As is common with young reactors of led zeppelin, there is an emphasis on figuring out what the lyrics mean. The only thing related to Jr Tolkien in this song is the use of the words Misty Mountains. Nothing else!!
I know. I laugh at this bs all the time with reactors. You just had to be there to know what life was like to live in The Classic Era. I don’t think she heard the song…. ✨
I'm 53 now in 2024, in the 80's we loved and had very different interpretations of Led Zeppelin we still do. Brilliant is not even an understatement, top 5 rock bands ever.
I was 19 when I bought the album. It was on a discount rack by mistake, I guess. A guy overheard my wondering if they were good. He said yes. Bought it and in my first apartment, listened all afternoon…. WOW! OH MY, I’ve never heard anything like this before but dang it’s Good! San Fernando Valley guy,
@@deantait8326 Where at in the Valley? I remember the Valley being the only place where it was so hot and smoggy I got a headache. Lol. That was the 70's, we went there to ride horses and buy pot.
Fun to see people try to put Led Zeppelin's music and/or lyrics into a box. Just enjoy the music and let the feelings/imagery take you where it will. Each song takes you somewhere different if you let it. Seems like a symptom of people who grew up with today's music that they take the lyrics too literally.
@@dl-cr7mi asRobert Plant has said in interviews “It’s not as though I don’t know who I’m talking about” in his lyrics. You take a personal experience, make the lyrics vague enough to be applicable to many interpretations……so people can relate to it. And there you go. Pete Seger is a great example of personal storytelling but making it relatable to all. Misty Mountain Hop was based on personal experience, as were many of the songs Robert wrote.
The lyrics are actually about one of Robert’s experiences with the hippie counter-culture scene in San Francisco back in 1969/70……Golden Gate Park I believe…..at least, according to some interviews I’ve heard.
I've always felt that the lyrics also had inspiration from the '68 Democratic National Convention in Chicago when the counter culture people were protesting the war in Viet Nam and the police beat the living daylights out of them and afterward there was a certain amount of frustration and apathy about resisting "the man".
@@bowtiefidenineexcept that this was 1971. Jimmy’s drug addiction didn’t start to get out of hand until 1975 snd later. Ditto for Bonzo’s drinking….which was pretty heavy but not out of control yet. As far as I know from books etc.
Yes….the term Misty Mountains is certainly a Tolkien reference. However, what you might not yet know is that Robert grew up in the Midlands of England, close to the border with Wales. As a boy, his family often went to the mountains of Wales and Robert fell in love with the history, the mythology, the “spirit” of that place. To him, they WERE the. Misty Mountains and became a “heart place” for him. The mountains of Wales and the Atlas Mountains of Morocco are the two places in the world that speak the most clearly to his heart. So, when he writes of “packing his bags fir the Misty Mountains, where the spirits fly”, he means that literally.
@@rosalieelliottofficialhere’s a cute 30 second clip of Robert in later years speaking of Tolkien. He really is an avid fan of the books. ruclips.net/user/shortsTFJ69ZEVFzo?si=HHfpFlGAep98nRux
@@rosalieelliottofficialany time. I’m an avid admirer of Plant and have read books and listened to dozens of interviews. That’s how I spent part of my time during the pandemic. I guess there were worse ways. 🙄😏
Very cool reaction and analysis! I've been a fan of this since it was new, but never put as much thought into the lyrics as you just did. 😏 This is such a fun, quirky song, musically. And I just love the way that Plant goes from that kind of staccato monotone delivery to those high belts. Such a satisfying contrast, that really emphasizes the message. He really stands out on this for me.
Another take. Plant was a big fan of he SF music scene from 1967-1969, Page less so. Once Zeppelin began touring the states, they got a closer look at the daily life behind the image of SF and Haight-Ashbury and the generational conflicts between the youth that was sucked into the lifestyle and the police and public reaction to it. Misty Mount Hop is a song of Plant's dissillussionment with seeing American hippie culture up close and how it made him want to retreat back to his prior idyll in England.
😊Yet another beautiful and intelligent reaction from you... you get it, and I love that. As naughty and dirty as some of their catalogue is, it's also equally complex and deep. This song is no exception (one of my all-time favs from Zep😉). They were mere 19 thru 20yr old young men when they started creating their catalogue... that speaks volumes to what their purpose here was/is! Wise beyond their years (and they didn't even know it at the time). Legends in my book! Thanks for sharing your journey with us! Peace and light to all...💞
Rosalie, I am loving your reactions to Zeppelin, and even more, your analysis. Keep going down the Zeppelin path. It's well worth it. But you already know that by now.
I just commented on your ‘rock and roll’ reaction, this video took me back to the start of the album review/reaction. This is great content, I’m loving how you hear the song whereas most reactors just listen. You also speak very well about the whole feeling/depth/meaning of the songs like I feel in my head but cannot articulate. Love it. After completing IV, please go back and start from the first album. I truly believe it will amazing for all of us.
