Bob Dylan: 5 Great Live Versions of “Love Minus Zero/No Limit”





My love she speaks like silence
Without ideals or violence
She doesn’t have to say she’s faithful
Yet she’s true, like ice, like fire
People carry roses
Make promises by the hours
My love she laughs like the flowers
Valentines can’t buy her

One of his sweetest love songs – apart from the brothel, death and Apocalypse references.
“My love she speaks like silence.” Tricky, but then she is quite a woman: true, morally elevated, yet winking and laughing like the flowers. The very scent of her swirls through this honeyed river of song, borne along on gentle tumbles and ripples of guitar. Frankly, we’re all enamoured … Until that bastard bridge at midnight trembles, the wind howls like a hammer, and she’s suddenly a raven at the window. So- what?- she’s death?With a broken wing too? Now we’re confused, now we’re in a bit of a pickle. Romance over? What happened? What does it mean? Sigh.
MOJO Magzine – 100 Greatest Dylan Songs

Performances:

  • 163 times acoustic w/ band – top year 1994 (24 times)
  • 119 times acoustic – top year – top year 1992 (48 times)
  • 1 time as an instrumental – 1978
  • 90 times w/band – top year 1978 (60 times)
  • First performance: Troy, New York – February  12 , 1965
  • Last played: Broomfield, Colorado – October 30,  2012

Free Trade Hall
Manchester, England
7 May 1965

In the dime stores and bus stations
People talk of situations
Read books, repeat quotations
Draw conclusions on the wall
Some speak of the future
My love she speaks softly
She knows there’s no success like failure
And that failure’s no success at all

Freebody Park
Newport, Rhode Island
24 July 1965
Newport Folk Festival. Contemporary Songs Workshop.





The cloak and dagger dangles
Madams light the candles
In ceremonies of the horsemen
Even the pawn must hold a grudge
Statues made of matchsticks
Crumble into one another
My love winks, she does not bother
She knows too much to argue or to judge

Madison Square Garden
New York City, New York
8 December 1975
Night of The Hurricane

The bridge at midnight trembles
The country doctor rambles
Bankers’ nieces seek perfection
Expecting all the gifts that wise men bring
The wind howls like a hammer
The night blows cold and rainy
My love she’s like some raven
At my window with a broken wing

Hammersmith Odeon
London, England
3 February 1990

  • Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar)
  • G. E. Smith (guitar)
  • Tony Garnier (bass)
  • Christopher Parker (drums)

Trädgårdsföreningen
Gothenburg, Sweden
28 June 1992

  • Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar)
  • Bucky Baxter (pedal steel guitar & electric slide guitar)
  • John Jackson (guitar)
  • Tony Garnier (bass)
  • Ian Wallace (drums)
  • Charlie Quintana (drums & percussion)

-Egil

9 thoughts on “Bob Dylan: 5 Great Live Versions of “Love Minus Zero/No Limit””

  1. The last verse from Philly ’95 is great. Reminds me of some of Jerry’s tunes when he really lets loose.

  2. Love the Copenhagen guitar work. That being said, will always like the solo acoustic/harmonica 65 version the most.

  3. My favourite Version is from december 1975, Toronto, It’s on the Flagging Down the Double E’s disk

  4. Great versions, thanks much. I like the Philly one in 1995. I believe he was touring smaller venues and played the Supper Club in NYC around that time. Very intimate show with a great band (as always). He was much younger and more vibrant. The vocals are impressive and very melodic for Bob.

  5. For the seventies, I think the best version is the one on The Concert For Bangldesh 😀

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