A lot of this song references J. R. Tolkien's books like The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings written in the early 1900s. Much influence from Greek Mythology as well.
The lady is anyone who looks for salvation in the physical world, in glittery trinkets, in other people, always moving and searching. Every shiny new possession makes her feel closer to heaven, but ultimately it's an illusion. Heaven is never realized on this path. The piper's tune represents true salvation, which comes from within, and is embodied in the final line - to be a rock and not to roll.
Yes, a lot of symbolism in this song. The word that has two meanings is Faith, both her name and spirituality. All that glitters is gold symbolizes the streets of heaven and with a word she can get what she came for is proffessing her faith. So on and so forth. I've spent fifty years trying to analyze this song.
Exactly. The two ladies represent two different paths of life. "The Lady who's sure" represents material existence and the illusion that wealth and nice things will bring happiness. "The Lady who shines white light" represents a more spiritual existence achieved by surrendering the desire for material things, and turning to a simpler life. The path to that second existence lies with getting back into touch with nature -- symbolized by the "piper" who "is calling you to join him." That piper is not the "Pied Piper", but rather the Greek god Pan (of the panpipes), the lord of forests and nature, who allows people to shed their inhibitions and fixations on material things that are supposed to represent happiness ("Heaven") in modern society. The stairway to actual Heaven -- to true happiness -- can't be purchased with gold, any more than anybody can buy the "whispering wind" with money. As for the May Queen, that's just another representation of nature. The May Queen in British culture represents the return of life to the world in springtime, after the cold, gray darkness of winter. She's usually portrayed by a pretty young girl, age 12-14, in the May Day parade that celebrates the arrival of sunshine, warm weather and greenery of springtime. This song has very little basis (i.e., "none at all") in Abrahamic mythology. It is, however, rife with ancient European pagan symbolism. So, it's not a song about escapism through drugs, although some drugs may allow one to open up one's perceptions. But it absolutely *is not* about self-destructive addiction, and has nothing to do with death. It's about leaving behind self-destructive fixations on money, hot cars, nice houses, and bling, and getting in touch with what's real.
Absolutely. I can't beieve that these poeple are trying to logically interpret the actual 'poem'. I can't wait to see their reaction at the end of, probably, the greatest song ever recorded.
@@grabble7605 Wrong, he never said "its means nothing" he said that he cant relate to it anymore because he was hurting at the time and wrote the lyrics. It meant something to him at the time as he was going through losing his best friend and his son. The song def has meaning to it but he refuses to play it live anymore because of the memories but, he never said it means nothing.
i know what you mean , but my dad was pissed when i said i'd not heard of Buddy Holly , Eddie Cockran, and the list does go on...... i'm 59 and got in to Zep, Floyd , Hendrix...., etc not until i was 16 back in 1981, so you can kinda understand how it comes teens today don't know who Zep were, i,ve heard teens haven't heard of the Beatles f'fuck sake.
@@johnhouse9983 I'm 40 and was raised in Buddy Holly, the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, George Jones, Billy Joel, Who, The Pretenders, Frank Sinatra... Geez, I was so over the place even as a child. I never cease to have pity when I hear someone not know a certain artist or song that I have taken for granted for so long.
Stairway is like a "Led Zeppelin Sampler" of everything they do: acoustic, rock, heavy metal, mythical lyrics, light and shade, dominant musicianship, a musical journey, elite vocals....it's all in there. Led Zeppelin is a musical journey that never ends.
You forgot Blues/Rythm & Blues. For a song that gets deep into the blues sauce you must listen to "Since I've Been Loving You" the studio version from Led Zeppelin III. Masterful.
67 year old here. Close your eyes and just listen... don't think... don't talk... just listen. Let the music fill you and take you. There is "the high". No drugs needed.
Bro, welcome to the music of the 70s! This is what I grew up on! There was no auto tune, 8 tracks and cassettes were the "new technology"! Bands and other performers were basically live every single performance. They had to either succeed or not based on their skill in their craft all the time! They didn't have the technologies that today's artists have. It was all very raw and all they had to depend on. Much respect to them for all they accomplished back in the day! ❤️
And that is why being a master musician and singer, being able to write real music was so important. Today you have laziness with mediocrity because you can cover up not having much talent and boring writing and melodies, alot of repeating of the same old thing in songs by multiple artists because you can cover up the below average stuff. Back then you had to have the goods. Go out live. No autotune to cover up your lack of singing skills. You had to have real talent or your career was dead. Led Zeppelin were musicians that were the Goats of their respective areas. No one could touch Jimmy Page in guitar and his innovative playing, including using a violen bow in Dazed and Confused. John Paul Jones was a master of the bass and keyboards, being able to produce sounds that sounded nothing like a keyboard. Robert Plant, the best singer in the rock era ever and a master harmonica player. John Bonham, the best drummer ever who changed the role of drumming forever in music.