There’s never been a band like Led Zeppelin…this song’s multi rhythms and vocal schemes is second to none!!! Robert Plant’s singing approach and interpretation of the lyrics is so unbelievably amazing that the more I listen to his vocals, the more shocked I become…. They are the best band ever in my opinion…🎤🥁🎸🎻🎧
I wasn’t interested in the JRR Tolkien things at the time! It just passed me by, but got others in my family including my sister, daughter, and granddaughter. Sounds like I missed out. 😂😂😂. Good reaction to it 👏👏👏
I love Led Zep and your analyse. It helps me understand the lyrics as, being French, I don't always get all the meanings. I also love the band Yes, I think you never reacted to. I'd like you to discover this other immense band from the 70'. Try the song Roundabout, the best introduction to them. You won't be disappointed. The best prog band ever.
They were influenced by English/Welsh mythology and folk music,as well as US blues and Rock n Roll. Plant was a big fan of Tolkien too! A song that shows their love of folk music was "Hat's off to Roy Harper" Harper was an English folk musician. Tolkien was influenced by British mythology. King Arthur and Alalon are ancient English/Welsh mytgs. Loving these reactions, Rosalie!
Picture this: Me, the tall nerdy type, riding my Yamaha 250 over to Knebworth Park, England in 1979, parking and chatting casually to a bunch of bikers, being offered a couple of hits on a dubious cigarette, followed by sitting on the grass listening to the bands in the sunshine just waiting for the big event. And then in the darkness, Led Zeppelin take to the stage and blast off like a rocket. Everyone is standing and cheering, and it's just a gripping time like nothing I'd heard before but all too soon it was over, and time to crash in my tiny tent until morning and then ride back to base. Little did I know that this was near the end for the band as the news about Bonzo in 1980 was a crushing blow to old and new fans all over the world....
Wow! What a great analysis of a great song!!!! Thanks, Rosalie. You raise points that I never thought of. I bought Led Zeppelin IV a couple of years after it came out and knew Stairway To Heaven and Black Dog were the hits (and God knows, I love those songs to death!), but then I got a listen to Misty Mountain Hop and I could appreciate it in the context of the whole album. I remember at the time thinking, this is a 'quiet interlude song' on the album if you get tired of all the heavy riffs in many of the other songs. I JUST NOW realized that this is a pretty heavy song, too. Maybe one step down, heaviness-wise, from STH or Black Dog, but still pretty heavy. And, you've given me something to think about with your take on it! Thanks.
When you consider some of the story beats, the getting stoned doesn't have to be outside of Tolkien's work. Remember that Gandalf had a fondness for the halfling's "leaf".
Whenever I listen to this, Makes me think of the meeting of the fellowship before they embark on the grand journey. I don’t know if that was the intent, but that’s what it makes me think of.
You have a liking and a gift for musing on the lyrics! Some of Robert's (& MOST of them are his) "deeper" verses can be found in "Ten years gone," "Kashmir," "Going to california" (gorgeous acoustic coming up on this album) "That's the way," "The Rover," and "The Rain Song," to name a few. "Rain" might be especially interesting for you. Musically LOVELY, but he gets pretty psychological/analytical as emotions are addressed. Lotsa traditional "My woman's gone!" Blues tunes with these cats, but a lot of "deeper" stuff as well!
I read the Lord Of The Rings trilogy in University. It was a real "thing" at the time. I saw Led Zeppelin do these songs live in Vancouver and remember them playing Stairway to Heaven. Lots of people were trying to cover their songs and I got to go to a small club where we danced to them played by Heart. It was great! There are tons of references to the LOTR books in their music. For those of us who experienced the books at the time, Led Zeppelin's music really worked.
I like you videos. Cool to watch you discover Led Zeppelin. IV was a great album. So is Houses of the Holy. But Led Zeppelin II.. wow. They were hungry. It is an amazing album. Jimmy funded Led Zeppelin I. They signed with Atlantic and in the same year released Led Zeppelin II. Some of the most unique music. It is almost like you missed some of the plot in their musical creations. You first hear the LOTR references in Led Zeppelin II. And Ramble On is one of their coolest songs.. and LOTR. But the album is very deep as it is so raw. It would be like listening to Pink Floyd The Wall before knowing about Dark Side of the Moon. Love your videos. Hoping you will give Led Zeppelin II a go. You wont be bored. LOL Wish you all the luck.
This song comes from walking out side of the hotel seeing people in the park across the street. They when over started partying with them. And the song was born,⁉️‼️🇺🇸
Quite a bit of this album was written while the band stayed at Headley Grange, they used The Rolling Stones mobile recording studio. Page in an interview, tells how they had the music ready for Stairway, & Plant was in the corner writing the lyrics. There’s some great footage of them outside taking a break, the place didn’t have any heat, & Page took the worst bedroom. Yes Plant is a huge fan of LOTR, & things are referenced in some songs. If not a singing career, he’d have been an amazing poet. These guys played so tight live also, like 4 parts of the same musician, that’s why they didn’t go on without Bonham as a band. Thank you again for your reaction.
In an interview Robert Plant said, “This is about a "love-in" near London that was broken up by the police. "It's about a bunch of hippies getting busted, about the problems you can come across when you have a simple walk in the park on a nice sunny afternoon. In England it's understandable, because wherever you go to enjoy yourself, 'Big Brother' is not far behind." The Misty Mountains are in Wales. They are referred to in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Return Of The King. Plant is a big fan of Tolkien and used references to the Lord Of The Rings series from time to time.
