This is one of the most famous songs EVER. PERIOD. One of the most important songs in rock history. Every guitar player knows how to play this song. It is just that Iconic, and it also an absolute master piece
Definitely not their best performance of this tune. Robert's voice was shredded after the surgeries in the 73/74 time frame. And by this time 'Stairway' was basically a boring (but required) song for them in every show. They're just going through the motions.
@@Mr.Ekshin Stairway to Heaven should come with a warning: STUDIO VERSION ONLY! This performance was so lacking in the classic beauty of the song it was downright embarrassing. My brain needed a reset after being knocked off course trying to follow the rhythm of the song. "Does anyone remember laughter?" WTF!
Robert Plant wrote those in about 30 minutes after Jimmy Page had finished the music. He was so young, and to be so astute and able to relay the immensity of life , is mind boggling. This has so many meanings to us, and these change as life changes
He said in an interview that he made up the words as a stream of conscience while in the studio after reading The Hobbit. Many of their songs have references to The Lord of the Rings (Misty Mountain Hop) which was released about the same time. I read the books when this song was just released way back in the early 70's.
So great! Like an extremely young Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) writing "Dream On!" What kind of insight is that for a young man??? These young geniuses !!!
That man on the drums was the one and only John 'Bonzo. Bonham. After his death, Led Zeppelin disbanded in his honour and didn't even dream of trying to replace him
You have to take in the fact that they are British and this is a very British song full of references to the landsape and natural world. The hedge row is a feature of the countryside here - they run along all the small roads in the rural areas and are full of small trees plants wild flowers and provide habitat for insects birds and animals . Around May they burst into full beauty and life and that is what he means by the bustle its the coming back to life in spring. The hawthorn tree which has white blosson in May and is therefore called the May queen is a pre christian symbol of spring and re birth . Robert Plant was influenced by the intelligent end of the hippy movement in the 60's and that included rejecting materialism and searching for spirituality. The woman who belives all that glitters is gold is searching for happiness through expensive shiny things whereas the path to true hapiness is being connected to the natural world - the forrest the brook etc. RP 's home was in Wales which is the western most part of the UK - that is where he returned to seek peace when he wasn't touring so that is looking to the west. you can also hear this quest for spirituality in the songs Kashmir and Achilles last stand. the two paths are materialism or sprituality. There is a gentle and beautifully expressed reminder that we are not immortal . Different people hear the song in different ways but those are the themes. Jimmy Page had that guitar made to perform this song on stage so that he wouldn't have to change guitars in mid performance . the whole song is a constant progression in tempo volume and intensity its almost imperceptable as it happens - its genius. I hear it as a musical representation of increasing life force as the spring takes hold but that may be just me. You should listen again because you were distracted by trying to make sense of the lyrics , you should try the madison square garden 1973 performance as that is widely regraded as the best version and i do think the vocals are better- thats not criticism you weren't to know . To dive in further you should know they are regarded as the best blues rock band - try since i been loving you live at MSG or for some straight rock try black dog same concert.
@@joshoberg9797 agreed. I kept scrolling through comments to determine if I might try to explain my own interpretation. One of the wonderful things about art, including language, is that it often CAN be interpreted in different ways. We all have our preferences which makes diversity so critical. Honestly, it doesn't even matter all that much what the author/artist intended. It is the appeal to those who experience the creations that matter most.
@@joshoberg9797 Thanks for that - i should say that i live in the south west of englnd and am surrounded by hedgerows so i'm with RP -they are about to do their magic !!!
This is the best explanation and interpretation of this song I have ever experienced...and I have been listening to this song, with adoration and awe, for more than 40 years. It meant one thing to me as a kid...then a teenager...then a college student who thought she knew it all. After I had kids the meaning changed for me, and then later, after my mom died it changed and expanded again in the most beautiful ways. I cannot watch the Wilson sister's tribute at the Kennedy Center with Jon's son Jason Bonham in his trademark bowler hat, without bawling my eyes out and jumping to my feet. Wow. Thank you so much
@@melissasecrest8223 Thanks for that! Where would we be without this song and usually very enjoyable to watch new people find it. It took me ages to pluck up the courage to watch the Hart version but it was a really good tribute and very emotional because of the 3 sitting there. Imagine playing the guitar solo in front of jimmy page!! If anyone wants to see the hedgerows if you google English hedgrows and look at the images there are plenty - you'll be able to see what it is . the song translates and becomes universal because everyone has a thing which makes them happy, no matter where you are in the world - it might be the beach or kicking a football in the park with your mates . whatever makes your heart sing. The clips of Robert with his wife and children playing in the welsh countryside from the song remains the same film explains everything about him, i think.His reluctance to sing this later may be a question of Paradise lost because of his little boy. all love s
Oh interesting- actually that makes a lot of sense as I can definitely see some Tolkien influence in Robert Plant’s lyrics. I never knew that about him! Thanks.
The quote I used in my Senior yearbook came from this song: in this life there are two roads you can go by but in the long run there's still time to change the road you're on. True to this day ... never too late to take control of youre life. 💞
It’s a 1971 Gibson EDS-1275 double neck. I’m a guitarist and I was I tried one once in a guitar store in Manhattan, it does sound incredible, but it’s VERY heavy and actually quite uncomfortable and awkward to use. There’s a reason guitar players will usually play just one song with one, then switch over to a regular 6 string. They also range in cost from $6,000 to $20,000 depending on options and how customized you make it.
Plant has said many times that the meaning of the song is open to different interpretations except for the first verse. First verse is about the excesses of life and where those excesses lead. Nice reaction
Led Zeppelin.... mucho que decir de ésta gran banda. Ésta es su obra maestra pero su catálogo es enorme!! Zep fué muy superior en sus grabaciones de estudio. En vivo, considero que Deep Purple fué muy superior, sin desmerecer al todos los miembros de la banda. Son fascinantes!! Gracias por el bello recuerdo 😊💙
Been listening to this song for 50 years and I'm still learning WTF it means so you got some distance to go man. Changes over time and with your perspective on life. As an 18-year-old, just F'n cool rock. As a 69-year-old, an incredible mantra about life, longing and belief.
I believe this song is a prophecy. This may sound weird but it aligns with what's going on today. A shift a change of a new day and age that is yet to come. If you listen really hard the tune will come to you at last... Yes ,there is a lady we do all know. ? Associated with the color gold... West ... stores... Sign on the wall. She will lead us to reason. Look at those lyrics . What pops into your mind. It might surprise you. It's a prophecy. ; )
Keep in mind.. Robert Plant was only 22 years old when writing the song.. so 23 or so when belting out this song live. Forming the band with John Bonham when he was 19.. what a life.
Jimmy Page is the GOAT. He was a pro years before Zeppelin and is still collaborating on stuff today. We can argue Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix but unfortunately they passed early in life. Jimmy being 80 the man's talents span decades❤ RIP Bonzo❤
jimmy page in my opinion is overrated because he‘s been always a bit sloppy in live situations to the extent that for instance their live aid concert slot got erased from the recording, according to their own wish. actually i find you can see and hear it here as well, it just looks impressive with his gear and style. but i know jimmy page is one untouchable holy cow for many. of course he‘s created monumental stuff, just saying. there are a lot of other greats which i think are better. it also depends on which approach in guitar playing you prefer. hence it‘s all matter of taste.
@@greenogre22Their Live Aid slot wasn’t rehearsed and Jimmy Page had a serious drug problem. He’s sloppy live because he improvised live. Hendrix was sloppy live too for the same reason. Slash tends to stick to the studio versions and is really tight as a result. Jimmy’s reputation for sloppiness actually doesn’t come from his live playing. It was from his practice of using the best take of something even with a mistake in it. His earlier session work didn’t have mistakes because he wasn’t the producer. With Led Zeppelin he decided the best take didn’t need to be perfect, just the most fitting.
Exactly! I think Jimmy hands down the greatest guitarist, he had one or more solos in every amazing song they made. Then factor in his producing mixing etc. let’s not forget, finding these other three GOATS or should I say GODS of music.
@@greenogre22your going to throw live aid in there, you call it sloppy in live concerts, it’s improvising to creat longer solos. He plays with passion & his soul, even when his addiction was so bad, he still was greater then the others some claim to be great.