Imagine, never having heard 'Stairway To Heaven' I guess that's sort of like us never having heard Glenn Miller - Only we had fathers who were WW 2 vets who played Glenn Miller on the phonograph
@@bertkilborne6464 imagine the first time you ever heard the beautiful song, just talking through it. You would have to have some pretty terrible taste in music to do that.
I love when the new generation get their ears Open to músic... I know im a old head when comes to músic...but the vibe, lyrics and feels are on another stratosphere.... Instruments makes all the Diference!
The sheet music to this song has sold more copies than any other sheet music. Zeppelin captured lightning in a bottle, very few bands can stand in the same room with them. Best rock band ever
This is real music, performed by skilled musicians, and carrying with it power and meaning. It doesn't get any better than this, which is why it continues to be played and appreciated 50 years on. Thanks for featuring, it's music worth sharing.
This band is perfect. There is no other way to describe them. Edit: Robert freestyled the lyrics staring into a fireplace while Jimmy was improvising the riff on his acoustic. They were recording music in a peaceful environment at Headley Grange, a farmhouse in the English countryside. This album is probably the greatest recording in history.
There was a tribute concert to Led Zeppelin a few years ago where the band Heart performed this song with the members of Led Zeppelin in the audience listening. When it got to the line, "and as we wind on down the road, our shadows taller than our souls," you can see Robert Plant (singer) break down as he realizes that he is now at that point in his life. His shadow (his public personna, his contributions to society, what everyone thinks he is) was now taller than who he is as a person in the last years of his life. Really profound stuff.
People have been breaking this song down for years trying to figure out what it's all about. It means something different for each listener. Will always be one of the best tracks ever recorded.
Art is supposed to be interpreted, not dissected. You apply it to your life at the time. Thats what makes music so great and memorable. Besides you probly don't want to know what your favorite songs are actually about. It'll never live up.
The more you listen to Led zeppelin the more you realize how magical they were. Every song seems to take off in a different genre, sometimes bluesy, some almost spiritual. Some very theatrical. My first concert was these guys and Black Sabbath opened the show. Was mid 73
Real talent, master musicians, and no autotune! Welcome to real music, the music we lucky ones grew up on. Take the dive down this deep rabbit hole, starting from the first album, first song, and continue on thru their exceptional and extremely diverse catalog. You won't regret it! The greatest band of all time!! Subscribing in hopes of more Zeppelin!
You can hear the finger squeaks on the cords, breath intakes, real music back when rock music and metal were being developed. Led Zeppelin was the first super metal group, this song is the greatest of all times - to understand that, you also need to understand the history of rock music, of which Zeppelin are integral. Bands like Tool built off of what Zeppelin pioneered. Best singer, drummer and guitarist in their day. Actually, best drummer ever!
I think Robert Plant once said that he doesn't even know what it's about. He's also downplayed this song a lot and says that Kashmir is what they are most proud of. It doesn't matter, this song is one of the most iconic songs of all time and the guitar solo still makes me cry.
Absolutely beautiful and very deep song! One of my favorite Led Zeppelin songs. “Kashmir” and “Immigrant Song” are also amazing! I thoroughly enjoy watching you two react to songs. 🥰🥰
The best version of Kashmir is the live Celebration Day performance in 2007 at London's O2 Arena. The boys were a little older but sounded better than ever. John Bonham, the original drummer, died in 1980 so his son, Jason Bonham, played with the group. He killed it! Made his dad proud. The whole Celebration Day concert is worth watching/listening to. Enjoy!
Three of the most picked over and analyzed things in the world are: 1. The Zapruder film of the Kennedy assassination 2. The Immaculate Reception 3. The song Stairway To Heaven
Not all older music is about drugs. Metaphors and reading between the lines was common to song lyrics, and even everyday speaking 25 yrs ago. We called it abstract thinking. Edit: It's difficult to decipher verse by verse. It's easier to see as a whole. Thanks for the reaction.
As a younger GenXer the 70’s seemed to be the most purest form of music, unlike the corporate copy paste of the 60s, 80s. and now. 90s came pretty close tho.
We are in the exact boat!! Born in 1974 so parents listened to this music so often; I grew up on it, grew to love it and when I hear it today, oh man! The memories just don’t stop. Such a great time for music.
Some of the best music came from the 60s. What in the world? Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Johnny Cash....I could literally go on and on. The 80s holds Metallica, Ozzy, the Ramones, etc. The 90s were very special too. And I'm an 84 baby 🤣🤣
He's saying that what we appreciate in life as beautiful - glittering and gold - is not necessarily what is prized when life is done. When life is done, what we appreciate is all the love and kindness we experienced. That's the REAL gold. The "two paths" are choosing between good and evil, spiritual life and spiritual death. If you pay attention during your life you will figure it out (listen very hard).
The double or more meaning of words in the song implies that you can never be sure about things in life and sometimes it takes more experience and wisdom to eventually understand what may be the path to happiness.
It is NOT about drugs, it is a critique of the overly materialistic society in which we live. A society where one's wealth and success is judged by a collection of material goods which end up meaning nothing when we die.