Yeah there's lot's of Tolkien references in Zepplin songs. One of my favorites is "The Battle of Evermore." And the Tolkien reference in it is "The ringwraiths ride in black." It's a mashup of many different legends, fairytales, and fantasies. And it has a very Tolkien feel to it. It even has some King Arthur references. Very middle ages minstrel sounding.
With Zeppelin, I never really listen to what Robert Plant is singing about. Who cares, when John Bonham is laying that shit DOWN?!! That single-stroke roll at the end of the last chorus says more than all the lyrics smushed together!
The song is about a time when Robert and John Bonham went to Golden Gate park on thier 1st tour of the U.S. and thier first trip to San Francisco. They had heard stories about Frisco and wanted to see for themselves. They found a group of about a dozen people and were smoking weed with them, when the cops showed up, but one of them cops knew who they were and Robert and John invited them to the " After Party" , following thier concert later that night. They basically explain it all in the lyrics and tie it in thier love of Lord of the Rings.
Hi Rosalie, love your videos and your interpretations. Long time Led Zeppelin fan. Supposedly in reference to July 1968 "Legalise Pot Rally" in Hyde Park, London, in which police made arrests for marijuana possession.
The music of the 60s was called Psychedelic Rock. Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, the great Janis Joplin, to name just a few, but you can imagine why the name! Unfortunately, it also created the 27 club. Too many young and talented musicians succumbing to drugs and left us way too early and it continues today!!
You are being introduced to music much the way that many of us were in the 70’s. We would get an album, maybe have a few friends over. We would put on the album and talk about the songs. We didn’t have the internet but we had the album liner and we wound scour it for lyrics and information. What was old is new again!
Robert was really into the hippie counterculture. He took part in a protest to legalize pot. If you went to a park in San Francisco or even in England, you would find not only marijuana but other harder drugs. This disturbed the dream in his head of a peacefully existence and so he says he wants to go back to the Misty Mountains of his home.
Plant was arrested in England in 67 or 68, before Zeppelin. There was a legalize pot rally in a park. That's were the part about the policeman comes in.
In case you haven't noticed yet, their recorded music was way more complicated than their live performances. They never played one of their songs exactly like it was recorded. Live, they were raw... on edge, playing what was inspiring them at the moment. Their recorded music was perfection, layered and refined. For those of us who lived in that era and experienced it as it was being produced, I feel we have a different appreciation and understanding of the music. Not better, mind you... Just different.
Starting in english: yes: Robert wrote the lyrics and often referred to the lord of the rings.(Did you ever read the books? Worth it! Go read it with your kids. There is a reason, why these books are still this inspirational. Some books seem boring, today. These are not.) Beeing born too late to be a hippie: Ca. 1979: eine große Party auf der Wiese von einem Bauernhof. "Stöpsel" war da. Mit seiner 1900Watt PA. Der Strom kam von der 380Volt Verbindung vom Bauernhof. (Der erste Abend war mit einem 2x 50 Watt Verstärker.) Ich hab' die Lautsprecher mit aufgebaut: Pro Kanal 2 "Über-Mann" hohe Türme! Und dann spielte die Musik. Und ich stand da, auf der Wiese. Und "wippte von einem Fuß auf den anderen". Und ein Mann kam zu mir und sagte: "Wir haben hier eine ganze Wiese!! Wir haben Platz! Warum hüpfst und springst Du nicht herum zu der Musik, wenn Du die magst?" Kaum Alkohol. Keine Drogen. Und ich hab' es gemacht! Der link kommt in dem nachsten Kommentar. Der wird wegen dem link zunächst geblockt sein. Ich mache mal eine Überraschung daraus. Da hab' ich gelernt, mich "freizutanzen": heute würden einige sagen: "dance, like no one is looking!" *Zitat Gossip*, die ich neulich wieder live gesehen hab'. Und ich packe noch ein Lied rein: Boureé von Jon Lord aus dem Album Sarabande. Dazu hab' ich mit einem Beini in Gips getanzt, als ich mich mit meiner BMW überschlagen hatte, 1981. Hinweis: bei beiden Parties kam am nächsten Morgen die Polizei, weil sich Anwohner (Kilometer weit weg, in beiden Fällen) über den Krach beschwert hatten. Liebe Grüße aus Tangstedt!
Robert Plant was a huge fan of American blues such as Muddy Waters. Zeppelin is something of a blues/rock fusion. Muddy Waters recorded "You Need Love" in 1962, with lyrics written by Willie Dixon. The guitar riff in "Whole Lotta Love" is all Jimmy Page, but the lyrics to that song clearly draw from Water's "You Need Love". Zeppelin settled out of court and Willie Dixon was added as a songwriter. Here is "You Need Love" by Muddy Waters: ruclips.net/video/OXf7mMal5vY/видео.html
I've always thought the Beatles could have done this. It would have sounded so much different of course, but was right in line with their later stuff lyrically, sans the Tolkien references. I may be the only one in the world that can hear the Fab Four in there, but I do. Something new perhaps? The Tedeschi Trucks Band (still making great music), try Made Up Mind. They have loads of great music and you might find your next favorite band. Husband and wife team with an ultra talented band.