Whoever put Led Zeppelin is Mount Everest my respect. Not only is Zeppelin the GOAT of bands but, is made up by all four being GOATs. No one is better than any of these four.
Totally agree. A close second is Rush. The amount of sound they produced with three members is crazy. But they are a decade later, so the music is very different.
After 50 years of this being my favorite song, I've realized that the pivotal lyrics in this song are "it makes me wonder". Those words are repeated several times. That is exactly what the rest of the lyrics are meant to do: make the listener wonder. Plant would introduce this song by telling the audience "I think this is a song of hope". What more do we need?
It’s about someone trying to buy their way into happiness “heaven”. Money cannot buy happiness and no matter how hard you try there will be shortcomings. This band is the greatest collection of Rock talent in 1 group (top 5 lead singer, top 5 guitarist, top 5 drummer all time)
John Paul Jones is a musical genius and the greatest musician in Led Zeppelin. Besides being a multi-instrumentalist, there's his song writing and arrangements. A lot of the songs were arranged by him.
So when I was in 11th grade, in 1998, we did a semester of poetry in my English class. And one part was analyzing song lyrics as poetry. This was one of the songs we analyzed. And you are correct....the lady is sure that all the glitters is gold and she's buying a stairway to heaven...she thinks that she can buy her way in. But the song potties and talks about how there's two paths you can go down, and it's never too late to change the path you're on. Also it says the piper is calling you to join him...which means there's always going to be temptation. You have to analyze the lyrics too. Then you'll get the full grasp of how amazing this narrative actually is.
❤ When I taught high school English, I gave my students a music poetry presentation assignment after breaking down a few iconic tracks. Stairway to Heaven was top of my list and the presentations were phenomenal, never forget it!! ❤
The narrative is even more amazing if you understand the song is full of Pagan imagery your high school mates wouldn't pick up on. "There's a feeling I get when I look to the West" West is that land of Faery. "The Piper is calling you to join him." The Piper is Cernunnos, the Great Horned God, calling you to come to the woods. The May Queen is the Fae name for the Great Mother Goddess. The two paths are Christianity & Paganism. "And as we wind on down the road, our Shadows taller than our souls, there walks a Lady we all know who shines white light ..." The Goddess is right there to be followed. This is a Pagan anthem that's been played on radio for decades.
Did the same thing in 01. I always thought it was about a drug addict. Like every time she buys the drugs she’s closer to death. And the “two paths” is getting clean or staying sick.
The "flute" sound you hear is actually a keyboard called a "Mellotron" played by John Paul Jones. Any time you hear a wind instrument, pipe organ or an orchestral sound like violins and cellos, it's JPJ by himself playing all those parts on the Mellotron.
@@tracyd3522 It was the analog Mellotron keyboard, which had flute (and other instruments) sounds of different notes on tape loops for each key. Sort of a pre-digital 'synth'.
Oh my goodness. I already had 2 kids by then. I re-listen to the songs of my early motherhood and sink in such bliss. Thanks for recognizing the elders of this current time. We did love us some great music.
'Stairway to Heaven' was written organically in 1971 while Led Zeppelin were recording their 4th album ('Led Zeppelin IV') out in the English countryside... Guitarist Jimmy Page kept working on the music while singer Robert Plant wrote lyrics in the next room... Plant was a fan of Tolkien (author of 'Lord of the Rings' ... 'The Hobbit') and he often drew lyrical inspiration from the fantasy world... 'Stairway to Heaven' was open to interpretation - but Plant was likely commenting on his observations of how people view the paths to the afterlife... or what some r willing to do in life to ascend to a better place ... a promised paradise... John Paul Jones (bass/ keyboards) later added his own bits to the song. By 1972, the epic song 'Stairway to Heaven' was the #1 song requested on FM radio... Even though it was never released as a single, its success pushed the 'Led Zeppelin IV' album to 24 million sales in the US alone and made it 1 of the top 5 albums of all time 🤘🤘 The song became so popular that Elvis Presley knew it (Led Zeppelin had visited Elvis in Graceland numerous times and the band were huge fans... Zeppelin were devastated when Elvis passed away in 1977, the same year Robert Plant lost his son) According to Robert Plant, his lyrics often had British humor... Led Zeppelin was often shrouded in mystery cos they never appeared on TV and kept their distance from the press... There were rumors that Jimmy Page was practicing black magic and involved w/ the occult, so that made them appealing to a young audience. However, that implied 'supernatural' menace that Led Zeppelin became a burden over time... especially after a series of mishaps plagued the band, starting w/ Zeppelin being robbed of their tour revenue in NYC at the end of their 1973 tour... Robert Plant's car accident in 1975 that sidelined him for nearly 2 years... Jimmy Page abusing he+++n... John Bonham (drums) escalating his drinking and violent behavior... the death of Robert Plant's son in 1977 from a viral infection... And finally, the tragic death of John Bonham in 1980 that ended led Zeppelin... As a solo artist, Robert Plant was never keen on performing 'Stairway to Heaven' live in concert... He had a problem w/ the Zeppelin song 'In my time of dying'... (It was a song about death) especially after the death of his son in '77... It took years before Plant was eventually more comfortable performing Led Zeppelin songs in concert.
Quoting an article I've read: "As the song itself notes, “Sometimes words have two meanings.” The meaning behind “Stairway’”s words seem, if nothing else, infinite. Lyrically, the tune has dazed and confused many a mind-altered listener with its vague take on duality for the better part of a half-century. But, more often than not, lyrics say more with how they feel than what they really mean, and while “Stairway” is seemingly a song about the inevitability of death that’s really a song about fear but actually a song about greed… or something…" It's hard to give a logic meaning of the lyrics, remember those were the times when musicians were writing their songs under the influence of every kind of substance, in this case LSD.
They were the biggest band on the planet and knew it. That's why Robert Plant is swaggering around like he owns the world. He did. It's just a trip, the spring faerie woman is coming out to see the world. May day. The May pole. Drinking ale and mead. Just groove with it!!
Arguably the most beautiful and icon rock song ever. I forget just how good it is until you I revisit it. The top neck on the guitar here is a 12 string the bottom neck a normal 6 string. The 12 string gives "jingly" tone.
The jangly sound comes from the doubling of the strings. The two low E, A, B and G strings are all tuned an octave apart and the two B and high E strings are tuned to the same octave, so you get a really full, droning sound. The double neck is integral to both "Starirway to Heaven" and "Hotel California".
AND THE GODS CAME DOWN TO PLAY !!! EVERY SONG ON EVERY ALBUM IS UNBELIEVABLE , NOT ONE BAD SONG !!! THIS WAS A 5 NIGHT RUN AT EARLS COURT IN LONDON AND END TO A DAMN NEAR 2 YEAR WORLD TOUR.
I can say that I saw them live in concert at Capital Centre, Largo, Maryland (Washington DC suburbs), May 30, 1977. Can you believe that the tickets were only $9.50.!!
Takes me back to Class of 77', last song of the high school year dance in the cafeteria. Boozing it up. My father was a chaperone. The dance party ended at 11 pm. and I was invited to go skinny dipping off the rocks at the Humber River. I begged my dad and he agreed, saying be home by 2 am. I never made home that night. Too, wasted and fell asleep next to the boom box, in the bushes.
Money doesn’t buy paradise…It’s a rallying call to those who see the Money Game for what it is…that’s how I interpreted the lyrics. Just thought I would share 😂
great reaction cheers; my dad was nuts about zepelin and after me picking up a guitar and learning piano at age 15 ( in 50s now ), he really wanted me to learn this song in particular, everytime i asked asked him wtf the lyrics meant he would chuckle and shrug and say "whatever u want them to mean" so i put zep on back burner and continued my musical journey. later on in life, the more i dived into zep and the more i studied theology, the more this song made sense, even though robert plant once stated the lyrics are purposely vague so that the listener can interpret it as they see fit. All band members also stated that every time they played this on stage, it emotionally drained them. couple of things that may add context for you though, the guitarist jimmy page was deeply into the occult, had assigned nordic runes to each band member, plant the singer was deep into eastern philosophy, rings through the trees to me refers to native american indians sending smoke signals and that connecting to nature is more beneficial to ones emotional wellbeing than glittering gold/money and such worldy pursuits. they also did a shedload of mind bending drugs, the singer plant, also wore blouses of the women he was sleeping with onstage, all 4 of them were top of their fields as session musicians, truly gifted, it was easy for them, when the drummer bonzo died, they disbanded and now sit at the top of rock and roll legend and for good reason, they were also very gifted at folk music. they truly were 1 of a kind. hedgerow == a row of hedges. mayqueen is a reference to pagan religions that existed before christianity appeared, queen mab ( she has other names ). the piper is a reference to the devil, or the pagan god pan.
