This song delves into the complexities of a relationship, as the narrator explains to a persistent suitor all the things they are not and cannot be for them. It's a refusal to be defined by another's expectations, highlighting a desire for independence rather than fulfilling a romantic ideal. The song, appearing on the 1964 album Another Side of Bob Dylan, was reportedly inspired by Dylan's former girlfriend, Suze Rotolo, and he began writing it during a trip to Italy while searching for her. At its heart, it plays like a declaration of self-possession in the face of romantic pressure.