YouTube is the Gerdes Folk City of the 21st century, where anyone with an acoustic guitar and a dream can have their music "reflect from the mountains so all souls can see it." The YouTube Bob Dylan cover version is practically a musical genre unto itself. Some of them are god-awful. Some are hilariously awful. Some are well-intentioned but dull. And every once in a while there is a stunner.
Shuber’s cover of the 1963 Dylan folk ballad “Tomorrow is a Long Time” certainly falls into the latter category. Ms. Shuber perfectly captures the tune’s sense of youth, longing and melancholy. And her haunting, faraway gaze as she stands in her Beatles-postered bedroom lets us know she’s feeling every word of it.
Though written in 1963, “Tomorrow” took a long time to make it to an actual Dylan album, appearing as a live version on 1971’s superb Greatest Hits, Vol. II. It’s easy to see why. While a beautiful song, it is similar in tone to some other early-Bob ballads, including “Girl of the North Country” and “Boots of Spanish Leather.” He continues to play it live on his Never-Ending Tour.
Shuber is only the latest in a long line of musical luminaries who have taken a crack at “Tomorrow is a Long Time.” Most notable is Elvis Presley, who did a terrific version which first appeared buried on, of all places, the 1966 soundtrack to Spinout. It’s proof that Elvis was still capable of making a fine, thoughtful record, even while he was phoning it in as an actor by day. It’s the only Dylan cover the King ever released, and Dylan himself has named it as his favorite. (It's now available on a compilation called, of course, Tomorrow Is A Long Time.)
Way back when he was cool, Rod Stewart put his stamp on the tune on his flawless 1971 LP Every Picture Tells a Story. He also put his stamp on the title, adding the word “such.” And Nick Drake’s recently released rarities compilation Family Tree also featured a version.
Congratulations, shuber on winning your first T-Neck award. In celebration, several versions of “Tomorrow is a Long Time.”
mp3: Bob Dylan, “Tomorrow is a Long Time," Greatest Hits, Vol. II
mp3: Elvis Presley, “Tomorrow is a Long Time" Tomorrow is a Long Time
mp3: Rod Stewart, “Tomorrow is Such a Long Time,” Every Picture Tells a Story
mp3: Bob Dylan, “Tomorrow is a Long Time,” Rundown Rehearsals, 1978 (unreleased)
mp3: Nick Drake, "Tomorrow is a Long Time," Family Tree
Squee! I feel so loved. :)
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