@@FlawdTV Well, that is your interpretation and you have every right to think the way you do, but Robert Plant himself stated that intended meaning of the song was a critique on materialism.
If you liked them that much, you need to dive into more of their music. They were the top band of their era, and likely of all time. I feel fortunate to have grown up in that era. We had amazing bands.
I was a teenager in the 70's and Led Zeppelin was fantastic along with Queen, The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Bee Gees, and so many others. The bands today can't hold a candle to the bands of the 60's and 70's.
@plother4242 As was I and friends. It was a great era to live through. Concert tickets were so affordable, and we were headed to the city, regularly, so we could watch some of the best bands that have existed. I wish I could go back in time and watch them again.
This song had different meaning depending on how high you were. You gotta consider the times. Going out west was just to go out where the drug scene was. Acid was invented out there. The pipers the drugs and the scene calling you to the west, back in the day. And every time you sat around high, you would go through a different journey with this song. in that respect it’s a lot like dark side of the moon.
You know its a good song when you have to push your headphones harder onto your ears to take it all in. Zeppelin are the quintessential 70's rock band, big hair, big sound...great reaction
Finally, a comment that sees it like I do. I don't like the idea of just ignoring the meaning because "there is no meaning." I like to make sense out of the abstract. It leads to unique thoughts and ideas.
You got to check out Battle of Evermore, When the Levee Breaks and No Quarter. These 3, and of course "Stairway", gives a really good overall picture of all the different directions they would veer off towards. In my opinion, absolutely one of the greatest bands of all time!
I love this song. I remember dancing to it at my high school prom. It’s just a beautiful melody that has a lot of feeling and depth. It is nice to see you guys enjoying it.
Robert Plant recalled writing the lyrics in a flash of inspiration. Said Plant: "I was holding a pencil and paper, and for some reason I was in a very bad mood. Then all of a sudden my hand was writing out the words, 'There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold/And she's buying a stairway to heaven.' I just sat there and looked at the words and then I almost leapt out of my seat." Plant's implication that something else was moving his pencil for him led to speculation that it was Satan who was dictating the words, and along with the backward messages and Page's Aleister Crowley connection, there was enough evidence for many listeners that the devil had some role in creating this song.The lyrics take some pretty wild turns, but the beginning of the song is about a woman who accumulates money, only to find out the hard way her life had no meaning and will not get her into heaven. This is the only part Plant would really explain, as he said it was "a woman getting everything she wanted without giving anything back." Robert Plant is a great admirer of all things mystic, the old English legends and lore and the writings of the Celts. He was immersed in the books Magic Arts in Celtic Britain by Lewis Spence and The Lord Of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. The Tolkien inspiration can be heard in the phrase, "In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees," which could be a reference to the smoke rings blown by the wizard Gandalf. There is also a correlation between the lady in the song and the character from the book, Lady Galadriel, the Queen of Elves who lives in the golden forest of Lothlorien. In the book, all that glittered around her was in fact gold, as the leaves of the trees in the forest of Lothlorien were golden. Peace out.
We didn't overthink it either... we let the music tell the story bc if you actually listen... not in the sense your fighting to hear each word said without context and trying to piece it all together after... If you just open yourself to those songs they will pour themselves into you telling their story as they do
The song is metaphorically about greed and materialism. The protagonist (woman) is used to getting things she wants due to money. The smoke in the trees is just a universal sign of danger. Looking to the west is longing for something more. "piper" played pan pipes and is a common folk story that he lead people with his music - he was then hired to lead rats from the city. And in this case he's leading us from temptation to the road less travelled of virtue.
With Zeppelin, always expect switch-ups and mixes of Blues and Rock with some of the funkiest bass lines and drumming. Damn near every single song switches up at some point. They are legends for a reason; Four of the best to do what they do.
Hey guys, love your reactions, for me, it's always meant that you can live your life in pain, like you're dying, or you can change the road you're on and choose to accept your authentic self and realize your worth and know that you can change this experience on earth and be at peace and just BE! You guys just described your interpretation so honestly I'm humbled! You get it! God bless you both for real real!! I've been singing this song since I was a young teenager, I'm 60 now, and I always felt it, Led Zeppelin gave us a gift, to anyone who ever felt alone and in pain, stuck. It's always been a song of understanding and of hope for me! Thank you both for this, I needed it, we're all connected!! 🙏❤🎶🙏🌎
I am so jealous, to imagine having never heard this song !!! Jimmy Page on that guitar still makes me tear up.....the guitar and Jon Bonham (Bonzo) on them drums ....just perfection. Of course, Robert Plant's vocals are in a class of their own. I am 58 years old, and I can say with certainty that the music of my youth in the 70's was the best music ever....it is just different in so many ways. We had real, honest to goodness artists....singers, musicians, writers that went so far beyond most music nowadays. Don't get me wrong, there are musical geniuses now too...and in every decade & genre....but it would be very hard nowadays to find groups with the depth and perfection that Led Zeppelin & Pink Floyd in particular had. You need to dive into Pink Floyd since you seem to try to dissect the lyrics....lol...I wanna see you explore their catalog. I really enjoyed your reaction, and now I am gonna check out your videos. Great job !!!!
