I don’t have much to say about this song except that the last line always makes me think of Sister Veronika.

That, and the fact that the original album version from Shot of Love has the wrong lyrics there (Dylan later changed them, and every decent cover uses the “perfect, finished plan” lyrics.) There are many great interpretations of this song, but my personal favorite is Emmylou Harris’ cover, which you can get on her album Wrecking Ball or listen below from a recent festival:

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Posted by Matthew Loftus

Matthew Loftus teaches and practices Family Medicine in Baltimore and East Africa. His work has been featured in Christianity Today, Comment, & First Things and he is a regular contributor for Christ and Pop Culture. You can learn more about his work and writing at www.MatthewAndMaggie.org