What does "Love Minus Zero" mean?
Alan Fraser
On 22 Sep 1997 16:30:16 GMT, "Masahiko Funaki" <fu...@din.or.jp> wrote:
>I can't interpret the meaning of his song title "Love Minus Zero".
>Does it mean just as "5 minus 0 equals 5"? ... this might be
>misinterpretation.
>
>Thanks in advance.
I read an explanation at the time the album came out that by reading
"love" as the tennis zero, you make Love Minus Zero into the symbol
string "0-0" which approximates to the infinity symbol (not found on
typewriters, but like an eight on its side), i.e. no limit.
Unlikely, but inventive!
Alan
catherine yronwode
Masahiko Funaki wrote:
>
> I can't interpret the meaning of his song title "Love Minus Zero".
> Does it mean just as "5 minus 0 equals 5"? ... this might be
> misinterpretation.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Masahiko Funaki (fu...@din.or.jp)
I have always interpreted it that way -- Love from which zero has been
subtracted is...love. But the full title is Love Minus Zero/No Limits.
Since "zero" sets up the idea of emotions being numbered, "no limits"
implies an unlimited or an infinite amount of love. So this is a song
about complete love from which nothing has been subtracted and with is
eternal and all-encompassing.
catherine yronwode
c...@luckymojo.com
Peter Guy
catherine yronwode wrote in article <34273F...@luckymojo.com>...
I always thought it was an equation, love minus zero over (divided by) no
limits. The latter making more sense if you look at it like a formula in a
spreadsheet. And yes I haven't forgotten that none of us knew about
spreadsheets when it was released, it was probably just difficult to print
as
love minus zero
-----------------------
no limits ?
Does that make any sense at all?
Peter
DSmith9942
>"Peter Guy
How about what Robert Shelton wrote?
He wrote: "The title, borrowed from gambling parlance, suggests all
love's a wager."
David B. Smith
DSmit...@aol.com
"You're a man after my own heart, with a razor."
nate
>>> I can't interpret the meaning of his song title "Love Minus Zero".
>>> Does it mean just as "5 minus 0 equals 5"? ... this might be
>>> misinterpretation.
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance
>>I have always interpreted it that way -- Love from which zero has been
>>subtracted is...love. But the full title is Love Minus Zero/No Limits.
>>Since "zero" sets up the idea of emotions being numbered, "no limits"
>>implies an unlimited or an infinite amount of love. So this is a song
>>about complete love from which nothing has been subtracted and with is
>>eternal and all-encompassing.
>>catherine yronwode
>I always thought it was an equation, love minus zero over (divided by) no
>limits. The latter making more sense if you look at it like a formula in a
>spreadsheet. And yes I haven't forgotten that none of us knew about
>spreadsheets when it was released, it was probably just difficult to print
>as
>love minus zero
>-----------------------
>no limits ?
>Does that make any sense at all?
>Peter
i think our boy just transcribed a mathematical notion that he hadnt
studied very well (i dont think bob was good at math in school).
he may have seen some things in textbooks like
no matter what you take away from infinity, you still have
infinity.
the value of anything divided by something that converges to
zero increases without limit.
then he kind of through it all together haphazardly, in the wrong
order, and came up with the title Love Minus Zero/No Limit
Limit is singular. i dont know where you guys got more than one Limit.
??
anyway - that's my take on it.
- nate
Bob Meyer
"The name of this song is a fraction.
Love minus zero is on the top and underneath no limit.
I made the title before I made the song."
--Bob Dylan, Royal Albert Hall - London, England - May 9, 1965.
• Bob Meyer
www.netcom.com/~dyln61/
moos...@worldnet.att.net
In article <607ssc$nmk$1...@neptune.theplanet.co.uk>,
"Peter Guy" <pete...@bradford.gov.uk> wrote:
>
>
> catherine yronwode wrote in article <34273F...@luckymojo.com>...
>
> >Masahiko Funaki wrote:
> >>
> >> Does it mean just as "5 minus 0 equals 5"? ... this might be
> >> misinterpretation.
