If You Gotta Go, Go Now
Bob Dylan, Manfred Mann
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Listen to me, baby, There's something you must see. I want to be with you, gal, If you want to be with me. But if you got to go, It's all right. But if you got to go, go now, Or else you gotta stay all night. It ain't that I'm questionin' you. To take part in any quiz. It's just that I ain't got no watch An' you keep askin' me what time it is. But if you got to go, It's all right. But if you got to go, go now, Or else you gotta stay all night. I am just a poor boy, baby, Lookin' to connect. But I certainly don't want you thinkin' That I ain't got any respect. But if you got to go, It's all right. But if you got to go, go now, Or else you gotta stay all night. You know I'd have nightmares And a guilty conscience, too, If I kept you from anything That you really wanted to do. But if you got to go, It's all right. But if you got to go, go now, Or else you gotta stay all night. It ain't that I'm wantin' Anything you never gave before. It's just that I'll be sleepin' soon, It'll be too dark for you to find the door. But if you got to go, It's all right. But if you got to go, go now, Or else you gotta stay all night.
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Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
6 facts about this song
Release and Composition"If You Gotta Go, Go Now" is a song written by American music legend Bob Dylan and appeared on his "The Bootleg Series Vol. 1-3" collection.
- Although Dylan wrote the song, he never released it as a single.
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Live PerformancesBob Dylan first performed the song publicly in his concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 1965.
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Manfred Mann VersionThe English rock band, Manfred Mann, recorded a highly successful cover version of Dylan’s "If You Gotta Go, Go Now."
- Manfred Mann's version was more successful than Dylan's; it reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart in 1965.
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ControversyDylan’s lyrics, though never explicit, bore a certain provocative undertone and because of this, Dylan’s version of the song was banned by BBC for being too risqué for the radio listeners of the 1960s.
- Manfred Mann lyrically modified the song to bypass the BBC’s restrictions, ironically making it more explicitly sexual but also more acceptable to the censors of the time.
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Later VersionsAlongside Manfred Mann, other artists have also performed and recorded the song. These include The Flying Burrito Brothers and The Four Pennies.
- In 1976, a live version of the song was released that featured Bob Dylan performing with The Band.
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Language AdaptationThe song was even translated into French by artist Hugues Aufray, titled "Si Tu Dois Partir," making it a hit in the French-speaking world.
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Citation
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"If You Gotta Go, Go Now Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 May 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/33599851/Bob+Dylan/If+You+Gotta+Go%2C+Go+Now>.
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