Like 'Black Dog' from the same album, the timing throws you off; it's a bit off-kilter, innit? Love everything about it, JPJ'S piano off the top, Jimmy's guitar, Bonzo's entry, solos, vocals, vignettes, vibe. 😊❤
This song reminds me of back in the 70,s and 80,s going to the Seattle center on weekends to hang and listen to the bands,,,2 or 3 would play,,and they were good bands,,,, But the cops were there but they were just there to???? people doing what ever they wanted and the cops were just there to listen to the music,,,lol
Great track to lead off side 2, it became a live crowd favorite, as well. The rest of this side is just as great, they made a perfect album with this, one of their best albums. Can't wait for the next track, Four Stick, a killer deep cut rarely heard on the radio or streams, but an amazing track, different like all their songs. Enjoy! 🔥🎵🎸🎤🎸🎶🔥
While not a direct reference Tolkien, it is definitely a more psychedelic & less concrete lyrical effort with the psychedelic messaging that was often prevalent in late 60s & early 70s which was ‘what is reality really & are we truly ‘living’, in fullness and scope which is genuine & without contrivance.
It was a place where teenagers would go to party and have a good time,but waiting at the end of the night when they came down from the mountain were the police .
Imagine being 14 years old and hearing this in 1974 It blew our minds.. P.S. The song is about tripping...✌️ and Robert never understood the counter culture..
Zep at it's core is a jam band Robert read lots of books and used a ton of that material to join the jam with lyrics derived from those books Don't read too much into it ,It's all about feel and the search for the ultimate chord that reaches inside of us
The line about the police and asking to stay for tea, really happened. Jimmy was trying to score some weed and the cops were making fun of his accent saying get in line and want to have tea, think it was yardbird days.
Here are the links: where I learned to dance: Also sprach Zarathusthra von Eumir Deodato: 1900 Watt Eine Wiese. ruclips.net/video/RJKsp9_L24Q/видео.html Und Jon Lord: Boureè: ruclips.net/video/SnYMXzgpHn4/видео.html Dance! Like noone is looking!
I heard the inspiration for this song was Robert got arrested for smoking weed at a park or something. Basically they arrested a bunch of people. Its a song of britsh metaphors for hippy stuff lol
IMO, they are drawing a comparison between the hippies of that time and the Hobbits. They are very laid back, almost lazy. They just go through their routine wasting their time away. And Bilbo, looking at it and wanting something more...wanting an adventure, while the nature of the Hobbit is to want to stay in Hobbiton and do Hobbit stuff. The Misty Mountains were symbolic of someone wanting to get away from all that monotony and experience another world. Edit: I wrote this as soon as the song ended before you explained it as you saw it. Clearly you and I are on the same page.
Not sure if you've ever talked about the 4 strange symbols that followed Led Zeppelins career, they are located below the ATLANTIC symbol on the center of LP. Each symbol is a representation of the individual and speaks volumes on them Spiritually and in their lifetimes, past and present. 😊❤
IMO I think listening to LZ is like classical music, you close your eyes and feel it, let your imagination go. The lyrics are to be interrupted how you like.
Some of Led Zeppelin's songs are totally about The Lord of the Rings. I don't know that much about it though, but it's clear from the lyrics what they were talking about : )
“So I'm packing my bags for the Misty Mountains, Where the spirits go now, Over the hills where the spirits fly” and the snare roll -just wonderful!😁
As is common with young reactors of led zeppelin, there is an emphasis on figuring out what the lyrics mean. The only thing related to Jr Tolkien in this song is the use of the words Misty Mountains. Nothing else!!
I know. I laugh at this bs all the time with reactors. You just had to be there to know what life was like to live in The Classic Era. I don’t think she heard the song…. ✨
My favorite band since 1969 when the 1st album was out I was 11 yo and now 66 For me they are the GOAT! What a band!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm 53 now in 2024, in the 80's we loved and had very different interpretations of Led Zeppelin we still do. Brilliant is not even an understatement, top 5 rock bands ever.
I was 19 when I bought the album. It was on a discount rack by mistake, I guess. A guy overheard my wondering if they were good.
He said yes. Bought it and in my first apartment, listened all afternoon…. WOW! OH MY, I’ve never heard anything like this before but dang it’s Good!
San Fernando Valley guy,
@@mrnosaj71oh NO NO NO, they are at the top, they are The GODS Of MUSIC!
@@deantait8326 Where at in the Valley? I remember the Valley being the only place where it was so hot and smoggy I got a headache. Lol. That was the 70's, we went there to ride horses and buy pot.
Sitting in my dorm room in 71 reading Lord of the Rings and listening to Wishbone Ash
Fun to see people try to put Led Zeppelin's music and/or lyrics into a box. Just enjoy the music and let the feelings/imagery take you where it will. Each song takes you somewhere different if you let it. Seems like a symptom of people who grew up with today's music that they take the lyrics too literally.
@@dl-cr7mi asRobert Plant has said in interviews “It’s not as though I don’t know who I’m talking about” in his lyrics. You take a personal experience, make the lyrics vague enough to be applicable to many interpretations……so people can relate to it. And there you go. Pete Seger is a great example of personal storytelling but making it relatable to all. Misty Mountain Hop was based on personal experience, as were many of the songs Robert wrote.
The lyrics are actually about one of Robert’s experiences with the hippie counter-culture scene in San Francisco back in 1969/70……Golden Gate Park I believe…..at least, according to some interviews I’ve heard.