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> Masahiko Funaki (fu...@din.or.jp)
> >
> >I have always interpreted it that way -- Love from which zero has been
> >subtracted is...love. But the full title is Love Minus Zero/No Limits.
> >Since "zero" sets up the idea of emotions being numbered, "no limits"
> >implies an unlimited or an infinite amount of love. So this is a song
> >about complete love from which nothing has been subtracted and with is
> >eternal and all-encompassing.
> >
> >catherine yronwode
>
> I always thought it was an equation, love minus zero over (divided by) no
> limits. The latter making more sense if you look at it like a formula in a
> spreadsheet. And yes I haven't forgotten that none of us knew about
> spreadsheets when it was released, it was probably just difficult to print
> as
>
> love minus zero
> -----------------------
> no limits ?
>
> Does that make any sense at all?
>
> Peter
Yes, though some have thought it a gambling term. Meaning lost in the
mist of infinity.
-------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====-----------------------
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Alan Fraser
On 22 Sep 1997 16:30:16 GMT, "Masahiko Funaki" <fu...@din.or.jp> wrote:
>I can't interpret the meaning of his song title "Love Minus Zero".
>Does it mean just as "5 minus 0 equals 5"? ... this might be
>misinterpretation.
>
>Thanks in advance.
I read an explanation at the time the album came out that by reading
Greg Wallace
Proves Bob paid attention in at least one of his college courses: frosh
math!
EdgarAP
In article , Greg says...
Not necessarily. He could have picked this up hanging around with
mathematicians and carpenters' wives.
Michael Miller
>
> "The name of this song is a fraction.
> Love minus zero is on the top and underneath no limit.
> I made the title before I made the song."
>
> --Bob Dylan, Royal Albert Hall - London, England - May 9, 1965.
>
> Bob Meyer
> www.netcom.com/~dyln61/
>Proves Bob paid attention in at least one of his college courses: frosh math!
I'm not sure about that. Maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but Bob's
math
equation is not equal to infinity. There are two possible cases, love is either
finite or infinite. If love is finite, then you are dividing a finite number by
infinity, which results in zero. If love is infinite, then dividing infinity
by
infinity is indeterminate (can't be solved). Of course, maybe that is what Bob
is
saying, love cannot be figured out. However, it's been a long time since my
college math days. If I am in error, please correct me.
Mike
Rsweener
na...@ll.mit.edu (nate)
> he may have seen some things in textbooks like
>
> no matter what you take away from infinity, you still have
> infinity.
>
> the value of anything divided by something that converges to
> zero increases without limit.
Exactly. We know he meant it as a fraction because he introduced
it as such in his early solo tours. "No limit" was a textbook
term for a denominator of zero when I was a kid. Glad to say
I no longer have any use for it. :)
Luke Eelman
Hi guys!
I read in one of Dylan's biography's that the song title has something to
to with gambling or betting. I'm not really that familiar with that stuff
though.
Luke
RJATKO
On Tue, 23 Sep 1997, Peter Guy wrote:
> I always thought it was an equation, love minus zero over (divided by) no
> limits. The latter making more sense if you look at it like a formula in a
> spreadsheet. And yes I haven't forgotten that none of us knew about
> spreadsheets when it was released, it was probably just difficult to print
> as
>
> love minus zero
> -----------------------
> no limits ?
>
> Does that make any sense at all?
That's exactly how it is printed in one of my songbooks (Bob Dylan: A
Retrospective). A friend saw it and pointed out the very same equation
theory. It makes a lot of sense, once you look at it that way. Most
interesting.
Robin
Steve Lescure
On Tue, 23 Sep 1997 10:50:36 -0500 Bob Meyer <dyl...@IX.NETCOM.COM>
writes:
>"The name of this song is a fraction.
>Love minus zero is on the top and underneath no limit.
>I made the title before I made the song."
>
>--Bob Dylan, Royal Albert Hall - London, England - May 9, 1965.
>
> Bob Meyer
> www.netcom.com/~dyln61/
>
infinity, then
love is 1 (or one). That makes some sense to me. But of course I'm a
moron.
Very odd song title.
steve
To see some other recent comments on this song come visit
http://www.geocities.com/athens/forum/2667/
Take the Dylan Quiz too (if you haven't taken it since around sept 10.)