And as we wind on down the road, our shadow's taller than our soul. Screams winter time tripping to me. The first day of winter is the day that your shadow is furthest away from you that it will get all year, because of the sun being at its furthest point southward!
They did A LOT of drugs back then. Music wasn't all about literal interpretation, It was MJSIC. It was feeling. You want to trip out, check Pink Floyd and the Doors out!
Led Zeppelin pre dates heavy metal the were a well rounded band that dove into many different genres blues Classical Folk to name a few sometimes they were heavy but I wouldn't call them heavy metal. They were one of the pioneers of hard Rock Their music is timeless
You need to listen to the LIVE version. Studio versions have ideal acoustics, but live versions show their true virtuosity. Unique solos at each live concerts
It was voted in 2000 by VHS as the #3 song on its list of "Greatest Rock Songs" and landed the #31 spot on Rolling Stone magazine's "Greatest Songs of All Time" list. "Stairway to Heaven" was the most requested song on FM radio in the 1970s. Interestingly, "Stairway to Heaven," for all its popularity, was never released as a single.
Great reaction! The live version at Madison Square Gardens is a must watch!! Would definitely love to see that reaction. Then the LZ tribute by Heart would finish this song off on a high note.
Context is needed for interpreting Zep songs. They were heavily influenced by the Tolkien universe. The tune that comes to you long is the summons back to West for the Elves, the song that calls them in sung by sea birds and carried on the wind. The character that this about shines white light walks a glow, the white witch of Lothlorein.
For what it's worth, 'Rock n Roll' is an evolution of early African American Blues Artists i.e. Howlin Wolf, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Memphis Minnie just to name a few.. Rock music is heavily 'Blues' influenced and is not all 'Head Bangin'. 'Four Sticks', 'In My Time of Dyin', 'Heartbreaker', Ten Years Gone, 'The Rain Song', 'When the Levee Breaks', 'Kashmir', are ALL EPIC however HIGHLY RECOMMEND, 'Dazed and Confused' which is Guaranteed to BLOW YOUR MIND...!!! New Sub. Peace 12/22 .
To hear iconic music from back then you cannot stop every 2 seconds to try to suss out the meaning of each line. You need to listen to it in its entire length. Back then it was the era of rock operas like Tommy and album rock with themes like Dark Side of the Moon. Songs like Stairway were opus type songs with meanings but, they are layered in alot of imagery and not always spelled out. It was not an era of 3 minute ditties. Staiway was actually about a rich woman who thought she could buy everything she wanted when she wanted it. Including getting into heaven complete with a golden staircase without doing anything for it other then being materialistic. Robert Plant while a child growing up was not cool. He was a geeky kid who was wrapped up in stamp collecting and reading books. and he always, even as an adult, was into the great myths of Britian. The legends and great stories of kings and mystical things as in the round table. Songs like Stairway and Kashmir must be listened to in the whole before going into figuring things out.
Really like how you dove deep into the lyrics. A lot of people just listen to the song and say “I don’t know what it was about but it was good”. The lyrics are open for multiple interpretations and can mean different things to different people.
I've heard that song a thousand times no idea what it really means. But you nailed it that song made a lot of people me included to pick up a guitar and learn how to play it. I like rap now but it took a long time - when you grew up with all the master guitarists of that era, rap almost sounds like music-less music relatively speaking, more product than music. But I do dig the art of lyrics in rap now the greats. Next Zep if you do another one, I'd go with Since I've been Loving You.
Stairway is so legendary and well known in my circle that it's truly shocking and enjoyable to watch people really appreciate it for the first time....surreal and amazing. Watching you dissect it still gave me new insights and angles to the lyrics i never thought of though, that just goes to show why it is widely regarded as one of if not the best rock songs of all time! Glad you loved it!
You should have just kept going with Sound of Silence. Great reaction to a true classic. Interesting to see a new generation listen to it and what you hear. Peace and Blessings to you and yours
"the feeling I get when I look to the west" I always interpreted that as the east is where the sun rises (aka when you're born) and sets in the west (when you die). So looking to the west is thinking about your eventual demise and how life may be short.
You can be lazy brained if you want but the way I enjoy art is by trying to find meaning in it. Words are spoken for a reason and I'm going to try to understand them. I've written lyrics that had deeper meanings then I intended so I know that music can be interpreted all different ways. This type of song is the best song to try and breakdown because everyone comes to a different conclusion. No one else can tell me what part to enjoy and what to ignore, etc.
😂 this dude is sensOtive! You go to the effort of spending your valued time, to watch his terrible reaction videos, which he makes money off of, then actually comment, which he makes money off of, then his opening reaction to insult you? I wonder if he was ever assessed for narcissistic personality disorder, or he just had terrible parents.
