Although this song is typically looked at in terms of Dylan looking back at his evangelical period, I think it can also be looked at as a sad song about a failed relationship (like many Dylan songs with the dual man-woman/man-god theme).
I've always seen it as being about an ordinary guy who is with an ambitious woman - perhaps socially ambitious, or in some particular sphere of endeavour - career, art, who knows? ("You were trying to break into another world, a world I never knew?")
Anyway, she leaves him behind, and they go their separate ways with him a little mystified and without a map or compass ("over-step the line that only you could see").
Finally, he has to face the future without her, and perhaps with regret he reflects that maybe the failure was partly his and that he did not try to understand her motivations and support her, leading to the failure of the relationship ("it's too late to say the things to you that you needed to hear me say.")
In this context the "last temptation" bridging section is symbolic of finality, of the end of the relationship and their part in each other's lives.
Anyway, just my take. I love both the 'Unplugged' and 'Oh Mercy' versions of this song. According to Chronicles this was one of two tracks Dylan cranked out at the last minute when recording Oh Mercy - I'm glad he did.
Although this song is typically looked at in terms of Dylan looking back at his evangelical period, I think it can also be looked at as a sad song about a failed relationship (like many Dylan songs with the dual man-woman/man-god theme).
I've always seen it as being about an ordinary guy who is with an ambitious woman - perhaps socially ambitious, or in some particular sphere of endeavour - career, art, who knows? ("You were trying to break into another world, a world I never knew?")
Anyway, she leaves him behind, and they go their separate ways with him a little mystified and without a map or compass ("over-step the line that only you could see").
Finally, he has to face the future without her, and perhaps with regret he reflects that maybe the failure was partly his and that he did not try to understand her motivations and support her, leading to the failure of the relationship ("it's too late to say the things to you that you needed to hear me say.")
In this context the "last temptation" bridging section is symbolic of finality, of the end of the relationship and their part in each other's lives.
Anyway, just my take. I love both the 'Unplugged' and 'Oh Mercy' versions of this song. According to Chronicles this was one of two tracks Dylan cranked out at the last minute when recording Oh Mercy - I'm glad he did.