I've been listening to this song for 40 years and I still am not sure what it means but to me it means that we are all connected We are all one and all of us have to go up that stairway to Heaven at some point and the trip cannot be bought. When the Piper comes to call you home it will lie on the whispering wind. A hedgerow is a hedge - you know separating fields. Songs like this were made in many altered states. There's a folk-lore aspect with a bit of magic mentioning the May Queen, smoke in trees etc..
We spent nine weeks of sophomore literature class studying the lyrics of this song and discussing its impact on our generation and the generations to come. I was class of 84. What a great era I had from my earliest recollections of music to today. It’s still rock n roll to me.
❤💯YESSSSS!! That should've been his introduction to Zep Live! NOTHING beats the MSG performance.👊 Earl's Court is good but... MSG "Stairway" is magical, ethereal really.🤗
You can't buy your way into heaven. You only can gain entrance with who you are and what you give back to others. You can always change "the road you're on", who you are as a person.
ONLY Jesus Christ Gods son is the REAL TICKET TO HEAVEN BY BELIVING HE DIED FOR YOU PERSONALY AND TRUSTI NG HIM ONLY I HAVE A HEART FULL OF PEACE KNOWING IM HIS AND HE IS MINE FOR EVER BECAUSE MY TRUST IS IN JESUS CHRIST ONLY
This is Led Zeppelin’s song and it was written by Robert Plant and composed by Jimmy Page. This song is about a musician who climbs a mountain and ends up meeting the old man version of himself. When he gets to the top he sees what he has become at the end of his journey and finds out there were two paths that he could have chosen. He saw what he became, but should he have chosen the other path. The song is myth and fantasy but is there a bases of truth to it. Both paths could lead to gold but which is the wiser path. It stands to reason that Page and Plant were both ahead of their time when it came to writing music and the theatrics behind it was insane. The metal and rock artists that came after Zeppelin I don’t think really compare, but it is easy to see where their ideas and influence came from. Rush is another of my favorite bands and I think that they were easily influenced by Zeppelin. Stairway was an 8 minute song and nobody thought anything of it being that long and being played all the time. Rush’s repertoire is filled with lengthy songs and crazy interludes. Iron Maiden’s (mascot Eddie), Black Sabbath with Ozzy “Iron Man” and even Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” through “The Wall” carry the influences of Zeppelin.
The better live performance is the 1973 Madison Square Concert which is legendary and IMHO the best live Zeppelin performance with the original members ever recorded. They were all on fire and just killing it. Pick any song from that concert and you won't be disappointed. As for this performance, Plant's vocals weren't quite there and if I remember right he was actually sick and you can hear it in some of the breaks in his vocals.
A friend in HS said the song means 2 different things - 1 when you're straight and the other when you're stoned lol. Funny I can still see him saying that in my memory and that was 1975.
I was in high school during the late 70s. We had live bands at prom and nobody danced but to slow songs. Stairway to Heaven was everyone's favorite because it was so long. The least favorite for prom was Freebird. We would start out slow dancing then as it sped up nobody knew what to do so everyone went and sat down. The only fast song everyone stood up for was Sweet Home Alabama
Some songs have a life of their own.Stairway To Heaven, Bohemian Rapsody,Another Brick In The Wall, American Pie, Imagine, Enter The Sandman are a few of them. Don Felder plays a Schrammel in Hotel California.
According to Robert Plant, the lyric writer, its his 23 year old guys take on faith. 💜 Keep going on the the LZ train! There are no bad Led Zeppelin songs. 💜
@@FranklinJuniper-uh2lk Maybe you should read them again. The lyrics don’t say she can’t buy a stairway to heaven. You’re interpreting them however you please. Which is OK because they are vague and open to many interpretations.
Ahh but she THINKS she can buy her way in. But she cannot. It does not work that way .... That is a takeaway for a lot of people. Where is she really going? It's deep, you know? More importantly, there's always time to change the road you're on....😉
It means you can not buy your way into heaven, she is trying to buy her way in. change that road your on, your stairway lies on the whispering wind. Laughter, peace, joy, kindness is the way my brother it never changes.❤❤❤❤❤
The flute sound (which was a flute on the album version) is a Mellotron keyboard - used since the 1970s to provide a lovely lush accompaniment to music - everyone from the Beatles to Screaming Trees has added it to their music. As to the song's meaning, people have written university theses trying to work that out. It's a wonderful mystery, and you can read many different things into it. Twin-neck guitars are rare, but very useful if you need two different guitar sounds or tunings on a song. In this case, Jimmy has a 12-string for the acoustic parts and a 6-string for the lead break.
The EAGLES play the double guitar on their song "HOTEL CALIFORNIA". And it is probably one of the best guitar solos in any song EVER!!! You need to watch it live video of their performance.
One of my earlier memories of music is based around Zeppelin. I was about 4 and my parents had these giant speakers in the house, my mom would light candles and just vibe out. I could hear their beautiful memories through every corner of the house and after a time they became bedtime lullabies. Growing up in the 80's, nothing like it with the music of our older generations. So hypnotic, still
There is another live verson where Robert Plant’s vocals are really really great and he goes really high but this was a good version and guitarist Jimmy Page actually played his guitar on another song with a bow as in violin or chello bow. Jimmy was a master m- They all were - but as far as meaning - I think it will always remain a mystery but just good to jam to
Plant sounds like his vocals are strained in this version. He doesn't even try to go high as usual. Usually, his voice is clearer and stronger. Right, first verse about materialism. Rest of song, according to Robert Plant, open for interpretation, intentionally.
*_Stairway to Heaven_* - is the very - *absolute* - center of Rock and Roll Music. Every other song is a reverberation from the inside out from Stairway.
The double neck guitar has a purpose. The top neck is a 12 string, the bottom is a standard 6 string. You can see in the video, Jimmy starts on the 6 string for the intro, then switches to the 12 string for the melody,. Then back to the 6 string for the epic solo. Then back to the 12 string for the ending. In a studio, recording, you just record a section and change guitars. To play it live, Jimmy needed both a 6 and a 12 string, that's why Gibson made this double neck guitar.
In the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church would sell "indulgences" to rich people who were dying to absolve them of their sins before meeting their Maker. This practice became one of the reasons Martin Luther rebelled against what he saw as the corruption of Christ's word by the Vatican and formed the Protestant Church. Essentially, he was protesting the idea you could buy your way into Heaven. I don't know if that history influenced the writing of this song, but that is what it reminds me of.
"my man looks like he's..." many rock groups did U.S. tours (sometimes 20 plus shows in a brief time frame) I'm not making excuses I only know how much energy they give still true to their art Stairway is an encore of finale piece. After a 2 or 3 hour show things don't come out a crisp. Bear that in mind vocals is an instrument as organic as it is. tyvm for honest reaction.
U gotta listen ti the original album version..its the best and gits way harder. Love this channel..plant,page,Jones, Bonham ..greatest rock band ever. U and Don doing the album original will be badass
There are no flutes. The studio version had four recorders playing in harmony for the medieval sounding stuff at the start - but for live versions they used recorders sampled on a mellotron keyboard. The song is described by the band as "a song of hope" that if you see the light and realise the pursuit of money and material success is pointless it is never too late to change your life for the better.
Doubled guitars are for stage performances, typically. The top is 12 string for chords and lower is 6 string for picking. On stage, unless you jnsert a gap for the guitarist to switch guitars, the lower quality dual lets you switch quibly. In the studio, you play your best 12 string for chords and best 6 string for picking and lay them on different tracks. The double guitar is a compromise.