This song is about finding your happiness. Sometimes there are storms, people with advice, restarts in life, things happen. But keep going, and you do you
Yo bro that shit grips the soul, and squeezes! I saw the tears bruva, it makes me cry every single time I hear it! Jimmy Page was mad gifted. GLAD YOU DID THIS! I started watch for the hip hop content, never expected this. GG! I've always LOOOOVED LED ZEPLIN
LZ has great music. The meaning of this song changes depending upon your place in life, age is a big factor. Great reaction. You should do more led zeppelin.
Another great reaction! I have only seen 2 of your videos so far and this one earned my subscription. I like the way you analyze the lyrics and appreciate the vocals. Now I had to spend the next couple of hours looking at the rest of your channel so that I could see what else to suggest😁
Flawd, I think you're onto something with this view. The context of the song is that Robert Plant was an avid Tolkien fan and loved to evoke imagery from the stories of Middle Earth, but at the same time he's using that palette of LOTR to paint a poem about... whatever it's about. When the Fellowship meets Galadriel, she speaks to the group gladly and telepathically greets Frodo severely, like how words can have two meanings. She later is tested by refusing the ring and she says she will wither and go east. She would then be looking west, in retrospect and in the way Flawd mentioned about drug talk. Buying a stairway to heaven means buying your way into salvation. Double entendre could be in play as Galadriel was basically the most powerful person in Middle Earth so the Lady in the song is most powerful and thinks she can do no wrong. It's a thoroughly blended metaphor.
The lyrics have intrigued me forever. It's easier to listen to the entire song and then work backward, piecing together all you've heard to find themes, but it may just be that they wrote the song to tell a very imaginative story with pieces of wisdom but no singular message. The song, lyrically and musically, is a journey. That's what life is, and there are multiple paths and lessons to be learned. Maybe the point is we're all trying to find heaven.
I didn't hear that song for at least 20 years. Always loved musical part of LZ but never knew meaning of lyrics as I did not understood language. Last 16 I live in UK and now it's like rediscovery with You Guys!! ❤❤
A lot of this song is a reference to Lord of the Rings. In fact, the poem below is in Lord of the Rings. You can see the relationship between the first line in this and the first line of Stairway. Also, this song has a lot of references to "The Road" which is a common theme in LoTR, being the path that the adventurers follow but also in the book is a metaphor for life. Great video, awesome to see new fans of Zeppelin and people who want to explore music. "All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king."
It's all of what you think it is....and none of it.
Best answer i've seen. Simple yet effective.
It’s about someone who only values material things
This is exactly what my bro said 2 Dawg!¡ 👌🏻🫠
Perhaps Led Zeppelin designed this to be ambiguous, which would be par for the course of a lover or a poet.
A lot of this song references J. R. Tolkien's books like The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings written in the early 1900s. Much influence from Greek Mythology as well.
I can't believe there is a person alive that hasn't heard a zeppelin song much less never heard of the band. I must be getting old.
Stranger things have happened. An yes we are old LOL 😘👍
There are millions of songs I'm sure there are a few super well known songs that u didn't hear that other people be shocked u didn't
Ryan 🤭
I know, right!?!
&
Yes...
you're old,
not "getting" to be!
I thoroughly enjoyed their reactions and shared their takes on it all❣️
This concept actually scared me! Unfortunately kind of explains how low the expectations for music are now……
Right?!?! It's heartbreaking if you ask me
The lady is anyone who looks for salvation in the physical world, in glittery trinkets, in other people, always moving and searching. Every shiny new possession makes her feel closer to heaven, but ultimately it's an illusion. Heaven is never realized on this path. The piper's tune represents true salvation, which comes from within, and is embodied in the final line - to be a rock and not to roll.
Yes, a lot of symbolism in this song. The word that has two meanings is Faith, both her name and spirituality. All that glitters is gold symbolizes the streets of heaven and with a word she can get what she came for is proffessing her faith. So on and so forth. I've spent fifty years trying to analyze this song.
I like your interpretation and agree "to be a rock and not to roll" is the summation of song & maybe best lyric ever..thx
Exactly. The two ladies represent two different paths of life.
"The Lady who's sure" represents material existence and the illusion that wealth and nice things will bring happiness.
"The Lady who shines white light" represents a more spiritual existence achieved by surrendering the desire for material things, and turning to a simpler life.
The path to that second existence lies with getting back into touch with nature -- symbolized by the "piper" who "is calling you to join him."
That piper is not the "Pied Piper", but rather the Greek god Pan (of the panpipes), the lord of forests and nature, who allows people to shed their inhibitions and fixations on material things that are supposed to represent happiness ("Heaven") in modern society.
The stairway to actual Heaven -- to true happiness -- can't be purchased with gold, any more than anybody can buy the "whispering wind" with money.
As for the May Queen, that's just another representation of nature.
