If I ever build a time machine, I will be traveling to find early 20s Bob Dylan (by which I mean Bob Dylan, in his early 20s), and we will be best friends forever.

Side piece of personal trivia: when I was younger and even more inclined to the dramatic, I mentioned helpfully to my father that I would like this song played at my funeral. To me it is the prettiest and most heart-breaking song ever. My father replied with a swift indignance that he couldn’t believe I would be so cruel.

Considering it now, I can see his point, but still: nearly two decades later, it remains my favorite song, woven into the fabric of my being.

So maybe they can still play it, but with the caveat:

Please do not take this personally.
Unless you really ought to.

I don’t care how uncool it is to say so, I will listen to this every so often and it will make me cry.