Definitely. Hearing it over again and again along with researching/understanding the lyrics. The musicians just blend it together. Yes, the Mt. Everest of rock, esp. at that time. Catalog and sound was before their time.
In the 80s, this is what we listened to getting ready for dances and stuff, even though the song was from our parent's generation. My mother's only truly wild night as a teenage was almost getting killed at a Led Zeppelin concert. After the concert, everyone in the parking garage started up their cars, unaware that the Hell's Angels had shut the entrances to the garage, sending many, including my mother, to the hospital for carbon monoxide poisoning. She was only 16, and she said that night was terrifying and unfortunately the reason I was not allowed to go to concerts until I graduated high school. 🤣🤣
I enjoyed your reaction to Led Zeppelin, STH. I agree with the 2 path interpretation for the main part of the song. I did some digging, since they are an English band, and one interpretion I found re: 'If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be a lawman'. I'm pasting the info: A hedgerow is a hedge that surrounds many estates in Britain. Bustle, or noise or activity, used in this sense, means a disturbance close to home. Something's happening in your world! - Keep up the good work, I'm 75 and was very into the prog rock era, with PF being my favorite group. I saw them twice in 90 and on their pulse tour in 95. Jimmy Page and David Gilmore are 2 of the best lead guitarists from that era.
These were true artists ❤the music was felt in our souls ❤it felt like true freedom to be who we were with no judgement ❤the love we felt was amazing❤and yes, there’s a meaning for everyone ❤and all I remember is how happy we all were❤I miss those days❤
I'm glad you dove into the lyrics. Honestly I've known this song my whole life & never truly understood the lyrics...I just love the song! Since you did that search I kind of get it now. Lol Shoot, I should have dove into the lyrics years ago!
Love love love Stairway to Heaven! My second favorite is Kashmir, both the studio version, and the one they did live at the Celebration Day concert! I grew up raised on all kinds of music, from classical to classic rock, bluegrass to country, arena rock, to heavy metal, R&B to Motown, gospel, and some Hip Hop, but somehow I missed out on Led Zeppelin until last year. They weren't really played in my house unless one of their songs came on the local rock radio stations, and Stairway To Heaven was always on the radio, so I knew that one. Didn't really start paying attention until the band was mentioned in my favorite TV show, and by then I was already in my early 40's. Been doing a lot of catch up since then, and have half of their albums in my Playlist. Keep rocking Man, love your reations!.
It was highly unusual for radio to play songs over 3 minutes. Off the top of my head, the other was Hotel California by The Eagles, which also had a double necked guitar, and the only song that I know of to have, in place of a guitar solo, a guitar duet. The live version is soooo good. Also, when you are trying to figure out what songs of the 60's and 70's are about, keep in mind most everyone was stoned out of their minds, especially when writing songs!!!
Absolutely. I was going off the top of my head. Love both Freebird and American Pie. Paradise By The Dashboard Lights is another one, although being a rock opera, it didn't get as much play. Inna gotta da vida, (know I misspelled that title) was one, too, back in the 60's, I think it was 7 minutes. Actually, I think it was the first very long song to get radio play. Great track.
The rainbows around their neck was the honor that they had been awarded and why they’re singing to them . This song is one of those works of art that’s truly inspired . They didn’t know it when writing it , but it’s so clearly talking about how you’re quiet eternal self the one that travels in the wind , that’s spirit . Inspiration , eternal spirit . The woman chasing gold is in the personal self identification . The message is be clear on who and what and why you’re chasing because only what IS eternal can ever Be eternal . Make your treasures of heaven .
My favorite performance of this song is a live performance from THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME.
The song was the MOST REQUESTED song in the US radio stations from 1973 until 1999. Every single year.
It was the theme for my sophomore prom (1988), I love them but didn't listen to the song for years due to it being overplayed.
Actually Gloria was the most requested song. Once a college radio station played Gloria nonstop without repeating bands for 72 hours straight.
dont forget when stairway was released in 71, they were in their early 20 th ( 23, 25, 27, 23)
This is one of the most famous songs EVER. PERIOD. One of the most important songs in rock history. Every guitar player knows how to play this song. It is just that Iconic, and it also an absolute master piece
Definitely not their best performance of this tune. Robert's voice was shredded after the surgeries in the 73/74 time frame. And by this time 'Stairway' was basically a boring (but required) song for them in every show. They're just going through the motions.
Yes 🙌 my all time fave rock song 🎶
@@Mr.EkshinI agree, & Page’s solo isn’t as great as Madison Square Garden (1973), MSG is their best live performances.
They can play until the lead. 😅
@@Mr.Ekshin Stairway to Heaven should come with a warning: STUDIO VERSION ONLY! This performance was so lacking in the classic beauty of the song it was downright embarrassing. My brain needed a reset after being knocked off course trying to follow the rhythm of the song. "Does anyone remember laughter?" WTF!
Robert Plant wrote those in about 30 minutes after Jimmy Page had finished the music. He was so young, and to be so astute and able to relay the immensity of life , is mind boggling. This has so many meanings to us, and these change as life changes
He said in an interview that he made up the words as a stream of conscience while in the studio after reading The Hobbit. Many of their songs have references to The Lord of the Rings (Misty Mountain Hop) which was released about the same time. I read the books when this song was just released way back in the early 70's.
So great! Like an extremely young Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) writing "Dream On!" What kind of insight is that for a young man??? These young geniuses !!!
Still stirs the hearts of burned out old hippies everywhere.
damn straight!
We're not burned out - my grandkids can't keep up with me 😂
who you calling burned out!!!
stirs the hearts of old hippies is enough.
That man on the drums was the one and only John 'Bonzo. Bonham. After his death, Led Zeppelin disbanded in his honour and didn't even dream of trying to replace him
You have to take in the fact that they are British and this is a very British song full of references to the landsape and natural world. The hedge row is a feature of the countryside here - they run along all the small roads in the rural areas and are full of small trees plants wild flowers and provide habitat for insects birds and animals . Around May they burst into full beauty and life and that is what he means by the bustle its the coming back to life in spring. The hawthorn tree which has white blosson in May and is therefore called the May queen is a pre christian symbol of spring and re birth . Robert Plant was influenced by the intelligent end of the hippy movement in the 60's and that included rejecting materialism and searching for spirituality. The woman who belives all that glitters is gold is searching for happiness through expensive shiny things whereas the path to true hapiness is being connected to the natural world - the forrest the brook etc. RP 's home was in Wales which is the western most part of the UK - that is where he returned to seek peace when he wasn't touring so that is looking to the west. you can also hear this quest for spirituality in the songs Kashmir and Achilles last stand. the two paths are materialism or sprituality. There is a gentle and beautifully expressed reminder that we are not immortal . Different people hear the song in different ways but those are the themes.
Jimmy Page had that guitar made to perform this song on stage so that he wouldn't have to change guitars in mid performance . the whole song is a constant progression in tempo volume and intensity its almost imperceptable as it happens - its genius. I hear it as a musical representation of increasing life force as the spring takes hold but that may be just me.
You should listen again because you were distracted by trying to make sense of the lyrics , you should try the madison square garden 1973 performance as that is widely regraded as the best version and i do think the vocals are better- thats not criticism you weren't to know .
To dive in further you should know they are regarded as the best blues rock band - try since i been loving you live at MSG or for some straight rock try black dog same concert.
Best explanation I've heard. Think you nailed it.
@@joshoberg9797 agreed. I kept scrolling through comments to determine if I might try to explain my own interpretation. One of the wonderful things about art, including language, is that it often CAN be interpreted in different ways. We all have our preferences which makes diversity so critical. Honestly, it doesn't even matter all that much what the author/artist intended. It is the appeal to those who experience the creations that matter most.
@@joshoberg9797 Thanks for that - i should say that i live in the south west of englnd and am surrounded by hedgerows so i'm with RP -they are about to do their magic !!!