I've always felt that the lyrics also had inspiration from the '68 Democratic National Convention in Chicago when the counter culture people were protesting the war in Viet Nam and the police beat the living daylights out of them and afterward there was a certain amount of frustration and apathy about resisting "the man".
And his frustration with Jimmy’s heroin use and John Bonham drinking
@@bowtiefidenine not in 1970/71
@@bowtiefidenineexcept that this was 1971. Jimmy’s drug addiction didn’t start to get out of hand until 1975 snd later. Ditto for Bonzo’s drinking….which was pretty heavy but not out of control yet. As far as I know from books etc.
@@jeffmalloy8200could be.
Yes….the term Misty Mountains is certainly a Tolkien reference. However, what you might not yet know is that Robert grew up in the Midlands of England, close to the border with Wales. As a boy, his family often went to the mountains of Wales and Robert fell in love with the history, the mythology, the “spirit” of that place. To him, they WERE the. Misty Mountains and became a “heart place” for him. The mountains of Wales and the Atlas Mountains of Morocco are the two places in the world that speak the most clearly to his heart.
So, when he writes of “packing his bags fir the Misty Mountains, where the spirits fly”, he means that literally.
Oh wow!! That is awesome! Didn’t know. Thank you for this info
@@rosalieelliottofficialhere’s a cute 30 second clip of Robert in later years speaking of Tolkien.
He really is an avid fan of the books.
ruclips.net/user/shortsTFJ69ZEVFzo?si=HHfpFlGAep98nRux
@@rosalieelliottofficialany time. I’m an avid admirer of Plant and have read books and listened to dozens of interviews. That’s how I spent part of my time during the pandemic. I guess there were worse ways. 🙄😏
My friend Mike used to say (with love) that Zeppelin had two songs: Squeeze My Lemon, and The Hobbits Are Coming! lol
Very cool reaction and analysis! I've been a fan of this since it was new, but never put as much thought into the lyrics as you just did. 😏
This is such a fun, quirky song, musically. And I just love the way that Plant goes from that kind of staccato monotone delivery to those high belts. Such a satisfying contrast, that really emphasizes the message. He really stands out on this for me.
Another take. Plant was a big fan of he SF music scene from 1967-1969, Page less so. Once Zeppelin began touring the states, they got a closer look at the daily life behind the image of SF and Haight-Ashbury and the generational conflicts between the youth that was sucked into the lifestyle and the police and public reaction to it. Misty Mount Hop is a song of Plant's dissillussionment with seeing American hippie culture up close and how it made him want to retreat back to his prior idyll in England.
😊Yet another beautiful and intelligent reaction from you... you get it, and I love that. As naughty and dirty as some of their catalogue is, it's also equally complex and deep. This song is no exception (one of my all-time favs from Zep😉). They were mere 19 thru 20yr old young men when they started creating their catalogue... that speaks volumes to what their purpose here was/is! Wise beyond their years (and they didn't even know it at the time). Legends in my book!
Thanks for sharing your journey with us! Peace and light to all...💞
Rosalie, I am loving your reactions to Zeppelin, and even more, your analysis. Keep going down the Zeppelin path. It's well worth it.
But you already know that by now.
Rosalie, you need to listen to "Ramble On" if you want to hear LOTR references.......it's a really good Led Zeppelin song too!
I just commented on your ‘rock and roll’ reaction, this video took me back to the start of the album review/reaction. This is great content, I’m loving how you hear the song whereas most reactors just listen. You also speak very well about the whole feeling/depth/meaning of the songs like I feel in my head but cannot articulate. Love it. After completing IV, please go back and start from the first album. I truly believe it will amazing for all of us.
There’s never been a band like Led Zeppelin…this song’s multi rhythms and vocal schemes is second to none!!! Robert Plant’s singing approach and interpretation of the lyrics is so unbelievably amazing that the more I listen to his vocals, the more shocked I become…. They are the best band ever in my opinion…🎤🥁🎸🎻🎧
love your thoughtful takes! Led Zeppelin is timeless.
Jimmy Page was my first favorite guitarist back when I started playing guitar...around 14.
Bonham is STILL my favorite drummer.
What an album. Rosalie it only continues to get better as you dig into the 2nd side...
"Going to California" I highly recommend live .. Earls court '75
I wasn’t interested in the JRR Tolkien things at the time! It just passed me by, but got others in my family including my sister, daughter, and granddaughter. Sounds like I missed out. 😂😂😂. Good reaction to it 👏👏👏
Babe I'm Gonna Leave You is their masterpiece
I'm not a Lord of the Rings reader, don't know anything about it. Neat to hear these references. Thanks Rosalie!
to the point as always! Brilliant!
It’s not fair that after one listen you get the meanings behind these songs, took me years!!
I love Led Zep and your analyse. It helps me understand the lyrics as, being French, I don't always get all the meanings.
I also love the band Yes, I think you never reacted to. I'd like you to discover this other immense band from the 70'. Try the song Roundabout, the best introduction to them. You won't be disappointed. The best prog band ever.
My all time favorite Zeppelin song. Great choice.
One song you do need to react to led zeppelin the lemon song
They were influenced by English/Welsh mythology and folk music,as well as US blues and Rock n Roll.
