FeaturedChartsVideosPromote Your Music
Cover art for If You Gotta Go, Go Now by Bob Dylan

If You Gotta Go, Go Now

Bob Dylan
Track 29 on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991 

Produced by

Tom Wilson
Originally released as the b-side of the single “To Ramona” in 1967, this song did not appear on an official Bob Dylan album until the first of the Bootleg Series releases.
Jan. 19671 viewer

If You Gotta Go, Go Now Lyrics

[Intro]
Listen to me, baby
There’s something you must see
I want to be with you, gal
If you want to be with me

[Chorus]
But if you got to go
It’s all right
But if you got to go, go now
Or else you got to stay all night

[Verse 1]
It am not that I’m questioning you
To take part in any quiz
It’s just that I have got no watch
And you keep asking me what time it is

[Chorus]

[Verse 2]
I am just a poor boy, baby
Looking to connect
But I certainly don’t want you thinking
That I have not got any respect
See Bob Dylan Live
Get tickets as low as $30
[Chorus]

[Verse 3]
You know I’d have nightmares
And a guilty conscience, too
If I kept you from anything
That you really wanted to do

[Chorus]

[Verse 4]
It ain't that I’m wanting
Anything you never gave before
It’s just that I’ll be sleeping soon
It’ll be too dark for you to find the door

[Chorus]

How to Format Lyrics:

  • Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
  • If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum

About

Genius Annotation

Originally released as the b-side of the single “To Ramona” in 1967, this song did not appear on an official Bob Dylan album until the first of the Bootleg Series releases.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

Who produced “If You Gotta Go, Go Now” by Bob Dylan?
When did Bob Dylan release “If You Gotta Go, Go Now”?
Who wrote “If You Gotta Go, Go Now” by Bob Dylan?
The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991 (1991)
Bob Dylan
  1. 1.
    Hard Times in New York Town (Demo)
  2. 2.
    He Was a Friend of Mine
  3. 3.
    Man on the Street (Studio Outtake - 1961)
  4. 4.
    No More Auction Block
  5. 5.
    House Carpenter
  6. 6.
    Talkin’ Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues
  7. 7.
    Let Me Die in My Footsteps
  8. 8.
    Rambling Gambling Willie (Studio Outtake)
  9. 9.
    Talkin’ Hava Negeilah Blues
  10. 10.
    Quit Your Low Down Ways
  11. 11.
    Worried Blues
  12. 12.
    Kingsport Town
  13. 13.
    Walkin’ Down the Line (Demo, 1963)
  14. 14.
    Walls of Red Wing
  15. 15.
    Paths of Victory
  16. 16.
    Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid Blues
  17. 17.
    Who Killed Davey Moore?
  18. 18.
    Only a Hobo
  19. 19.
    Moonshiner
  20. 20.
    When the Ship Comes In
  21. 21.
    The Times They Are A-Changin’
  22. 22.
    Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie
  23. 23.
    Seven Curses
  24. 24.
    Eternal Circle (Studio Outtake, 1963)
  25. 25.
    Suze (The Cough Song)
  26. 26.
    Mama, You Been on My Mind
  27. 27.
    Farewell, Angelina
  28. 28.
    Subterranean Homesick Blues
  29. 29.
    If You Gotta Go, Go Now
  30. 30.
    Sitting on a Barbed Wire Fence
  31. 31.
    Like a Rolling Stone
  32. 32.
    It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry
  33. 33.
    I’ll Keep It with Mine
  34. 34.
    She’s Your Lover Now
  35. 35.
    I Shall Be Released (Alternate Take)
  36. 36.
    Santa Fé
  37. 37.
    If Not for You
  38. 38.
    Wallflower
  39. 39.
    Nobody ’Cept You
  40. 40.
    Tangled Up in Blue (Take 3, Remake 2)
  41. 41.
    Call Letter Blues (9/16/74 Take 2)
  42. 42.
    Idiot Wind (9/16/74 Take 6) (Missing Lyrics)
  43. 43.
    If You See Her, Say Hello (9/16/74 Take 2) (Missing Lyrics)
  44. 44.
    Golden Loom (Studio Outtake - 1975)
  45. 45.
    Catfish
  46. 46.
    Seven Days
  47. 47.
    Ye Shall Be Changed
  48. 48.
    Every Grain of Sand
  49. 49.
    You Changed My Life
  50. 50.
    Need a Woman
  51. 51.
    Angelina
  52. 52.
    Someone’s Got a Hold of My Heart
  53. 53.
    Tell Me
  54. 54.
    Lord Protect My Child
  55. 55.
    Foot of Pride
  56. 56.
    Blind Willie McTell
  57. 57.
    When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky
  58. 58.
    Series of Dreams
Credits
Produced By
Written By
Release Date
January 1967
Songs That Sample If You Gotta Go, Go Now
If You Gotta Go, Go Now Covers
If You Gotta Go, Go Now Live Performances
View If You Gotta Go, Go Now samples
Tags
RockIn EnglishUSA
Comments
Sign Up And Drop Knowledge 🤓
Genius is the ultimate source of music knowledge, created by scholars like you who share facts and insight about the songs and artists they love.

Genius is the world’s biggest collection of song lyrics and musical knowledge

About GeniusContributor GuidelinesPressShopAdvertisePrivacy Policy
LicensingJobsDevelopersCopyright PolicyContact UsSign InDo Not Sell My Personal Information
© 2024 ML Genius Holdings, LLC
Terms of Use
Verified Artists
All Artists:
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz#
Hot Songs:
BackslideWunderAkureyriPromisesFortnightView All