Dylan's relationship with Rotolo was passionate and fraught. A self-realized woman, she influenced Dylan as much as he influenced her, but was troubled by his growing fame and the narcissism that stoked it. "Bob was charismatic: he was a beacon, a lighthouse, he was also a black hole. He required committed backup and protection I was unable to provide consistently, probably because I needed them myself," she remembered. "As his girlfriend, I disappeared and became a nonentity. Even if he didn't see me that way, that's what happened." Against Dylan's wishes, Rotolo left New York in 1962 to study in Italy. Dylan wrote the anguished "Boots of Spanish Leather" about her departure.

"Boots of Spanish Leather"