This is the best explanation and interpretation of this song I have ever experienced...and I have been listening to this song, with adoration and awe, for more than 40 years. It meant one thing to me as a kid...then a teenager...then a college student who thought she knew it all. After I had kids the meaning changed for me, and then later, after my mom died it changed and expanded again in the most beautiful ways. I cannot watch the Wilson sister's tribute at the Kennedy Center with Jon's son Jason Bonham in his trademark bowler hat, without bawling my eyes out and jumping to my feet. Wow. Thank you so much
@@melissasecrest8223 Thanks for that! Where would we be without this song and usually very enjoyable to watch new people find it. It took me ages to pluck up the courage to watch the Hart version but it was a really good tribute and very emotional because of the 3 sitting there. Imagine playing the guitar solo in front of jimmy page!! If anyone wants to see the hedgerows if you google English hedgrows and look at the images there are plenty - you'll be able to see what it is . the song translates and becomes universal because everyone has a thing which makes them happy, no matter where you are in the world - it might be the beach or kicking a football in the park with your mates . whatever makes your heart sing. The clips of Robert with his wife and children playing in the welsh countryside from the song remains the same film explains everything about him, i think.His reluctance to sing this later may be a question of Paradise lost because of his little boy. all love s
The singer, Robert Plant was a big fan of lord of the rings books, so he’s writing is mystic. That’s how he gets a lot of his lyrics
Oh, *that's* why his writing is mystical!..🤔
Oh interesting- actually that makes a lot of sense as I can definitely see some Tolkien influence in Robert Plant’s lyrics. I never knew that about him! Thanks.
The quote I used in my Senior yearbook came from this song: in this life there are two roads you can go by but in the long run there's still time to change the road you're on. True to this day ... never too late to take control of youre life. 💞
If you learned to play guitar this was one of the first tunes learned, back in the day.
Under the Gym at my HS it was painted on the wall...."There's still time to change the road your on"
@@carlahelin5203 Also, the song banned from most guitar stores. 🤣
@@PianoDentist 😂🤣😂🤣
@@PianoDentistAlso Smoke on the Water!😂
The upper neck of this double-neck-guitar is with twelve strings for a natural chorus effect; the lower neck is with six strings for the "normal" use.
It’s a 1971 Gibson EDS-1275 double neck. I’m a guitarist and I was I tried one once in a guitar store in Manhattan, it does sound incredible, but it’s VERY heavy and actually quite uncomfortable and awkward to use. There’s a reason guitar players will usually play just one song with one, then switch over to a regular 6 string. They also range in cost from $6,000 to $20,000 depending on options and how customized you make it.
@@Mike-rk8px
Thank for your great information
Plant has said many times that the meaning of the song is open to different interpretations except for the first verse. First verse is about the excesses of life and where those excesses lead. Nice reaction
i also read that Plant himself also said he interprets the song differently every time he hears it **RockON!!!**
Led Zeppelin.... mucho que decir de ésta gran banda. Ésta es su obra maestra pero su catálogo es enorme!!
Zep fué muy superior en sus grabaciones de estudio. En vivo, considero que Deep Purple fué muy superior, sin desmerecer al todos los miembros de la banda.
Son fascinantes!!
Gracias por el bello recuerdo 😊💙
The flute sound is actually John Paul Jones on his keyboard 🎹 I believe - underrated member but he was a master on keyboards 🎹
Been listening to this song for 50 years and I'm still learning WTF it means so you got some distance to go man. Changes over time and with your perspective on life. As an 18-year-old, just F'n cool rock. As a 69-year-old, an incredible mantra about life, longing and belief.
💯 agree, the meaning has changed as I've aged
Gold digger
This song truly shows that awesome music meets you where you are in life.
I believe this song is a prophecy. This may sound weird but it aligns with what's going on today. A shift a change of a new day and age that is yet to come. If you listen really hard the tune will come to you at last...
Yes ,there is a lady we do all know. ? Associated with the color gold... West ... stores... Sign on the wall. She will lead us to reason. Look at those lyrics . What pops into your mind. It might surprise you. It's a prophecy. ; )
Back in the day, I really didn't know half the words & just thought she was trying to buy DRUGS, SORRY GUYS!! Do love the song then/now!
I remember radio stations would play this song for 24 hours straight, considered one of the greatest songs ever
Yes it's Zeppelin song. It's the most played song in radio history. The GOATS at work
Keep in mind.. Robert Plant was only 22 years old when writing the song.. so 23 or so when belting out this song live. Forming the band with John Bonham when he was 19.. what a life.
Jimmy Page is the GOAT. He was a pro years before Zeppelin and is still collaborating on stuff today. We can argue Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix but unfortunately they passed early in life. Jimmy being 80 the man's talents span decades❤ RIP Bonzo❤
jimmy page in my opinion is overrated because he‘s been always a bit sloppy in live situations to the extent that for instance their live aid concert slot got erased from the recording, according to their own wish. actually i find you can see and hear it here as well, it just looks impressive with his gear and style. but i know jimmy page is one untouchable holy cow for many. of course he‘s created monumental stuff, just saying. there are a lot of other greats which i think are better. it also depends on which approach in guitar playing you prefer. hence it‘s all matter of taste.
Amen on Bonzo 🕊️ His son is really good drummer 🥁 and only appropriate that he got to play with them in his father’s place but none like Bonzo
@@greenogre22Their Live Aid slot wasn’t rehearsed and Jimmy Page had a serious drug problem.
He’s sloppy live because he improvised live. Hendrix was sloppy live too for the same reason. Slash tends to stick to the studio versions and is really tight as a result.
Jimmy’s reputation for sloppiness actually doesn’t come from his live playing. It was from his practice of using the best take of something even with a mistake in it. His earlier session work didn’t have mistakes because he wasn’t the producer. With Led Zeppelin he decided the best take didn’t need to be perfect, just the most fitting.
Exactly! I think Jimmy hands down the greatest guitarist, he had one or more solos in every amazing song they made. Then factor in his producing mixing etc. let’s not forget, finding these other three GOATS or should I say GODS of music.
@@greenogre22your going to throw live aid in there, you call it sloppy in live concerts, it’s improvising to creat longer solos. He plays with passion & his soul, even when his addiction was so bad, he still was greater then the others some claim to be great.
The greatest rock band of all time. All 4 members are the top of their craft
It means nothing. It means everything. It means what you want.
It ROCKS.
well, that was just a stupid thing to say, sorry.
Whoever put Led Zeppelin is Mount Everest my respect.
Not only is Zeppelin the GOAT of bands but, is made up by all four being GOATs. No one is better than any of these four.
Totally agree. A close second is Rush. The amount of sound they produced with three members is crazy. But they are a decade later, so the music is very different.
They are each spectacular in their role in the band. Together they are exponentially greater than the sum of their parts.
Totally agree!
All of them are absolutely the GOAT!!!
They had Grand Funk Railroad as their opening act, and sorry they got rid of them because the lead guarist was better than Page!!!!
After 50 years of this being my favorite song, I've realized that the pivotal lyrics in this song are "it makes me wonder". Those words are repeated several times. That is exactly what the rest of the lyrics are meant to do: make the listener wonder. Plant would introduce this song by telling the audience "I think this is a song of hope". What more do we need?
This is one of the most Iconic songs along with Freebird and a few other songs.
Live at Madison Square Garden is definitely the best version of this song. You should check that out. Peace
I agree. Yes, of course, this performance is enjoyable, but the Garden's is outstanding.
YES
Madison Square is a good version but I am partial to the LA Hollywood Bowl. Check out How the West was Won.
YES it’s Led Zeppelin’s song!!!! The best song of all time from one of the best bands of all time!!!
Meh
It’s about someone trying to buy their way into happiness “heaven”. Money cannot buy happiness and no matter how hard you try there will be shortcomings. This band is the greatest collection of Rock talent in 1 group (top 5 lead singer, top 5 guitarist, top 5 drummer all time)
You said that so much better than I did!
You forgot about John Paul Jones. Without him, we may not have the greatest band ever. :)
@@desertdee1 JP is great, but I don’t go consider him to be top 5, and being named after him I’m not being biased. 😉
John Paul Jones is a musical genius and the greatest musician in Led Zeppelin. Besides being a multi-instrumentalist, there's his song writing and arrangements. A lot of the songs were arranged by him.
