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Tomorrow Is a Long Time

Rating:
4.3 / 5

Words & Music: Bob Dylan

If today was not an endless highway
If tonight was not an endless trail
If tomorrow wasn't such a long time
Then lonesome would mean nothing to me at all

Yes and only if my own true love was waiting
If I could hear her heart softly pounding
If only she was lying by me
Then I'd lie in my bed once again

I can't see my reflection in the water
I can't speak the sounds that show no pain
I can't hear the echo of my footsteps
I can't remember the sound of my own name

Yes and only if my own true love was waiting
If I could hear her heart softly pounding
If only she was lying by me
Then I'd lie in my bed once again

There's beauty in the silver singing river
There's beauty in the sunrise in the sky
But none of these and nothing else could match the beauty
That I remember in my true love's eyes

Yes and only if my own true love was waiting
If I could hear her heart softly pounding
If only she was lying by me
Then I'd lie in my bed once again

If today was not an endless highway
If tonight was not an endless trail
If tomorrow wasn't such a long time
Then lonesome would mean nothing to me at all

Yes and only if my own true love was waiting
If I could hear her heart softly pounding
If only she was lying by me
Then I'd lie in my bed once again

Recordingdate: 1966/05/25, first released on: Spinout (album)

Musicians

Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Tomorrow Is a Long Time:

(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(bass)
(drums)
(drums)
(piano)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(sax)

Availability

Find available albums with Tomorrow Is a Long Time.

Lex wrote on January 09, 2009
Probably the best sung Dylan song. In my top 10 for sure!
Deano1 wrote on February 21, 2010
Recorded in 1966 and released that year on the LP "Spinout" as a bonus song. Not as great as some would have you believe, but a very solid rendition of good Dylan song. Elvis' longest song at the time as it came in at five minutes and 26 seconds.
Steve V wrote on June 11, 2010
This would have been the song that would have brought Elvis back to the top 10 in 1966, exactly what happened when Darin covered 'Carpenter'. The time was right for this to be a single and for a studio album with this as the title stressing Elvis sings Dylan. But alas, it was buried on a soundtrack a brilliant move by RCA. Great song, great vocal.
Natha wrote on August 13, 2011
Booooring song. I never liked it and I still don't. And it drags on and on. Now this is a number I always skip.
Rob Wanders wrote on April 16, 2012
such a great song and elvis does a superb job on this. an absolute highlight
Pedro Nuno wrote on April 16, 2012
A Master Piece. A song I grew my affection over and over year after year. Considered by the book "1001 songs you must hear before you die" of the best 60's songs. No doubt one of Dylan's best cover ever by anyone. THE KING. My King. P.S. For The record - In that book Elvis is the #1 (single or group) in references of songs you must hear before you die: 7! From Heartbreak Hotel till ALLC remix!
Marty_TCE wrote on April 16, 2012
A masterpiece, hidden away by RCA. Dylan loved Elvis' version of this awesome song. 5 stars from me * * * * *
NONE000000 wrote on April 16, 2012
First, it is great. Elvis does the song beautifully. So beautiful, that I hate to add some negative comments, but I will. The tempo Elvis did this at is too slow! Much like his recording of Gentle On My Mind, the tempo just drags, especially if you are familiar with the original. Nobody had a voice as perfect as Elvis, which almost always means the Elvis version of a song is gonna be better than any other version. But this would be much improved if Elvis had just taken it at a slightly quicker pace, with a little fancier guitar work. (I should just cut and paste this over to the song "Gentle On My Mind" too! Talk about a great 60's single that never happened! "Tomorrow Is A Long Time/Gentle On My Mind" by Elvis Presley---but with the Guitar Man/Big Boss Man/US Male musician line-up backing him at the correct tempo!)
MickeyN wrote on April 16, 2012
This is an absolutely brilliant version of a brilliant song. The Dylan lyrics are so meaningful and Elvis's interpretation gives them real soul. The tempo is rightly slow, it fits the song. Bob Dylan considers this to be his favourite cover of his songs. I wish this had been a single and better known to the music listening public.
TCB1974 wrote on April 16, 2012
Very strong recording, not amongst his best, but definitely very good. The Spinout album was a pretty fine soundtrack and movie at the time, at least much better than Harum Scarum, Paradise Hawaiian Style and Double Trouble. Combined with bonus songs like this, the Spinout soundtrack album was actually worth its money.
ElvisSacramento wrote on October 26, 2012
This is such a marvelous song and Elvis definitely has the best rendition of it by far. RCA certainly didn't do this song justice back then by putting it on the "Spinout" soundtrack album as a bonus track. What RCA should have done back then was put this cover song on an album titled "Guitar Man" like FTD did not long ago. "Guitar Man" is easily one of the very best FTD releases by far.
Gorse wrote on December 09, 2012
This is a very good song but is hyped up more than it should be. I always enjoy Down In The Alley from Spinout more than this one which could have been shorter, and just as effective. It is still a great performance and very enjoyable and gets 4 stars from me.
sugartummy wrote on May 22, 2013
Dylan hadn't yet recorded this song when Elvis did it. Elvis knew Odetta's version from the album Odetta sings Dylan. The tempo on that song is also very slow. Even the arrangment of the song is simular. Elvis sang it better though.
2kisses&3scarfs wrote on September 05, 2014
This is one of my favorites! I can listen to this song over and over again, and never get tired of it. Elvis sings it SO beautifully! Even Dylan said it was his favorite cover of his song.
atomic powered poste wrote on May 30, 2018
No mannerisms, no exaggeration, just respect for the song. A wonderful recording, a masterpiece. 5 stars of course.
Cruiser621 wrote on May 30, 2018
Probably the longest, most drawn out song he ever recorded. Boring comes to mind. 1-star. I can't get into this song at all; just because Bob Dylan wrote it, doesn't mean it's the be all, end all. Sorry.
DerekH wrote on April 28, 2020
A good recording, when you compare it to most of the 1966 efforts. At least I could listen to this, and most of the bonus songs.
LeeRusz wrote on April 29, 2020
Love this song. Yes it's long, so what? Recorded at a time when the green shoots of his career had finally started to appear. I class this and the likes of Guitar Man, High Heal Sneakers etc as a time of when "the fog" was beginning to lift. Five Star performance.
bajo wrote on April 29, 2020
It only comes to show that Elvis' ear for music were something very special. Even in those days, he kept listening to what went on around him. As he always had. And, again he did it his way! Tomorrow Is A Long Time is a very special, untraditional Elvis song. He gave it his touch, and that's what makes this song so special to me. It's not long, it's not boring, it's just as if you would want it to never end! At least that's my opinion. I like it, always have, always will! Those 3 bonus songs on the Spinout album were great imo! Should have ended up as it eventually did on the Tomorrow Is A Long Time album in 1999. RCA/BMG 1999 07863 67740 2
JerryNodak wrote on October 13, 2020
It's a great song. Elvis does a fine job. I've loved it since I first heard it on the "Spinout" LP way back in the day.
Milky White Way wrote on February 12, 2023
Nice song but not great imo. It’s beautifully sung but too long and drags. If it built in energy like Tomorrow never comes, I think it would be much more interesting.
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