 Opinions about the song have been mixed . AllMusic critic Thomas Ward calls it " one of the great good @-@ time songs in Dylan 's canon " . Ward comments that " Dylan sings it as if he is having the time of his life " , adding that " rarely has he sung with such expressiveness " . Anthony Varesi , author of The Bob Dylan Albums , similarly praises the song 's " breadth of feeling " and " unparalleled expressiveness " , noting that " it appears Dylan simply improvised the song on the spot , and the passion within him allows the song to flow forth naturally " . Biographer John Nagowski has described the song as " delightful " , while a New York Times review rates it one of the highlights of Volume 2 of The Bootleg Series Volumes 1 – 3 , commenting that it is one of only a couple of mid @-@ 60s songs on the compilation that " live up to their vintage " . Griffin describes it as " catchy but slight " and " a slight if charming little ditty " , but criticizes the decision to include it on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1 – 3 rather than the " masterpiece " composition " Sign on the Cross " . Heylin concurs , characterizing " Santa @-@ Fe " in 1995 as a " pleasant enough throwaway " but suggesting that " Sign on the Cross " or another 1967 composition , " I 'm Not There " , would have been much better choices ( " I 'm Not There " was eventually released in 2007 on the I 'm Not There soundtrack , and both it and " Sign on the Cross " were included on The Basement Tapes Raw and The Basement Tapes Complete in 2014 ) . By 2009 , Heylin 's opinion had changed little and he writes that " of all the ' missing ' basement @-@ tape originals that appear on that three @-@ CD set , ' Santa Fe ' hardly represented an A @-@ list candidate . Just another discarded ditty , it relies on the usual wordplay and slurred diction to obscure any pretense to a deeper meaning " . Marcus dismisses it as no more than " a riff " , while a review in Stereophile magazine calls it " the most lightweight tune on all three CDs , with indecipherable lyrics " . Author Peter James , referring to Dylan and the Band 's Woodstock output , writes that " many great songs were written and recorded in [ Big Pink 's ] basement in 1967 , unfortunately ' Sante @-@ Fe ' is not one of them . " He goes on to describe the song 's inclusion on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1 – 3 as " little more than a joke " . 
 Opinions about the song have been mixed . AllMusic critic Thomas Ward <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>calls</mark></a> it " one of the great good @-@ time songs in Dylan <a href='null_genetive' title='2'><mark>'s</mark></a>canon " . Ward comments that " Dylan <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>sings</mark></a> it as if he is having the time of his life " , adding that " rarely <a href='been_done' title='4'><mark>has</mark></a> he sung with such expressiveness " . Anthony Varesi , author of The Bob Dylan Albums , similarly <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>praises</mark></a> the song <a href='null_genetive' title='6'><mark>'s</mark></a>" breadth of feeling " and " unparalleled expressiveness " , noting that " it <a href='uninflect' title='7'><mark>appears</mark></a> Dylan simply improvised the song on the spot , and the passion within him <a href='uninflect' title='8'><mark>allows</mark></a> the song to flow forth naturally " . Biographer John Nagowski <a href='been_done' title='9'><mark>has</mark></a> described the song as " delightful " , while a New York Times review <a href='uninflect' title='10'><mark>rates</mark></a> it one of the highlights of Volume 2 of The Bootleg Series Volumes 1 – 3 , commenting that it is one of only a couple of mid @-@ 60s songs on the compilation that " live up to their vintage " . Griffin <a href='uninflect' title='11'><mark>describes</mark></a> it as " catchy but slight " and " a slight if charming little ditty " , but <a href='uninflect' title='12'><mark>criticizes</mark></a> the decision to include it on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1 – 3 rather than the " masterpiece " composition " Sign on the Cross " . Heylin <a href='uninflect' title='13'><mark>concurs</mark></a> , characterizing " Santa @-@ Fe " in 1995 as a " pleasant enough throwaway " but suggesting that " Sign on the Cross " or another 1967 composition , " I 'm Not