The May Queen in British culture represents the return of life to the world in springtime, after the cold, gray darkness of winter.
She's usually portrayed by a pretty young girl, age 12-14, in the May Day parade that celebrates the arrival of sunshine, warm weather and greenery of springtime.
This song has very little basis (i.e., "none at all") in Abrahamic mythology.
It is, however, rife with ancient European pagan symbolism.
So, it's not a song about escapism through drugs, although some drugs may allow one to open up one's perceptions.
But it absolutely *is not* about self-destructive addiction, and has nothing to do with death.
It's about leaving behind self-destructive fixations on money, hot cars, nice houses, and bling, and getting in touch with what's real.
Excellent interpretation
We never overthought the song. It's basically poetry that means different things to different people. Just listen and enjoy the sonic trip!
Absolutely. I can't beieve that these poeple are trying to logically interpret the actual 'poem'. I can't wait to see their reaction at the end of, probably, the greatest song ever recorded.
@@LuvHrtZ Even Plant's said it means nothing. It's just some words that sounded vaguely deep when he wrote it in his twenties at a bar.
@@grabble7605 Wrong, he never said "its means nothing" he said that he cant relate to it anymore because he was hurting at the time and wrote the lyrics. It meant something to him at the time as he was going through losing his best friend and his son. The song def has meaning to it but he refuses to play it live anymore because of the memories but, he never said it means nothing.
i know what you mean , but my dad was pissed when i said i'd not heard of Buddy Holly , Eddie Cockran, and the list does go on...... i'm 59 and got in to Zep, Floyd , Hendrix...., etc not until i was 16 back in 1981, so you can kinda understand how it comes teens today don't know who Zep were, i,ve heard teens haven't heard of the Beatles f'fuck sake.
@@johnhouse9983 I'm 40 and was raised in Buddy Holly, the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, George Jones, Billy Joel, Who, The Pretenders, Frank Sinatra... Geez, I was so over the place even as a child. I never cease to have pity when I hear someone not know a certain artist or song that I have taken for granted for so long.
Stairway is like a "Led Zeppelin Sampler" of everything they do: acoustic, rock, heavy metal, mythical lyrics, light and shade, dominant musicianship, a musical journey, elite vocals....it's all in there. Led Zeppelin is a musical journey that never ends.
You forgot Blues/Rythm & Blues. For a song that gets deep into the blues sauce you must listen to "Since I've Been Loving You" the studio version from Led Zeppelin III. Masterful.
@@chadheckman2693 Possibly their best....and that is saying a lot...
They don’t do metal!
Learning to play all the guitar from this song teaches you a lot.
67 year old here. Close your eyes and just listen... don't think... don't talk... just listen. Let the music fill you and take you. There is "the high". No drugs needed.
Bro, welcome to the music of the 70s! This is what I grew up on! There was no auto tune, 8 tracks and cassettes were the "new technology"! Bands and other performers were basically live every single performance. They had to either succeed or not based on their skill in their craft all the time! They didn't have the technologies that today's artists have. It was all very raw and all they had to depend on. Much respect to them for all they accomplished back in the day! ❤️
And that is why being a master musician and singer, being able to write real music was so important. Today you have laziness with mediocrity because you can cover up not having much talent and boring writing and melodies, alot of repeating of the same old thing in songs by multiple artists because you can cover up the below average stuff.
Back then you had to have the goods.
Go out live. No autotune to cover up your lack of singing skills.
You had to have real talent or your career was dead.
Led Zeppelin were musicians that were the Goats of their respective areas. No one could touch Jimmy Page in guitar and his innovative playing, including using a violen bow in Dazed and Confused.
John Paul Jones was a master of the bass and keyboards, being able to produce sounds that sounded nothing like a keyboard.
Robert Plant, the best singer in the rock era ever and a master harmonica player.
John Bonham, the best drummer ever who changed the role of drumming forever in music.
Imagine, never having heard 'Stairway To Heaven'
I guess that's sort of like us never having heard Glenn Miller - Only we had fathers who were WW 2 vets who played Glenn Miller on the phonograph
@@bertkilborne6464 imagine the first time you ever heard the beautiful song, just talking through it. You would have to have some pretty terrible taste in music to do that.
The one thing musicians had back then, that they dont have today was good lsd.
I love when the new generation get their ears Open to músic... I know im a old head when comes to músic...but the vibe, lyrics and feels are on another stratosphere.... Instruments makes all the Diference!
The sheet music to this song has sold more copies than any other sheet music. Zeppelin captured lightning in a bottle, very few bands can stand in the same room with them. Best rock band ever
This is real music, performed by skilled musicians, and carrying with it power and meaning. It doesn't get any better than this, which is why it continues to be played and appreciated 50 years on. Thanks for featuring, it's music worth sharing.
This band is perfect. There is no other way to describe them.
Edit: Robert freestyled the lyrics staring into a fireplace while Jimmy was improvising the riff on his acoustic. They were recording music in a peaceful environment at Headley Grange, a farmhouse in the English countryside. This album is probably the greatest recording in history.
