← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · RowdyRoddyPiper
Thread ID: 20619 | Posts: 18 | Started: 2005-10-12
2005-10-12 07:46 | User Profile
[URL=Led Zeppelin and Tolkien]http://www.geocities.com/Athens/2406/index.html[/URL]
Tolkien is widely recognised as a writer with very positive WN themes. This is a page I bumped into by accident when doing a Google search that discusses Tolkien's influence on Led Zeppelin.
Some great lyrics:
*"Mine's a tale that can't be told, My freedom I hold dear; How years ago in days of old When magic filled the air,
T'was in the darkest depth of Mordor I met a girl so fair, But Gollum, the evil one crept up And slipped away with her."*
(Ramble On)
*Mellow is the man Who knows what he's been missing Many many men Can't see the open road
Many is a word That only leaves you guessing Guessing 'bout a thing You really ought to know You really ought to know*
(Over the Hills and Far Away)
*"Oh, dance in the dark of night, Sing to the morn-ing light. The dark Lord rides in force tonight And time will tell us all.
Oh, throw down your plow and hoe, Rest not to lock your homes. Side by side we wait the might Of the darkest of them all."*
(The Battle of Evermore)
It's a pity Tolkien has such a nerdy Dungeons & Dragons aura about him these days.
2005-10-12 13:19 | User Profile
Though these Led Zeppelin lyrics/songs don't use explicit LOTR or Hobbit references, they definitely feel Tolkienesque.....
[U]"Misty Mountain Hop"[/U]
[I]So I'm packing my bags for the Misty Mountains Where the spirits go now, Over the hills where the spirits fly, ooh. I really don't know.[/I]
Also, my favorite Led Zeppelin song,
[U]"No Quarter"[/U]
[I]Close the door, put out the light. No, they won't be home tonight. The snow falls hard and don't you know? The winds of Thor are blowing cold. They're wearing steel that's bright and true They carry news that must get through.
They choose the path where no-one goes.
They hold no quarter.
Walking side by side with death, The devil mocks their every step The snow drives back the foot that's slow, The dogs of doom are howling more They carry news that must get through, To build a dream for me and you
They choose the path where no-one goes.
They hold no quarter. They ask no quarter. The pain, the pain without quarter. They ask no quarter. The dogs of doom are howling more! [/I]
[U]"Achilles Last Stand"[/U] from the album "Presence" (another fav of mine)
[I]It was an April morning when they told us we should go As I turn to you, you smiled at me How could we say no?
With all the fun to have, to live the dreams we always had Oh, the songs to sing, when we at last return again
Sending off a glancing kiss, to those who claim they know Below the streets that steam and hiss, The devil's in his hole
Oh to sail away, To sandy lands and other days Oh to touch the dream, Hides inside and never seen.
Into the sun the south the north, at last the birds have flown The shackles of commitment fell, In pieces on the ground
Oh to ride the wind, To tread the air above the din Oh to laugh aloud, Dancing as we fought the crowd
To seek the man whose pointing hand, The giant step unfolds With guidance from the curving path, That churns up into stone
If one bell should ring, in celebration for a king So fast the heart should beat, As proud the head with heavy feet.
Days went by when you and I, bathed in eternal summers glow As far away and distant, Our mutual child did grow
Oh the sweet refrain, Soothes the soul and calms the pain Oh Albion remains, sleeping now to rise again
Wandering & wandering, What place to rest the search The mighty arms of Atlas, Hold the heavens from the earth
The mighty arms of Atlas, Hold the heavens from the earth From the earth...
I know the way, know the way, know the way, know the way (X2)
Oh the mighty arms of Atlas, Hold the heavens from the earth. [/I]
2005-10-12 15:37 | User Profile
"No Quarter" is also my favorite Led Zep song, XMH. Great minds think alike, I guess. :) I do greatly prefer the live version on The Song Remains The Same to the studio version of that song, though.
I'm not a huge LZ fan overall (I detest a few of their songs, especially "D'yer Mak'er"), but they've done some very clever work, and their lyrics are indeed interesting (and often enigmatic, I think).