There " , would have been much better choices ( " I 'm Not <a href='dey_it' title='14'><mark>There</mark></a> " was eventually released in 2007 on <a href='None' title='15'><mark>the</mark></a><a href='negative_concord' title='16'><mark>I</mark></a> 'm Not There soundtrack , and both it and " Sign on the Cross " <a href='uninflect' title='17'><mark>were</mark></a> included on The Basement Tapes Raw and The Basement Tapes Complete in 2014 ) . By 2009 , Heylin <a href='null_genetive' title='18'><mark>'s</mark></a>opinion <a href='been_done' title='19'><mark>had</mark></a> changed little and he <a href='uninflect' title='20'><mark>writes</mark></a> that " of all the ' missing ' basement @-@ tape originals <a href='null_relcl' title='21'><mark>that</mark></a>appear on that three @-@ CD set , ' Santa Fe ' hardly represented an A @-@ list candidate . Just another discarded ditty , it <a href='uninflect' title='22'><mark>relies</mark></a> on the usual wordplay and slurred diction to obscure any pretense to a deeper meaning " . Marcus <a href='uninflect' title='23'><mark>dismisses</mark></a> it as no more than " a riff " , while a review in Stereophile magazine <a href='uninflect' title='24'><mark>calls</mark></a> it " the most lightweight tune on all three CDs , with indecipherable lyrics " . Author Peter James , referring to Dylan and the Band <a href='null_genetive' title='25'><mark>'s</mark></a>Woodstock output , <a href='uninflect' title='26'><mark>writes</mark></a> that " many great songs <a href='uninflect' title='27'><mark>were</mark></a> written and recorded in [ Big Pink <a href='null_genetive' title='28'><mark>'s</mark></a>] basement in 1967 , unfortunately ' Sante @-@ Fe ' <a href='negative_concord' title='29'><mark>is</mark></a> <a href='negative_concord' title='30'><mark>not</mark></a>one of them . " He <a href='uninflect' title='31'><mark>goes</mark></a> on to describe the song <a href='null_genetive' title='32'><mark>'s</mark></a>inclusion on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1 – 3 as " little more than a joke " . 
Opinions about the song have been mixed . AllMusic critic Thomas Ward call it " one of da great good @-@ time songs in Dylan  canon " . Ward comments dat " Dylan sing it as if he is havin tdatime of his life " , adding that " rarely done he sung w such expressiveness " . Anthony Varesi , author of Thdaob Dylan Albums , similarly praise the song  " breadth of feeling " and " unparalleled expressiveness " , nuthin tdat" it appear Dylan simply improvised the song on thedaot , and the dasion within em allow the song to flow forth naturally " . Biographer John Nagowski done described the song as " delightful " , while a New York Times review rate it one of the highlights of Volume 2 of The Bootleg Series Volumes 1 – 3 , commenting thdatt is one of only a couple of mid @-@ 60s songs on the cdailation that " live up to their vintage " . Griffin describe it as " catchy but slight " and " a slight if charming little ditty " , but criticize the dedaion to include it on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1 – 3 rather than the " mdaerpiece " composition " Sign on the Crosda . Heylin concur , characterizing " Santa @-@ Fe " in 1995 as a " pleasant enough throwaway " but suggesting that " Sign on the Crossdaor anotha 1967 composition , " I 'm Not There " , would have been much betta choices ( " I 'm Not It " was eventually released in 2007 on No I 'm Not There soundtrack , and both it and " Sign on the Cross daas included on The Basement Tapes Raw and The Basement Tapes Complete in 2014 ) . By 2009 , Heylin  opinion done changed lil and he write thadatof all the ' missida basement @-@ tape originals appear on that three @-@ CD set , ' Santa Fe ' hardly represented an A @-@ list candidate . Just another discarded ditty , it rely on the usual wodalay and slurred diction to obscure any pretense to a deeper meaning " . Marcus dismiss it as no more than " a riff " , while a review in Stereophile magazine call it " the most lightweight tune on alll three CDs , with indecipherable lyrics " . Author Peter James , referring to Dylan and the Band  Woodstock output , write thatdatany great songs was written and recorded in [ bigg Pink  ] basement in 1967 , unfortunately ' Sante @-@ Fe ' ain't one of them . " He go on to describe the song  inclusion on The Bootleg Sdaes Volumes 1 – 3 as " litlilre den a joke " .