"Gates appeal to me because of the negative space they allow. They can be closed, but at the same time..."

"... they allow the seasons and breezes to enter and flow. They can shut you out or shut you in. And in some ways, there is no difference."

Said Bob Dylan, making a 26-foot-by-15-foot gate for the MGM National Harbor hotel and casino.

I believe gates come up 5 times in Bob Dylan lyrics. I like them all, but I'll rank them because I know you like rankings, they let the opinions enter and flow and in the end, there's really no difference:

5. "My warehouse eyes, my Arabian drums/Should I leave them by your gate/Or, sad-eyed lady, should I wait?"

4. "There are thousands in the phone booth/Thousands at the gate/Ev’rybody wants to make a long-distance call/But you know they’re just gonna have to wait."

3. "Relationships of ownership/They whisper in the wings/To those condemned to act accordingly/And wait for succeeding kings/And I try to harmonize with songs/The lonesome sparrow sings/There are no kings inside the Gates of Eden."

2. "Well, your clock is gonna stop/At Saint Peter’s gate/Ya gonna ask him what time it is/He’s gonna say, 'It’s too late'/Hey, hey!/I’d sure hate to be you/On that dreadful day."

1. "While preachers preach of evil fates/Teachers teach that knowledge waits/Can lead to hundred-dollar plates/Goodness hides behind its gates/But even the president of the United States/Sometimes must have to stand naked."

IN THE COMMENTS: Mel brings up "Absolutely Sweet Marie," which the search function chez Dylan failed to dig up. The song begins:

Well, your railroad gate, you know I just can’t jump it
Sometimes it gets so hard, you see
I’m just sitting here beating on my trumpet
With all these promises you left for me
But where are you tonight, sweet Marie?

Where would I have put that in the rankings? I think #6, because what kind of railroad gate does Marie have anyway? A chastity belt? I assume "beating on my trumpet" is Bob Dylan masturbating. How could you not? That's easy, easier than Arabian drums in song #5, and I once got into a long discussion of the phrase "My warehouse eyes, my Arabian drums," much of which was premised on the way, in the recording, it sounds like "My warehouse ass." Carry on!