@@mikenastasi8927 Absolutely! He was a musical genius!! I don't think 8cylinder knows very much about JPJ, or he wouldn't think that.
So when I was in 11th grade, in 1998, we did a semester of poetry in my English class. And one part was analyzing song lyrics as poetry. This was one of the songs we analyzed. And you are correct....the lady is sure that all the glitters is gold and she's buying a stairway to heaven...she thinks that she can buy her way in. But the song potties and talks about how there's two paths you can go down, and it's never too late to change the path you're on. Also it says the piper is calling you to join him...which means there's always going to be temptation. You have to analyze the lyrics too. Then you'll get the full grasp of how amazing this narrative actually is.
❤ When I taught high school English, I gave my students a music poetry presentation assignment after breaking down a few iconic tracks. Stairway to Heaven was top of my list and the presentations were phenomenal, never forget it!! ❤
We did the same in my sophomore year. I graduated in 84/
We did the same in my sophomore year. I graduated in 84.
The narrative is even more amazing if you understand the song is full of Pagan imagery your high school mates wouldn't pick up on.
"There's a feeling I get when I look to the West" West is that land of Faery. "The Piper is calling you to join him." The Piper is Cernunnos, the Great Horned God, calling you to come to the woods. The May Queen is the Fae name for the Great Mother Goddess. The two paths are Christianity & Paganism. "And as we wind on down the road, our Shadows taller than our souls, there walks a Lady we all know who shines white light ..." The Goddess is right there to be followed. This is a Pagan anthem that's been played on radio for decades.
Did the same thing in 01. I always thought it was about a drug addict. Like every time she buys the drugs she’s closer to death. And the “two paths” is getting clean or staying sick.
The "flute" sound you hear is actually a keyboard called a "Mellotron" played by John Paul Jones. Any time you hear a wind instrument, pipe organ or an orchestral sound like violins and cellos, it's JPJ by himself playing all those parts on the Mellotron.
Sometimes the 'strings' you hear is Jimmy Page using a cello bow on his guitar.
@doomhunter697 well that's true too 😊
...and the sound the mellotron is playing is a recorder. Jason brought one home from school and that gave John the idea that was passed on...
I thought the “flute sound” was a bass recorder? Was that possibly on the album only?
@@tracyd3522 It was the analog Mellotron keyboard, which had flute (and other instruments) sounds of different notes on tape loops for each key. Sort of a pre-digital 'synth'.
Oh my goodness. I already had 2 kids by then. I re-listen to the songs of my early motherhood and sink in such bliss. Thanks for recognizing the elders of this current time. We did love us some great music.
'Stairway to Heaven' was written organically in 1971 while Led Zeppelin were recording their 4th album ('Led Zeppelin IV') out in the English countryside... Guitarist Jimmy Page kept working on the music while singer Robert Plant wrote lyrics in the next room... Plant was a fan of Tolkien (author of 'Lord of the Rings' ... 'The Hobbit') and he often drew lyrical inspiration from the fantasy world... 'Stairway to Heaven' was open to interpretation - but Plant was likely commenting on his observations of how people view the paths to the afterlife... or what some r willing to do in life to ascend to a better place ... a promised paradise...
John Paul Jones (bass/ keyboards) later added his own bits to the song.
By 1972, the epic song 'Stairway to Heaven' was the #1 song requested on FM radio... Even though it was never released as a single, its success pushed the 'Led Zeppelin IV' album to 24 million sales in the US alone and made it 1 of the top 5 albums of all time 🤘🤘 The song became so popular that Elvis Presley knew it (Led Zeppelin had visited Elvis in Graceland numerous times and the band were huge fans... Zeppelin were devastated when Elvis passed away in 1977, the same year Robert Plant lost his son)
According to Robert Plant, his lyrics often had British humor... Led Zeppelin was often shrouded in mystery cos they never appeared on TV and kept their distance from the press... There were rumors that Jimmy Page was practicing black magic and involved w/ the occult, so that made them appealing to a young audience.
However, that implied 'supernatural' menace that Led Zeppelin became a burden over time... especially after a series of mishaps plagued the band, starting w/ Zeppelin being robbed of their tour revenue in NYC at the end of their 1973 tour... Robert Plant's car accident in 1975 that sidelined him for nearly 2 years... Jimmy Page abusing he+++n... John Bonham (drums) escalating his drinking and violent behavior... the death of Robert Plant's son in 1977 from a viral infection... And finally, the tragic death of John Bonham in 1980 that ended led Zeppelin...
As a solo artist, Robert Plant was never keen on performing 'Stairway to Heaven' live in concert... He had a problem w/ the Zeppelin song 'In my time of dying'... (It was a song about death) especially after the death of his son in '77... It took years before Plant was eventually more comfortable performing Led Zeppelin songs in concert.
It references Celtic and Norse mythology. Also the last line 'To be a rock and not to roll'' references Rock & Roll--and also make me weep.
Quoting an article I've read: "As the song itself notes, “Sometimes words have two meanings.” The meaning behind “Stairway’”s words seem, if nothing else, infinite. Lyrically, the tune has dazed and confused many a mind-altered listener with its vague take on duality for the better part of a half-century. But, more often than not, lyrics say more with how they feel than what they really mean, and while “Stairway” is seemingly a song about the inevitability of death that’s really a song about fear but actually a song about greed… or something…"
It's hard to give a logic meaning of the lyrics, remember those were the times when musicians were writing their songs under the influence of every kind of substance, in this case LSD.
LSD is awesome!
The back masking tells another story. This song is not about a stairway to heaven. "sometimes wards have two meanings".
@@Leogoth68Backmasking. There's something I haven't heard in a long time. 😂 The Satanic Panic era was a such a wild time.
"...the tune has dazed and confused many..." I see what you did there.
We all know someone like this lady. It is a woman who gets what she wants no matter the cost.
They were the biggest band on the planet and knew it. That's why Robert Plant is swaggering around like he owns the world. He did. It's just a trip, the spring faerie woman is coming out to see the world. May day. The May pole. Drinking ale and mead. Just groove with it!!
Arguably the most beautiful and icon rock song ever. I forget just how good it is until you I revisit it. The top neck on the guitar here is a 12 string the bottom neck a normal 6 string. The 12 string gives "jingly" tone.
The jangly sound comes from the doubling of the strings. The two low E, A, B and G strings are all tuned an octave apart and the two B and high E strings are tuned to the same octave, so you get a really full, droning sound. The double neck is integral to both "Starirway to Heaven" and "Hotel California".
This is said to be the most listened to song on radio to this day. Played more often by radio DJs around the world than any other song.
AND THE GODS CAME DOWN TO PLAY !!! EVERY SONG ON EVERY ALBUM IS UNBELIEVABLE , NOT ONE BAD SONG !!! THIS WAS A 5 NIGHT RUN AT EARLS COURT IN LONDON AND END TO A DAMN NEAR 2 YEAR WORLD TOUR.
Best Rock drummer of all time!!
I can say that I saw them live in concert at Capital Centre, Largo, Maryland (Washington DC suburbs), May 30, 1977. Can you believe that the tickets were only $9.50.!!
That's about $50 in 2024, so yeah I can believe it lol.
I saw them July 17th, 1977 at the Seattle King Dome, paid $12.50 for my ticket.
I think I paid $8.50 when we saw them in Dallas April 1st, 1977. In Lubbock most concerts were $7. 00. It's crazy how much they are now.
I saw them at the Capitol Center too! Same concert!
I saw the Stones in New Orleans for $15!! Still have my ticket stub!
Takes me back to Class of 77', last song of the high school year dance in the cafeteria. Boozing it up. My father was a chaperone. The dance party ended at 11 pm. and I was invited to go skinny dipping off the rocks at the Humber River. I begged my dad and he agreed, saying be home by 2 am. I never made home that night. Too, wasted and fell asleep next to the boom box, in the bushes.
Money doesn’t buy paradise…It’s a rallying call to those who see the Money Game for what it is…that’s how I interpreted the lyrics. Just thought I would share 😂
This is more than music...this is a piece of art
A Friggin MASTERPIECE !