Plant was a big fan of Tolkien too!
A song that shows their love of folk music was "Hat's off to Roy Harper"
Harper was an English folk musician.
Tolkien was influenced by British mythology.
King Arthur and Alalon are ancient English/Welsh mytgs.
Loving these reactions, Rosalie!
Picture this: Me, the tall nerdy type, riding my Yamaha 250 over to Knebworth Park, England in 1979, parking and chatting casually to a bunch of bikers, being offered a couple of hits on a dubious cigarette, followed by sitting on the grass listening to the bands in the sunshine just waiting for the big event. And then in the darkness, Led Zeppelin take to the stage and blast off like a rocket. Everyone is standing and cheering, and it's just a gripping time like nothing I'd heard before but all too soon it was over, and time to crash in my tiny tent until morning and then ride back to base. Little did I know that this was near the end for the band as the news about Bonzo in 1980 was a crushing blow to old and new fans all over the world....
Wow! What a great analysis of a great song!!!! Thanks, Rosalie. You raise points that I never thought of. I bought Led Zeppelin IV a couple of years after it came out and knew Stairway To Heaven and Black Dog were the hits (and God knows, I love those songs to death!), but then I got a listen to Misty Mountain Hop and I could appreciate it in the context of the whole album. I remember at the time thinking, this is a 'quiet interlude song' on the album if you get tired of all the heavy riffs in many of the other songs. I JUST NOW realized that this is a pretty heavy song, too. Maybe one step down, heaviness-wise, from STH or Black Dog, but still pretty heavy. And, you've given me something to think about with your take on it! Thanks.
When you consider some of the story beats, the getting stoned doesn't have to be outside of Tolkien's work. Remember that Gandalf had a fondness for the halfling's "leaf".
Whenever I listen to this, Makes me think of the meeting of the fellowship before they embark on the grand journey. I don’t know if that was the intent, but that’s what it makes me think of.
You have a liking and a gift for musing on the lyrics! Some of Robert's (& MOST of them are his) "deeper" verses can be found in "Ten years gone," "Kashmir," "Going to california" (gorgeous acoustic coming up on this album) "That's the way," "The Rover," and "The Rain Song," to name a few. "Rain" might be especially interesting for you. Musically LOVELY, but he gets pretty psychological/analytical as emotions are addressed. Lotsa traditional "My woman's gone!" Blues tunes with these cats, but a lot of "deeper" stuff as well!
I read the Lord Of The Rings trilogy in University. It was a real "thing" at the time. I saw Led Zeppelin do these songs live in Vancouver and remember them playing Stairway to Heaven. Lots of people were trying to cover their songs and I got to go to a small club where we danced to them played by Heart. It was great! There are tons of references to the LOTR books in their music. For those of us who experienced the books at the time, Led Zeppelin's music really worked.
Led zep were like the all star band of their time
First Led Zep I bought at 15. Never looked back.
Loving your present musical journey , takes me back to my early teens 😁✌️
Hands down top ten Zeppelin song for me. And that’s hard to say because they have about 75 bangers.
I'm looking forward to the Four Sticks reaction. :) The title really refers to four drumsticks.
I like you videos. Cool to watch you discover Led Zeppelin. IV was a great album. So is Houses of the Holy. But Led Zeppelin II.. wow. They were hungry. It is an amazing album. Jimmy funded Led Zeppelin I. They signed with Atlantic and in the same year released Led Zeppelin II. Some of the most unique music. It is almost like you missed some of the plot in their musical creations. You first hear the LOTR references in Led Zeppelin II. And Ramble On is one of their coolest songs.. and LOTR. But the album is very deep as it is so raw. It would be like listening to Pink Floyd The Wall before knowing about Dark Side of the Moon. Love your videos. Hoping you will give Led Zeppelin II a go. You wont be bored. LOL Wish you all the luck.
JPJ's keyboards are often overlooked in Zep songs....he's certainly one of the best beyond his stellar bass work.
This song comes from walking out side of the hotel seeing people in the park across the street. They when over started partying with them. And the song was born,⁉️‼️🇺🇸
Excellent.
Quite a bit of this album was written while the band stayed at Headley Grange, they used The Rolling Stones mobile recording studio. Page in an interview, tells how they had the music ready for Stairway, & Plant was in the corner writing the lyrics. There’s some great footage of them outside taking a break, the place didn’t have any heat, & Page took the worst bedroom. Yes Plant is a huge fan of LOTR, & things are referenced in some songs. If not a singing career, he’d have been an amazing poet. These guys played so tight live also, like 4 parts of the same musician, that’s why they didn’t go on without Bonham as a band. Thank you again for your reaction.
In an interview Robert Plant said, “This is about a "love-in" near London that was broken up by the police. "It's about a bunch of hippies getting busted, about the problems you can come across when you have a simple walk in the park on a nice sunny afternoon. In England it's understandable, because wherever you go to enjoy yourself, 'Big Brother' is not far behind." The Misty Mountains are in Wales. They are referred to in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Return Of The King. Plant is a big fan of Tolkien and used references to the Lord Of The Rings series from time to time.