Tolkien definitely seems to have had a lyrical influence on them. "Stairway To Heaven" might be another example.
2005-10-12 16:02 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Angler]"No Quarter" is also my favorite Led Zep song, XMH. Great minds think alike, I guess. :) I do greatly prefer the live version on The Song Remains The Same to the studio version of that song, though.
I'm not a huge LZ fan overall (I detest a few of their songs, especially "D'yer Mak'er"), but they've done some very clever work, and their lyrics are indeed interesting (and often enigmatic, I think).
Tolkien definitely seems to have had a lyrical influence on them. "Stairway To Heaven" might be another example.[/QUOTE]
Angler, the live version of Zep's "No Quarter" is the ONLY version!! Classic jam from Page on that version.
I agree, some Led Zep songs are unlistenable today, IMO. However, I think it's more due to radio beating the same 4 Zeppelin songs over and over and over again ad infinitum than it is the quality of the songs themselves.
On the inside cover flap of Led Zeppelin 4, there's a painting of a Gandalf-looking figure hold a lantern on top of a mountain and far down below there's a Hobbit-looking figure climbing the mountain. Definitely overt reference to Tolkien's Hobbit.
2005-10-12 19:29 | User Profile
[QUOTE=xmetalhead]On the inside cover flap of Led Zeppelin 4, there's a painting of a Gandalf-looking figure hold a lantern on top of a mountain and far down below there's a Hobbit-looking figure climbing the mountain. Definitely overt reference to Tolkien's Hobbit.[/QUOTE] There's a great animated sequence with that character in The Song Remains The Same movie. Also, it's got video footage of the live recording of No Quarter and some great sequences of John Bonham drag-racing. It's a "must own" if you haven't got it already :thumbsup:
2005-10-12 21:54 | User Profile
[QUOTE=xmetalhead] On the inside cover flap of Led Zeppelin 4, there's a painting of a Gandalf-looking figure hold a lantern on top of a mountain and far down below there's a Hobbit-looking figure climbing the mountain. Definitely overt reference to Tolkien's Hobbit.[/QUOTE] I think that image was based on a tarot card.
[img]http://www.learntarot.com/bigjpgs/maj09.jpg[/img]
[QUOTE] (The Battle of Evermore)[/QUOTE]
I heard somewhere that one was inspired by a book Plant read about Scottish border wars.
2005-10-12 22:56 | User Profile
[QUOTE=xmetalhead]Also, my favorite Led Zeppelin song,
"No Quarter"[/QUOTE] Nothing beats "Dazed and Confused" IMHO :rockon::punk:
2005-10-12 23:14 | User Profile
So nobody believes in the imbedded backwards messages? :lol:
2005-10-12 23:50 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Okiereddust]So nobody believes in the imbedded backwards messages? :lol:[/QUOTE]Are there hidden anti-Semitic messages in the tarot card that robinder posted? I see a yellow Star of David imprisoned in a cage... what does that mean? :lol:
2005-10-15 05:56 | User Profile
There are a tiny handful of Zep tunes I don't like: [I]D'Yer Mak'er[/I] does indeed suck the Big One; [I]The Crunge[/I], a few others.
[I]The Song Remains the Same[/I] is great - but the live DVD they came out with 2 years ago is [I]it[/I], friends: tremendous verisons of [I]Rock & Roll, Black Dog[/I], the acoustic set, loads of fascinating interviews & clips - and an incredible version of perhaps my favorite Zep tune, [I]Achilles Last Stand[/I], from the Knebworth festival.
2005-10-15 17:35 | User Profile
[quote=RowdyRoddyPiper][URL="http://Led Zeppelin and Tolkien"]http://www.geocities.com/Athens/2406/index.html[/URL]
Tolkien is widely recognised as a writer with very positive WN themes. This is a page I bumped into by accident when doing a Google search that discusses Tolkien's influence on Led Zeppelin.