What a song, what a band, for always in our hearts.
yes, always. They're so beloved.
great reaction cheers;
my dad was nuts about zepelin and after me picking up a guitar and learning piano at age 15 ( in 50s now ), he really wanted me to learn this song in particular, everytime i asked asked him wtf the lyrics meant he would chuckle and shrug and say "whatever u want them to mean" so i put zep on back burner and continued my musical journey. later on in life, the more i dived into zep and the more i studied theology, the more this song made sense, even though robert plant once stated the lyrics are purposely vague so that the listener can interpret it as they see fit. All band members also stated that every time they played this on stage, it emotionally drained them.
couple of things that may add context for you though, the guitarist jimmy page was deeply into the occult, had assigned nordic runes to each band member, plant the singer was deep into eastern philosophy, rings through the trees to me refers to native american indians sending smoke signals and that connecting to nature is more beneficial to ones emotional wellbeing than glittering gold/money and such worldy pursuits. they also did a shedload of mind bending drugs, the singer plant, also wore blouses of the women he was sleeping with onstage, all 4 of them were top of their fields as session musicians, truly gifted, it was easy for them, when the drummer bonzo died, they disbanded and now sit at the top of rock and roll legend and for good reason, they were also very gifted at folk music. they truly were 1 of a kind. hedgerow == a row of hedges. mayqueen is a reference to pagan religions that existed before christianity appeared, queen mab ( she has other names ). the piper is a reference to the devil, or the pagan god pan.
That is John Paul Jones on the Keyboard. Greatest Song ever, and it was only 4 young guys. Talent and skill!
Led Zeppelin is quintessential listening. They have no parallel. Great choice.
I've been listening to this song for 40 years and I still am not sure what it means but to me it means that we are all connected We are all one and all of us have to go up that stairway to Heaven at some point and the trip cannot be bought. When the Piper comes to call you home it will lie on the whispering wind. A hedgerow is a hedge - you know separating fields. Songs like this were made in many altered states. There's a folk-lore aspect with a bit of magic mentioning the May Queen, smoke in trees etc..
We spent nine weeks of sophomore literature class studying the lyrics of this song and discussing its impact on our generation and the generations to come. I was class of 84. What a great era I had from my earliest recollections of music to today. It’s still rock n roll to me.
What was the reaction of the students?? and the conclusion of the meaning?? Teacher reaction ?
Live at The Medison square garden is the gig to watch.
Yes yes yes
Agreed. RP's vocals were more subdued at this gig. At MSG, he really cuts loose.
❤💯YESSSSS!! That should've been his introduction to Zep Live! NOTHING beats the MSG performance.👊 Earl's Court is good but... MSG "Stairway" is magical, ethereal really.🤗
YES
Led Zepplin are icons! This is their song. Love your reaction! ♥
You can't buy your way into heaven. You only can gain entrance with who you are and what you give back to others. You can always change "the road you're on", who you are as a person.
ONLY Jesus Christ Gods son is the REAL TICKET TO HEAVEN BY BELIVING HE DIED FOR YOU PERSONALY AND TRUSTI NG HIM ONLY I HAVE A HEART FULL OF PEACE KNOWING IM HIS AND HE IS MINE FOR EVER BECAUSE MY TRUST IS IN JESUS CHRIST ONLY
This is Led Zeppelin’s song and it was written by Robert Plant and composed by Jimmy Page. This song is about a musician who climbs a mountain and ends up meeting the old man version of himself. When he gets to the top he sees what he has become at the end of his journey and finds out there were two paths that he could have chosen. He saw what he became, but should he have chosen the other path. The song is myth and fantasy but is there a bases of truth to it. Both paths could lead to gold but which is the wiser path.
It stands to reason that Page and Plant were both ahead of their time when it came to writing music and the theatrics behind it was insane. The metal and rock artists that came after Zeppelin I don’t think really compare, but it is easy to see where their ideas and influence came from. Rush is another of my favorite bands and I think that they were easily influenced by Zeppelin. Stairway was an 8 minute song and nobody thought anything of it being that long and being played all the time. Rush’s repertoire is filled with lengthy songs and crazy interludes. Iron Maiden’s (mascot Eddie), Black Sabbath with Ozzy “Iron Man” and even Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” through “The Wall” carry the influences of Zeppelin.
The better live performance is the 1973 Madison Square Concert which is legendary and IMHO the best live Zeppelin performance with the original members ever recorded. They were all on fire and just killing it. Pick any song from that concert and you won't be disappointed. As for this performance, Plant's vocals weren't quite there and if I remember right he was actually sick and you can hear it in some of the breaks in his vocals.
Ugh, Madison Square Garden (MSG) concert. Still killer.
Quite simply, the greatest group in the history of rock music. Noone comes even close!!!
A friend in HS said the song means 2 different things - 1 when you're straight and the other when you're stoned lol. Funny I can still see him saying that in my memory and that was 1975.
God that voice Robert has is sooooooooooo fricken awesome
you need to see the other live version of it , its so so much better... Zeppelin the GOAT
This is Led Zepplins song. Another great song is, A whole lotta love and Kashmir ❤
I was in high school during the late 70s. We had live bands at prom and nobody danced but to slow songs. Stairway to Heaven was everyone's favorite because it was so long. The least favorite for prom was Freebird. We would start out slow dancing then as it sped up nobody knew what to do so everyone went and sat down. The only fast song everyone stood up for was Sweet Home Alabama
All of the prom themes were Stairway to Heaven ☺️
Some songs have a life of their own.Stairway To Heaven, Bohemian Rapsody,Another Brick In The Wall, American Pie, Imagine, Enter The Sandman are a few of them.
Don Felder plays a Schrammel in Hotel California.
According to Robert Plant, the lyric writer, its his 23 year old guys take on faith. 💜
Keep going on the the LZ train! There are no bad Led Zeppelin songs. 💜
Faith in what? Buying your way into Heaven?
@@karagi101No. That you cannot buy your way into Heaven. Read the lyrics
@@FranklinJuniper-uh2lk
Maybe you should read them again. The lyrics don’t say she can’t buy a stairway to heaven. You’re interpreting them however you please. Which is OK because they are vague and open to many interpretations.
Ahh but she THINKS she can buy her way in. But she cannot. It does not work that way .... That is a takeaway for a lot of people. Where is she really going? It's deep, you know? More importantly, there's always time to change the road you're on....😉
They always ask Plant what Stairway to Heaven means. He always says it’s up to you.
This was our class song my senior year…😊
Mine too...73? 😊
@@Linda-y9h mine in 1978!
Same for my Sr. Prom!
That's what real music sounds like.
The all time GOATS! 😏🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
I can not believe after 40+ years this is my first time seeing this version, THANK YOU!
Every summer in the 70's when the Rock stations did their countdown of greatest rock songs this was always #1
And the 80's, and the 90's, 2000's, 2010's and now into the second decade of the twenty first century.
Over 55 years since I first heard this song, and it still gives me goosebumps when I hear the opening riff.
It means you can not buy your way into heaven, she is trying to buy her way in. change that road your on, your stairway lies on the whispering wind. Laughter, peace, joy, kindness is the way my brother it never changes.❤❤❤❤❤
Led zeppelin is rock and roll
My favorite band of all the time
The MSG live one from 1973 is the one you should be doing
Yes yes yes
Madison Square Garden
The flute sound (which was a flute on the album version) is a Mellotron keyboard - used since the 1970s to provide a lovely lush accompaniment to music - everyone from the Beatles to Screaming Trees has added it to their music. As to the song's meaning, people have written university theses trying to work that out. It's a wonderful mystery, and you can read many different things into it. Twin-neck guitars are rare, but very useful if you need two different guitar sounds or tunings on a song. In this case, Jimmy has a 12-string for the acoustic parts and a 6-string for the lead break.
The EAGLES play the double guitar on their song "HOTEL CALIFORNIA". And it is probably one of the best guitar solos in any song EVER!!! You need to watch it live video of their performance.
Yeah, and there is a Bon Jovi😊 concert in Russia, where the lead guitarist makes fabulous use of a double neck (12 string/6 string) guitar.
One of my earlier memories of music is based around Zeppelin. I was about 4 and my parents had these giant speakers in the house, my mom would light candles and just vibe out. I could hear their beautiful memories through every corner of the house and after a time they became bedtime lullabies. Growing up in the 80's, nothing like it with the music of our older generations.