Yeah there's lot's of Tolkien references in Zepplin songs. One of my favorites is "The Battle of Evermore." And the Tolkien reference in it is "The ringwraiths ride in black." It's a mashup of many different legends, fairytales, and fantasies. And it has a very Tolkien feel to it. It even has some King Arthur references. Very middle ages minstrel sounding.
With Zeppelin, I never really listen to what Robert Plant is singing about. Who cares, when John Bonham is laying that shit DOWN?!! That single-stroke roll at the end of the last chorus says more than all the lyrics smushed together!
Great, great song! Love your reactions!
Ramble On
The song is about a time when Robert and John Bonham went to Golden Gate park on thier 1st tour of the U.S. and thier first trip to San Francisco.
They had heard stories about Frisco and wanted to see for themselves.
They found a group of about a dozen people and were smoking weed with them, when the cops showed up, but one of them cops knew who they were and Robert and John invited them to the " After Party" , following thier concert later that night.
They basically explain it all in the lyrics and tie it in thier love of Lord of the Rings.
Great reaction Rosalie, but what happened to Stairway to Heaven at end of side one?
Already did a full reaction to it :) you can fjnd it in my UK playlist
Hi Rosalie, love your videos and your interpretations. Long time Led Zeppelin fan.
Supposedly in reference to July 1968 "Legalise Pot Rally" in Hyde Park, London, in which police made arrests for marijuana possession.
I fokin love the drums on this, my favourite song
Finally a Zep reaction that breaks the mold and reviews the infectious, lyrical, whimsical Misty. Well done.
The music of the 60s was called Psychedelic Rock. Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, the great Janis Joplin, to name just a few, but you can imagine why the name! Unfortunately, it also created the 27 club. Too many young and talented musicians succumbing to drugs and left us way too early and it continues today!!
You are being introduced to music much the way that many of us were in the 70’s. We would get an album, maybe have a few friends over. We would put on the album and talk about the songs. We didn’t have the internet but we had the album liner and we wound scour it for lyrics and information. What was old is new again!
Robert was really into the hippie counterculture. He took part in a protest to legalize pot. If you went to a park in San Francisco or even in England, you would find not only marijuana but other harder drugs. This disturbed the dream in his head of a peacefully existence and so he says he wants to go back to the Misty Mountains of his home.
Plant was arrested in England in 67 or 68, before Zeppelin. There was a legalize pot rally in a park. That's were the part about the policeman comes in.
Listen to "In The Light".
As for Tolkien references, there's "Ramble On". Or you can just check out "Rivendell" by Rush.
Zeppelin have a light side, Plant and Jones but Page went down to the crossroads. A great band needs a blend of the light and dark to be legends.
I like the way you broke it down very interesting
In case you haven't noticed yet, their recorded music was way more complicated than their live performances. They never played one of their songs exactly like it was recorded. Live, they were raw... on edge, playing what was inspiring them at the moment. Their recorded music was perfection, layered and refined. For those of us who lived in that era and experienced it as it was being produced, I feel we have a different appreciation and understanding of the music. Not better, mind you... Just different.
Rosalie Elliott, Youre gonna blow up!
Thank you! I’ll take it :)
Starting in english: yes: Robert wrote the lyrics and often referred to the lord of the rings.(Did you ever read the books? Worth it! Go read it with your kids. There is a reason, why these books are still this inspirational. Some books seem boring, today. These are not.) Beeing born too late to be a hippie:
Ca. 1979: eine große Party auf der Wiese von einem Bauernhof. "Stöpsel" war da. Mit seiner 1900Watt PA. Der Strom kam von der 380Volt Verbindung vom Bauernhof. (Der erste Abend war mit einem 2x 50 Watt Verstärker.) Ich hab' die Lautsprecher mit aufgebaut: Pro Kanal 2 "Über-Mann" hohe Türme! Und dann spielte die Musik.
Und ich stand da, auf der Wiese. Und "wippte von einem Fuß auf den anderen". Und ein Mann kam zu mir und sagte: "Wir haben hier eine ganze Wiese!! Wir haben Platz! Warum hüpfst und springst
Du nicht herum zu der Musik, wenn Du die magst?" Kaum Alkohol. Keine Drogen. Und ich hab' es gemacht! Der link kommt in dem nachsten Kommentar. Der wird wegen dem link zunächst geblockt sein. Ich mache mal eine Überraschung daraus. Da hab' ich gelernt, mich "freizutanzen": heute würden einige sagen: "dance, like no one is looking!" *Zitat Gossip*, die ich neulich wieder live gesehen hab'.
Und ich packe noch ein Lied rein: Boureé von Jon Lord aus dem Album Sarabande. Dazu hab' ich mit einem Beini in Gips getanzt, als ich mich mit meiner BMW überschlagen hatte, 1981.
Hinweis: bei beiden Parties kam am nächsten Morgen die Polizei, weil sich Anwohner (Kilometer weit weg, in beiden Fällen) über den Krach beschwert hatten.
Liebe Grüße aus Tangstedt!
Have you seen any of the live material from the Madison Square Garden concert ? I recommend Stairway to Heaven from that concert.
Robert Plant was a huge fan of American blues such as Muddy Waters. Zeppelin is something of a blues/rock fusion. Muddy Waters recorded "You Need Love" in 1962, with lyrics written by Willie Dixon. The guitar riff in "Whole Lotta Love" is all Jimmy Page, but the lyrics to that song clearly draw from Water's "You Need Love". Zeppelin settled out of court and Willie Dixon was added as a songwriter.