[I]"Oh, dance in the dark of night,[/I] [I]Sing to the morn-ing light.[/I] [I]The dark Lord rides in force tonight[/I] [I]And time will tell us all.[/I]
[I]Oh, throw down your plow and hoe,[/I] [I]Rest not to lock your homes.[/I] [I]Side by side we wait the might[/I] [I]Of the darkest of them all."[/I]
(The Battle of Evermore)
It's a pity Tolkien has such a nerdy Dungeons & Dragons aura about him these days.
Something about "the drums will shake the castle walls, the Ring Wraiths ride in black." Is an even more direct Tolkein Reference in Battle of Forever More.
I've always liked "Gallows Pole" from Led Zepp 3, for it's inversion of the classic "hero rides to the rescue" theme into a rather dark and twisted resolution. Zepp did a lot of good stuff with folk music themes, though I think Jethro Tull was better at it.
AE
2005-10-15 18:33 | User Profile
[QUOTE=N.B. Forrest]There are a tiny handful of Zep tunes I don't like: [I]D'Yer Mak'er[/I] does indeed suck the Big One...[/QUOTE]I knew I wasn't alone in that sentiment. God, I hate that song. When it comes on the radio, I change the station fast. Otherwise a nasty image of two faggots frolicking in a field of flowers pops into my head.
2005-10-16 05:19 | User Profile
...kinda overloaded on zep myself. it is often the only old band local clas-rock radio plays consistently.
dyermaker has an interesting guitar lick, must be tapping fingers ilo picking.
but for all the possible wn in the LYRICS... i still believe that page is simply one weird dude.
i remember hearing he was a satanist and aficionado of crowley. and that plant blamed him for the death of one of his children.
not what a "movement" needs. an infiltrator?
2005-10-16 11:26 | User Profile
[QUOTE=van helsing] i remember hearing he was a satanist and aficionado of crowley. and that plant blamed him for the death of one of his children.
not what a "movement" needs. an infiltrator?[/QUOTE]
I doubt that Plant would continue to make records and tour with a man he thought had black magicked his son into the grave.
2005-10-16 11:29 | User Profile
On our local "No Hard Rock!" classic rock station, there's a good bit of Zep, but they really lay the Fleetwood Mac on with a trowel. Cannot stand most of their shit, but I do like Christine McVie's voice.
2005-10-16 23:32 | User Profile
Too bad Led Zep is the exact opposite representation of Tolkien's virtues.
2005-10-17 04:58 | User Profile
[IMG]http://www.valley-and-blues.com/images/site/minisites/gibson/jimmy_page.jpg[/IMG] Page, Led Zeppelin guitarist and occultist, bought Alistair [B]Crowley's[/B] mansion, Boleskine House, near Foyers, Scotland, and owns a large collection of Crowley memorabilia.
The year 1976 marked the beginning of Page's heroin use, a habit which would often interfere with their live shows and studio recordings in their later years.
2005-10-23 09:07 | User Profile
[QUOTE=RowdyRoddyPiper][URL=Led Zeppelin and Tolkien]http://www.geocities.com/Athens/2406/index.html[/URL]
Tolkien is widely recognised as a writer with very positive WN themes. This is a page I bumped into by accident when doing a Google search that discusses Tolkien's influence on Led Zeppelin.
Some great lyrics:
*"Mine's a tale that can't be told, My freedom I hold dear; How years ago in days of old When magic filled the air,
T'was in the darkest depth of Mordor I met a girl so fair, But Gollum, the evil one crept up And slipped away with her."*
(Ramble On)
*Mellow is the man Who knows what he's been missing Many many men Can't see the open road
Many is a word That only leaves you guessing Guessing 'bout a thing You really ought to know You really ought to know*
(Over the Hills and Far Away)
*"Oh, dance in the dark of night, Sing to the morn-ing light. The dark Lord rides in force tonight And time will tell us all.
Oh, throw down your plow and hoe, Rest not to lock your homes. Side by side we wait the might Of the darkest of them all."*
(The Battle of Evermore)
It's a pity Tolkien has such a nerdy Dungeons & Dragons aura about him these days.[/QUOTE]
I saw Jimmy Page do this on MTV Unplugges several years ago with a classical Hindu (female) singer. It was great.