It still
sucks, but now it sucks and has sound (bring your sense of humor!).
william routhier
Luke Eelman wrote:
The closest to real sounding story I've heard is that Sara was
influenced by Zen Buddhism and that song was influenced by that belief
of her's transmitted to Bob.It's a kind of negation in which
enlightenment is supposedly found (though a lot of those Zen monks were
weird and mean guys) and it also deals with paradox as a way
seeing into truth. Riddles are big in Zen. So, that seems to be the
connection.
What does it mean?
What's the sound of one hand clapping? Answer - me after hearing Billy
Joel's version of 'Make You Fell My Love'
hag
excuse me for being picky but that is not an equation.
love minus zero
------------------------ = x
no limit
now you have an equation.... solve for x
Joe Cliburn
Alan Fraser <alan....@mcmail.com> wrote in article
<608e6l$p...@drn.zippo.com>...
> In article <607ssc$nmk$1...@neptune.theplanet.co.uk>, "Peter says...
> >I always thought it was an equation, love minus zero over (divided by)
no
> >limits. The latter making more sense if you look at it like a formula
in a
> >spreadsheet. And yes I haven't forgotten that none of us knew about
> >spreadsheets when it was released, it was probably just difficult to
print
> >as
> >
> >love minus zero
> >-----------------------
> >no limits ?
> >
> >Does that make any sense at all?
> >
> >Peter
> >
> >
>
> It does to me, I certainly saw it suggested at the time that the title
> was an equation. Of course, anything divided by zero gives the answer
> infinity, i.e. No Limits.
>
> I don't know how far up the school system Bob took Mathematics, though.
> Didn't he go up to Minneapolis to read English?
>
> Alan
Those interested in the Dylan model for mathematical love might consult:
Cliburn, J., Russ., A., Montgomery, T., & deCork, Z. "The Value of Love,
Using the Dylan Model," _Annals_of_Improbable_Research_ 1(5):12-13
(Sept/Oct 1995).
First, (Love-0)/No Limit is an *expression*, not an equation. Whether this
marks Dylan as an expressionist is irrelevant. The authors conclude that,
depending on the sign of X (see Basement Tapes):
1. Love is infinite if X is finite.
2. Love is indefinite if X is zero.
3. Love is infinitely negative if X is negative.
4. Love is imaginary if X is imaginary.
Far be it from me to put infinity up on trial. Love is, after all, just a
four-letter word :-)
Steven C. Wann
title can mean "Nothing from nothing". Reference Dylan's considerable
use of the word "nothing" in Basement Tapes: "Nothing Was Delivered",
and "Too Much of Nothing" Hmmm... What does it all mean?
Mike Brann
Math equation? Interesting interpretation.
I always just figured he meant "complete love" or "100% love," with no
limits. It is a love song, after all...
M. Brann
John Mr BALDWIN
Alan Fraser <alan....@MCMAIL.COM> wrote
>I see from the latest issue of the Isis newsletter (74 1/2) that John
>Baldwin, who has posted to this newsgroup, is publishing some new items
>including
>"Bob Dylan Astrology And Numerology" by Geoffrey Saxby
>"Bob Dylan And The Cards" by Walter Van Der.Paelt
>The first one may shed more light on this subject! These will be
>reviewed in Isis 75. For more details for now, write to
>
>Desolation Row Promotions,
>57 Tempsford,
>Welwyn Garden City,
>Herts, UK.
>AL7 2PA.
>I don't have John's email address to hand, sorry.
>Alan
For interested parties my email address is fa...@dial.pipex.com. I'm
leaving right now for the UK tour and won't be responding to any mail
until at least Monday 6th October.
John A. Baldwin
R DAY K
>"The name of this song is a fraction.
>> Love minus zero is on the top and underneath no limit.
>> I made the title before I made the song."
Whoops, I thought no-one else thought of the song title as a fraction, and here
Bob says clearly that is what he had in mind. Under a heading about Dylan and
numbers I posted this theory, well, it's not really a theory anymore, since
Bob verifies it.
RK