So hypnotic, still
There is another live verson where Robert Plant’s vocals are really really great and he goes really high but this was a good version and guitarist Jimmy Page actually played his guitar on another song with a bow as in violin or chello bow. Jimmy was a master m- They all were - but as far as meaning - I think it will always remain a mystery but just good to jam to
Plant sounds like his vocals are strained in this version. He doesn't even try to go high as usual. Usually, his voice is clearer and stronger. Right, first verse about materialism. Rest of song, according to Robert Plant, open for interpretation, intentionally.
The TH-cam 10:40 version is definitely my fave. Nails the highs! But, it's LZ's song, they can sing it how they want.
@@johnmcfarlan3672 true They are the best band of all time
SOOOO many understandings of this song. Lyrics are so ambiguous to allow every listener to understand it their own way
For me... buying a stairway to heaven is a heroin fix. Or other drug of choice
Check out Led Zeppelin song Kashmir ( Celebration Day )
The Gods blessed you today
*_Stairway to Heaven_* - is the very - *absolute* - center of Rock and Roll Music. Every other song is a reverberation from the inside out from Stairway.
The double neck guitar has a purpose. The top neck is a 12 string, the bottom is a standard 6 string. You can see in the video, Jimmy starts on the 6 string for the intro, then switches to the 12 string for the melody,. Then back to the 6 string for the epic solo. Then back to the 12 string for the ending.
In a studio, recording, you just record a section and change guitars. To play it live, Jimmy needed both a 6 and a 12 string, that's why Gibson made this double neck guitar.
This song is about honor, value, freedom of speech. Respect! It a hymn against opression and money!
Dude this is one of the Presidental awards and Led Zeppelin is listening to Heart preform one of their greatest hits
In the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church would sell "indulgences" to rich people who were dying to absolve them of their sins before meeting their Maker. This practice became one of the reasons Martin Luther rebelled against what he saw as the corruption of Christ's word by the Vatican and formed the Protestant Church. Essentially, he was protesting the idea you could buy your way into Heaven. I don't know if that history influenced the writing of this song, but that is what it reminds me of.
Yes! You're right!!
@juliemanarin4127 Ironically, I learned that history growing up in Catholic schools lol.
love led zeppelin
"my man looks like he's..." many rock groups did U.S. tours (sometimes 20 plus shows in a brief time frame) I'm not making excuses I only know how much energy they give still true to their art Stairway is an encore of finale piece. After a 2 or 3 hour show things don't come out a crisp. Bear that in mind vocals is an instrument as organic as it is. tyvm for honest reaction.
Everyone in the 70’s was tripping if they were lucky❤❤❤Robert❤❤❤Led Zeppelin greatest music forever❤❤❤❤
U gotta listen ti the original album version..its the best and gits way harder. Love this channel..plant,page,Jones, Bonham ..greatest rock band ever. U and Don doing the album original will be badass
I think it’s the definitive version. Live is good too, but prefer the album.
There are no flutes. The studio version had four recorders playing in harmony for the medieval sounding stuff at the start - but for live versions they used recorders sampled on a mellotron keyboard.
The song is described by the band as "a song of hope" that if you see the light and realise the pursuit of money and material success is pointless it is never too late to change your life for the better.
Doubled guitars are for stage performances, typically. The top is 12 string for chords and lower is 6 string for picking.
On stage, unless you jnsert a gap for the guitarist to switch guitars, the lower quality dual lets you switch quibly. In the studio, you play your best 12 string for chords and best 6 string for picking and lay them on different tracks. The double guitar is a compromise.
Jimmy actually picks the 12 string too!!
Definitely. Hearing it over again and again along with researching/understanding the lyrics.
The musicians just blend it together.
Yes, the Mt. Everest of rock, esp. at that time. Catalog and sound was before their time.
In the 80s, this is what we listened to getting ready for dances and stuff, even though the song was from our parent's generation. My mother's only truly wild night as a teenage was almost getting killed at a Led Zeppelin concert. After the concert, everyone in the parking garage started up their cars, unaware that the Hell's Angels had shut the entrances to the garage, sending many, including my mother, to the hospital for carbon monoxide poisoning. She was only 16, and she said that night was terrifying and unfortunately the reason I was not allowed to go to concerts until I graduated high school. 🤣🤣
So not almost killed at the concert. Almost killed by Hell's Angels AFTERWARD. That's the difference.
I feel like John Paul Jones doesn't get enough credit when it comes to this band. He's always in the background but such a powerhouse.
I enjoyed your reaction to Led Zeppelin, STH. I agree with the 2 path interpretation for the main part of the song. I did some digging, since they are an English band, and one interpretion I found re: 'If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be a lawman'. I'm pasting the info: A hedgerow is a hedge that surrounds many estates in Britain. Bustle, or noise or activity, used in this sense, means a disturbance close to home. Something's happening in your world! - Keep up the good work, I'm 75 and was very into the prog rock era, with PF being my favorite group. I saw them twice in 90 and on their pulse tour in 95. Jimmy Page and David Gilmore are 2 of the best lead guitarists from that era.
FYI, the lyric is don’t be alarmed now not don’t be a lawman….if something’s stirring in your bushes you might be worried!
These were true artists ❤the music was felt in our souls ❤it felt like true freedom to be who we were with no judgement ❤the love we felt was amazing❤and yes, there’s a meaning for everyone ❤and all I remember is how happy we all were❤I miss those days❤
I'm glad you dove into the lyrics. Honestly I've known this song my whole life & never truly understood the lyrics...I just love the song!
Since you did that search I kind of get it now. Lol
Shoot, I should have dove into the lyrics years ago!
Love love love Stairway to Heaven! My second favorite is Kashmir, both the studio version, and the one they did live at the Celebration Day concert! I grew up raised on all kinds of music, from classical to classic rock, bluegrass to country, arena rock, to heavy metal, R&B to Motown, gospel, and some Hip Hop, but somehow I missed out on Led Zeppelin until last year. They weren't really played in my house unless one of their songs came on the local rock radio stations, and Stairway To Heaven was always on the radio, so I knew that one. Didn't really start paying attention until the band was mentioned in my favorite TV show, and by then I was already in my early 40's. Been doing a lot of catch up since then, and have half of their albums in my Playlist. Keep rocking Man, love your reations!.
Every performance is different. I was lucky enough to see them live. Standing room only! No chairs in Hawaii 🎉💪🎶
I fn love Led Zeppelin. They made me learn drums and guitar.
Much love from Glasgow, Scotland
It was highly unusual for radio to play songs over 3 minutes. Off the top of my head, the other was Hotel California by The Eagles, which also had a double necked guitar, and the only song that I know of to have, in place of a guitar solo, a guitar duet. The live version is soooo good. Also, when you are trying to figure out what songs of the 60's and 70's are about, keep in mind most everyone was stoned out of their minds, especially when writing songs!!!
Don’t forget Freebird, and they topped it with a guitar trio instead of a solo
Radio played Don McLean's "American Pie" and that was 8 mins. long
Absolutely. I was going off the top of my head. Love both Freebird and American Pie. Paradise By The Dashboard Lights is another one, although being a rock opera, it didn't get as much play. Inna gotta da vida, (know I misspelled that title) was one, too, back in the 60's, I think it was 7 minutes. Actually, I think it was the first very long song to get radio play. Great track.
Don't forget Queen Bohemian Rhapsody and the Beetles Hey Jude were both way longer than 3 mins.
The rainbows around their neck was the honor that they had been awarded and why they’re singing to them .
This song is one of those works of art that’s truly inspired . They didn’t know it when writing it , but it’s so clearly talking about how you’re quiet eternal self the one that travels in the wind , that’s spirit .
Inspiration , eternal spirit .
The woman chasing gold is in the personal self identification .
The message is be clear on who and what and why you’re chasing because only what IS eternal can ever Be eternal .
Make your treasures of heaven .
Love the honesty. I love that you let it penetrate you. To me it is a song that feels like it means something before I understood it.
Loved it. The first time I heard it 1979. Still do.