She received much critical acclaim for her 2005 release, Paradise Hotel, which contains songs that strike a chord with listeners in light of recent events. "Requiem" honors Hurricane Katrina and tsunami victims with hopeful pleas to the Virgin Mary, while "Man of God" is a bitter, unapologetic denouncement of President George W. Bush and his administration.
"The actions of this regime do not follow the teachings of Christ, what I call real Christianity," Gilkyson said in August 2005. "I just don't appreciate the religious right acting like I don't love God and my country just because I'm not in their corner. I'm mad and I want other people to be mad about this too."
In 2008, her album Beautiful World came out, again on Red House Records. The songs vary from pop to folk and points in-between, with songs ranging from intimate ballads to rallying cries against the imperialist machine. She recently collaborated on a new album entitled Red Horse with two of her Red House Records label-mates John Gorka and Lucy Kaplansky.
In 2011, she came out with Roses at the End of Time. Recorded at her home with the help of her son and co-producer Cisco Ryder, Gilkyson took a longer time in the studio and came out with a more eclectic and personal album. She continues to tour about 150 dates per year in the United States and overseas.
www.elizagilkyson.com
Love Minus Zero/No Limit
Eliza Gilkyson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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 hours
My love she laughs like the flowers
Valentines can't buy her
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 succes at all
The cloak and dagger dangles
Madams light the candles
In ceremonies of the horsemen
Even the pawn must hold a grudge
Statues made of match sticks
Crumble into one another
My love winks, she does not bother
She knows too much to argue or to judge
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 rainy
My love she's like some raven
At my window with a broken wing
In Eliza Gilkyson's song Love Minus Zero/No Limit, the singer discusses his love who speaks like silence. She doesn't need to prove her faithfulness or her love, for it is true like ice and fire. This love is not interested in the superficial, hollow promises of Valentine's and doesn't need the materialistic things that people try to use to prove their love. Unlike others who sit around in dime stores and bus stations talking about situations, reading books and repeating quotations, she understands that true success isn't just avoiding failure but rather seizing and confronting it.
The singer goes on to describe the world around him, filled with cloak and dagger, horsemen, and statues that are crumbling into one another. Amidst all of this chaos, the love in this song remains constant, winking at the absurdity rather than becoming bogged down in it. The imagery in the song is surreal yet evocative, painting a picture of a world where statues and matchsticks can crumble into one another and the wind howls like a hammer.
Line by Line Meaning
My love she speaks like silence
My partner communicates calmly and peacefully
Without ideals or violence
She doesn't try to impose her beliefs on me or use force against me
She doesn't have to say she's faithful
My partner's actions prove her loyalty
Yet she's true, like ice, like fire
Her devotion is strong and unwavering
People carry roses
Conventional expressions of love are common
And make promises by the hours
And people make commitments that may be short-lived
My love she laughs like the flowers
My partner is carefree and happy
Valentines can't buy her
She cannot be won over by superficial gestures or material goods
In the dime stores and bus stations
Commonplace areas of everyday life
People talk of situations
Conversations revolve around current events
Read books, repeat quotations
People seek wisdom through knowledge and reciting popular quotes
Draw conclusions on the wall
Form opinions based on insufficient information
Some speak of the future
Some people ponder what lies ahead
My love she speaks softly
My partner chooses her words carefully and gently
She knows there's no success like failure
She's aware that to learn and grow, one must experience failure
And that failure's no success at all
Failure isn't something to be celebrated, but rather learned from
The cloak and dagger dangles
Secrets and intrigue abound
Madams light the candles
People in authority perpetuate mysterious rituals
In ceremonies of the horsemen
In some kind of ominous and unknown event
Even the pawn must hold a grudge
Even the powerless have to harbor resentment
Statues made of match sticks
Fragile and temporary structures
Crumble into one another
Easily fall apart and blend together
My love winks, she does not bother
My partner acknowledges the triviality of these things and doesn't fuss over them
She knows too much to argue or to judge
My partner has a more profound and empathetic understanding of things to bother with petty disagreements or criticisms
The bridge at midnight trembles
Possibly referring to a physical or metaphorical connection that feels unstable
The country doctor rambles
An unimportant person talks aimlessly
Bankers' nieces seek perfection
Privileged people desire to be flawless
Expecting all the gifts that wise men bring
Expecting to have everything they wish for because of their status and ideals
The wind howls like a hammer
Strong and forceful natural phenomena
The night blows rainy
The weather is uninviting and harsh
My love she's like some raven
My partner is like a bird that may symbolize death, mystery, and intelligence
At my window with a broken wing
Trying to find refuge and healing
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
M. Evers
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.
In the dime stores and bus stations,
People talk of situations,
Read books, repeat quotations,
Draw conclusions on the wall.
Don’t 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.
The cloak and dagger dangles,
Madams light the candles.
In ceremonies of the horsemen,
Even the pawn must hold a grudge.
Statues made of match sticks,
Crumble into one another,
My love winks, she does not bother,
She knows too much to argue or to judge.
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.
Julia Barnett
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
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
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
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
Thomas Pearson
Sometimes the best of both world's is Dylan's lyrics and a great cover. Fantastic.
David Tetley
Agree
dmanLVN
Sometimes, it's not Dylan who delivers it best. What an amazing cover!! <3
Ralph Davis
This is such a beautiful song, with a tinge of sadness. I have always loved it.
Gambardellinha
A Nobel prize winner.. for pieces like this..❤
s lee
My goodness. What a beautiful cover of one of my all-time favorite songs. Thank you.
David Noll Music
Wonderful Eliza!! What an excellent interpretation of a really nice song!
karl harding
I love the lyrics to this song. I’ve never heard it sung and played so well. Brought a tear to my eye.
Raimundo Carvalho!🎸
Simplesmente maravilhosa!🎼🎸🎙️🎸🎼👏👏
John David Hanke
very nice version of this song, really love the arrangements, your vocals are perfect for this song, mandolin, dobro and electric guitar solos matching perfectly, simply great...