Here is "You Need Love" by Muddy Waters: ruclips.net/video/OXf7mMal5vY/видео.html
I've always thought the Beatles could have done this. It would have sounded so much different of course, but was right in line with their later stuff lyrically, sans the Tolkien references. I may be the only one in the world that can hear the Fab Four in there, but I do.
Something new perhaps? The Tedeschi Trucks Band (still making great music), try Made Up Mind. They have loads of great music and you might find your next favorite band. Husband and wife team with an ultra talented band.
Improve Life Joy by 200% when listening to everything Led Zeppelin did
This live 1973 is great! JPJ on keys!
Drug bust in the park 🎸🦋😎all line up, that's the coppers
Like 'Black Dog' from the same album, the timing throws you off; it's a bit off-kilter, innit? Love everything about it, JPJ'S piano off the top, Jimmy's guitar, Bonzo's entry, solos, vocals, vignettes, vibe. 😊❤
This song reminds me of back in the 70,s and 80,s going to the Seattle center on weekends to hang and listen to the bands,,,2 or 3 would play,,and they were good bands,,,, But the cops were there but they were just there to???? people doing what ever they wanted and the cops were just there to listen to the music,,,lol
Great track to lead off side 2, it became a live crowd favorite, as well. The rest of this side is just as great, they made a perfect album with this, one of their best albums. Can't wait for the next track, Four Stick, a killer deep cut rarely heard on the radio or streams, but an amazing track, different like all their songs. Enjoy! 🔥🎵🎸🎤🎸🎶🔥
Four Sticks. Rocks Out!
While not a direct reference Tolkien, it is definitely a more psychedelic & less concrete lyrical effort with the psychedelic messaging that was often prevalent in late 60s & early 70s which was ‘what is reality really & are we truly ‘living’, in fullness and scope which is genuine & without contrivance.
It was a place where teenagers would go to party and have a good time,but waiting at the end of the night when they came down from the mountain were the police .
Excellent ❤❤❤
Very psychedelic. Also a good description of what was going on in San Francisco at the time.
The Next few songs will surprise you
Wait untill you react to The Rain Song, from Houses of the Holly. The Market Square Garden live version will blow your mind.
Imagine being 14 years old and hearing this in 1974 It blew our minds.. P.S. The song is about tripping...✌️ and Robert never understood the counter culture..
Zep at it's core is a jam band Robert read lots of books
and used a ton of that material to join the jam with lyrics derived from those books
Don't read too much into it ,It's all about feel and the search for the ultimate chord that reaches inside of us
Time for "Achilles last stand" from the " Presence " album.
Often Bonzo kicks back and plays a more subltle role, but this is one song he takes the drivers seat.
Pink Floyd - "Dogs" will have you psycho-analyzing for days.......
The estate of man 😂 is all in the mind 🧠
I have a wicked 70's poster titled The Estate of Man ✌️🌈☮️
The line about the police and asking to stay for tea, really happened. Jimmy was trying to score some weed and the cops were making fun of his accent saying get in line and want to have tea, think it was yardbird days.
Bonzo on backing vocals, read somewhere
In my opinion: *When The Levee Breaks > Misty Mountain Hop > Stairway To Heaven* (3rd best on the album)
Try a journey on Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon, you gonna like it!
Here are the links: where I learned to dance: Also sprach Zarathusthra von Eumir Deodato:
1900 Watt Eine Wiese.
ruclips.net/video/RJKsp9_L24Q/видео.html
Und Jon Lord: Boureè:
ruclips.net/video/SnYMXzgpHn4/видео.html
Dance! Like noone is looking!
I heard the inspiration for this song was Robert got arrested for smoking weed at a park or something. Basically they arrested a bunch of people. Its a song of britsh metaphors for hippy stuff lol
IMO, they are drawing a comparison between the hippies of that time and the Hobbits. They are very laid back, almost lazy. They just go through their routine wasting their time away. And Bilbo, looking at it and wanting something more...wanting an adventure, while the nature of the Hobbit is to want to stay in Hobbiton and do Hobbit stuff. The Misty Mountains were symbolic of someone wanting to get away from all that monotony and experience another world. Edit: I wrote this as soon as the song ended before you explained it as you saw it. Clearly you and I are on the same page.
Not sure if you've ever talked about the 4 strange symbols that followed Led Zeppelins career, they are located below the ATLANTIC symbol on the center of LP. Each symbol is a representation of the individual and speaks volumes on them Spiritually and in their lifetimes, past and present. 😊❤
Thought you would like this one. :)
IMO I think listening to LZ is like classical music, you close your eyes and feel it, let your imagination go. The lyrics are to be interrupted how you like.
Zepp was actually the Anti - Hippie band . Plant was into Tolkien , Plant was into the Occult . You should read Hammer of the Gods .
Robert plant was obsessed with lotr
Robert Plant is a huge Lord of the Ruins
Some of Led Zeppelin's songs are totally about The Lord of the Rings. I don't know that much about it though, but it's clear from the lyrics what they were talking about : )
This is about hippies getting arrested and sent to jail.. lol🍄