pessimistic and cursed with a Hamlet-like lassitude, all of which would seem to contribute to his failed life. "Not Dark Yet" has been covered by many artists. I feel like my soul has turned into steel. A pessimistic outlook is apparent right from the start of the song. ‘It’s not dark yet, but it’s getting there’ ‘Dark’ may well refer to physical death which the narrator sees approaching. Time Out of Mind (1997: Studio) Play: Alternate versions by Bob Dylan. "Not Dark Yet" received widespread acclaim upon its release in 1997 with many critics citing it as the highlight of Time Out of Mind. One, The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991, Vol. It's about love, but not necessarily romantic. Sans tells Frisk to give him their soul like in the last timeline, to which Frisk agrees. [7], An official music video for the song, directed by Michael B. Borofsky, was filmed in Memphis, Tennessee in October 1997. ‘I know it looks like I’m moving, but I’m standing still’. Jesus' light came during a dark time, according to verse 5. ‘It’s not dark yet’, it proclaims, and leaves it there without the complementary negativity of the refrain’s ‘but it’s getting there’. ( Log Out /  Not Dark Yet … He comes across as utterly resigned to dying as he lists the minimal achievements of his life (‘I’ve been to London, I’ve been to gay Paree’) and contemplates extinction (‘Don’t even hear the murmur of a prayer’). And it is more a spiritual darkness then a physical ‘end of life’. The title track is taken from the Bob Dylan song of the same name. "Not Dark Yet". 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue, Vol. In terms of the sun/Son imagery he needs to be the sun and so dispel the falling shadows. 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