It describes of a narrator who lives in a world fallen in calamity as life around him accelerates and he is losing control. However, "his love" is a Zen figure who stabilizes his grip on reality. She transcends him to a state of elation when everyday life seems to drag him down. She is his spiritual anchor.
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, and make promises by the hour
My love she laughs like a flower, Valentines can't buy her.
The song starts off very simple. The narrator introduces "his love" and his depiction so far is of true admiration for her inner strength and beauty. One can tell that his lover is put on a pedestal, shown in her comparison to an unattainable beauty in a flower. The song only gets crazier from here. We begin to have a glimpse into the narrator's life. Dealing with other people only make his life more difficult. The future is exciting yet stressful to think about. He worries about succeeding and fears failure.
Some speak of the future, my love she speaks softly
She know's there's no success like failure
And that failure's no success at all.
It is almost insane for her to say this. It sounds like filler for the silence. However, she is saying that success comes from trials and overcoming adversity, even making mistakes and failing sometimes. Even if trying does not yield the desired outcome, at least you tried and there's a better chance in succeeding in trying. On the other hand, giving up never results in success.
The narrator's life is spiraling out of control. HIs work overtakes his time. He may not agree with everyone he meets. However, his love knows when to let go. When things are out of one's control, why worry about it? The ancient religion Daoism teaches that life is a river that flows around you and that you should allow it to flow. The universe may have things predestined and it is best to allow nature to take its course.
Statues made of matchsticks, crumble into one another
My love winks, she does not bother
She knows too much to argue or to judge.
Lastly, Dylan decides to reveal vulnerability in his lover. She can not thrive by herself. She needs a home while the narrator needs escape. They give each other their needs which is why they are so entwined.
The wind howls like a hammer, the nigh blows rainy
My love she's like some raven
At my window with a broken wing.
"Love Minus Zero / No Limit" provides more insight on the role between partners in an unstable environment than a traditional love song. However, the simplistic music structure represents his lover's detachment from the world and the lyrics, his unending roller coaster of a life.
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