There was a tribute concert to Led Zeppelin a few years ago where the band Heart performed this song with the members of Led Zeppelin in the audience listening. When it got to the line, "and as we wind on down the road, our shadows taller than our souls," you can see Robert Plant (singer) break down as he realizes that he is now at that point in his life. His shadow (his public personna, his contributions to society, what everyone thinks he is) was now taller than who he is as a person in the last years of his life. Really profound stuff.
People have been breaking this song down for years trying to figure out what it's all about. It means something different for each listener. Will always be one of the best tracks ever recorded.
And it's supposedly 'satanic' if you play it backwards 😂😂
Art is supposed to be interpreted, not dissected. You apply it to your life at the time. Thats what makes music so great and memorable. Besides you probly don't want to know what your favorite songs are actually about. It'll never live up.
The more you listen to Led zeppelin the more you realize how magical they were. Every song seems to take off in a different genre, sometimes bluesy, some almost spiritual. Some very theatrical. My first concert was these guys and Black Sabbath opened the show. Was mid 73
I'm jealous! Two of my all-time favorite bands that I never heard in person.
Too perfect
Can not imagine that
Real talent, master musicians, and no autotune! Welcome to real music, the music we lucky ones grew up on. Take the dive down this deep rabbit hole, starting from the first album, first song, and continue on thru their exceptional and extremely diverse catalog. You won't regret it! The greatest band of all time!! Subscribing in hopes of more Zeppelin!
You can hear the finger squeaks on the cords, breath intakes, real music back when rock music and metal were being developed. Led Zeppelin was the first super metal group, this song is the greatest of all times - to understand that, you also need to understand the history of rock music, of which Zeppelin are integral. Bands like Tool built off of what Zeppelin pioneered. Best singer, drummer and guitarist in their day. Actually, best drummer ever!
Well said
Well said
Buddy Rich.
Gene Krupa
And Jimmy page too together Hendrix
One of the Greatest songs ever written. Period.
I think Robert Plant once said that he doesn't even know what it's about. He's also downplayed this song a lot and says that Kashmir is what they are most proud of. It doesn't matter, this song is one of the most iconic songs of all time and the guitar solo still makes me cry.
Absolutely beautiful and very deep song! One of my favorite Led Zeppelin songs. “Kashmir” and “Immigrant Song” are also amazing! I thoroughly enjoy watching you two react to songs. 🥰🥰
Kashmir is on my all time fav hits list. I’ve got my own hot 100 list
I’ve always said that Stairway is the greatest rock song ever, but Kashmir is Zeppelins best song.
I love Kashmir Custard Pie is great too
Houses of the holy and tangerine are some of my favs. Jon Bonham was the best drummer ever.
The best version of Kashmir is the live Celebration Day performance in 2007 at London's O2 Arena. The boys were a little older but sounded better than ever. John Bonham, the original drummer, died in 1980 so his son, Jason Bonham, played with the group. He killed it! Made his dad proud. The whole Celebration Day concert is worth watching/listening to. Enjoy!
Three of the most picked over and analyzed things in the world are:
1. The Zapruder film of the Kennedy assassination
2. The Immaculate Reception
3. The song Stairway To Heaven
Not all older music is about drugs. Metaphors and reading between the lines was common to song lyrics, and even everyday speaking 25 yrs ago. We called it abstract thinking. Edit: It's difficult to decipher verse by verse. It's easier to see as a whole. Thanks for the reaction.
Poetry!!
opium
Most of it is when the songwriter was on drugs at the time
Welcome to real music. We’ve been patiently waiting.
As a younger GenXer the 70’s seemed to be the most purest form of music, unlike the corporate copy paste of the 60s, 80s. and now. 90s came pretty close tho.
We are in the exact boat!! Born in 1974 so parents listened to this music so often; I grew up on it, grew to love it and when I hear it today, oh man! The memories just don’t stop. Such a great time for music.
@RePUGlican Same for me. Born in 72. These types of songs take me back to a simpler time. Good memories. ❤
@@free2beemee 💯!! Memories galore!! Brings me right back!! 😊😊😊
Some of the best music came from the 60s. What in the world? Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Johnny Cash....I could literally go on and on. The 80s holds Metallica, Ozzy, the Ramones, etc. The 90s were very special too. And I'm an 84 baby 🤣🤣
@@Jodi_Johnson most of the band u mentioned were peak in the 70s though
Beautiful words to GREAT music!
He's saying that what we appreciate in life as beautiful - glittering and gold - is not necessarily what is prized when life is done. When life is done, what we appreciate is all the love and kindness we experienced. That's the REAL gold.
The "two paths" are choosing between good and evil, spiritual life and spiritual death. If you pay attention during your life you will figure it out (listen very hard).
The double or more meaning of words in the song implies that you can never be sure about things in life and sometimes it takes more experience and wisdom to eventually understand what may be the path to happiness.
