All or Nothing at All

The words

A lover refuses to settle for half a romance: it must be complete devotion or nothing.

The singer lays down terms to a would-be partner, insisting that a half-hearted love is worse than none and that only total commitment will do. Beneath the demand is a fear of being hurt, which gives the song its tension. The melody builds with a slow, insistent pulse. Dylan's band plays it with a darker, Latin-tinged rhythm than most of the album, and his delivery is firm rather than pleading.

Words by Jack Lawrence