This was so much fun listening to this again ☺️ Thank you!
It helps to understand the 70's mindset. I grew up with this kind of music. Wouldn't trade it for anything.
It is NOT about drugs, it is a critique of the overly materialistic society in which we live. A society where one's wealth and success is judged by a collection of material goods which end up meaning nothing when we die.
You don't decide what it's about or what someone else takes from it. Especially when the song was meant to be meaningless.
@@FlawdTV Well, that is your interpretation and you have every right to think the way you do, but Robert Plant himself stated that intended meaning of the song was a critique on materialism.
If you liked them that much, you need to dive into more of their music. They were the top band of their era, and likely of all time. I feel fortunate to have grown up in that era. We had amazing bands.
I was a teenager in the 70's and Led Zeppelin was fantastic along with Queen, The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Bee Gees, and so many others. The bands today can't hold a candle to the bands of the 60's and 70's.
@plother4242
As was I and friends. It was a great era to live through.
Concert tickets were so affordable, and we were headed to the city, regularly, so we could watch some of the best bands that have existed.
I wish I could go back in time and watch them again.
Amen
Jimmy page on guitar
This song had different meaning depending on how high you were. You gotta consider the times. Going out west was just to go out where the drug scene was. Acid was invented out there. The pipers the drugs and the scene calling you to the west, back in the day. And every time you sat around high, you would go through a different journey with this song. in that respect it’s a lot like dark side of the moon.
You know its a good song when you have to push your headphones harder onto your ears to take it all in. Zeppelin are the quintessential 70's rock band, big hair, big sound...great reaction
Love how you're really hearing everything and trying to break it down. Many are just confused and lost without trying to get the meaning. Nice bro.
Finally, a comment that sees it like I do. I don't like the idea of just ignoring the meaning because "there is no meaning." I like to make sense out of the abstract. It leads to unique thoughts and ideas.
Sometimes there's a meaning maybe only to the one who can find it
This song is the very stairway to heaven. It's not just listening with your ears; listen with your heart and soul, and your spirit will rise
You got to check out Battle of Evermore, When the Levee Breaks and No Quarter. These 3, and of course "Stairway", gives a really good overall picture of all the different directions they would veer off towards. In my opinion, absolutely one of the greatest bands of all time!
Jimmy Page is one of the best guitarists of all time, if not the best..
I love this song. I remember dancing to it at my high school prom. It’s just a beautiful melody that has a lot of feeling and depth. It is nice to see you guys enjoying it.
Meaux: I bet there are so many interpretations of this.
Nailed it
Robert Plant recalled writing the lyrics in a flash of inspiration. Said Plant: "I was holding a pencil and paper, and for some reason I was in a very bad mood. Then all of a sudden my hand was writing out the words, 'There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold/And she's buying a stairway to heaven.' I just sat there and looked at the words and then I almost leapt out of my seat."
Plant's implication that something else was moving his pencil for him led to speculation that it was Satan who was dictating the words, and along with the backward messages and Page's Aleister Crowley connection, there was enough evidence for many listeners that the devil had some role in creating this song.The lyrics take some pretty wild turns, but the beginning of the song is about a woman who accumulates money, only to find out the hard way her life had no meaning and will not get her into heaven. This is the only part Plant would really explain, as he said it was "a woman getting everything she wanted without giving anything back." Robert Plant is a great admirer of all things mystic, the old English legends and lore and the writings of the Celts. He was immersed in the books Magic Arts in Celtic Britain by Lewis Spence and The Lord Of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. The Tolkien inspiration can be heard in the phrase, "In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees," which could be a reference to the smoke rings blown by the wizard Gandalf. There is also a correlation between the lady in the song and the character from the book, Lady Galadriel, the Queen of Elves who lives in the golden forest of Lothlorien. In the book, all that glittered around her was in fact gold, as the leaves of the trees in the forest of Lothlorien were golden. Peace out.
Wow! That was extremely informative!
Led Zeppelin is blues rock...awesome reaction! 🤙
Black Sabbath: pioneers of metal
Metallica: metal with deep lyrics
Alice in Chains: deep music
I'd say more feel-good rock than blues.
I second this ❤
Need to hear the Kennedy Center awards with heart doing this..
The solo and bridge are my favorite parts of the song. Can't quite describe what I feel but it's amazing
This song was dedicated to me in 82. I was in the military. Total different interpretation
Love zeppelin. This song is a musical masterpiece
If you're gonna listen and go down the rabbit hole Start with Led Zeppelin one. Those boys will teach you how to play the blues
That’s a nice thing about this era. You don’t have to overthink it you can just enjoy the music
We didn't overthink it either... we let the music tell the story bc if you actually listen... not in the sense your fighting to hear each word said without context and trying to piece it all together after...
If you just open yourself to those songs they will pour themselves into you telling their story as they do
yep, its not a math problem, its a song lol
The song is metaphorically about greed and materialism. The protagonist (woman) is used to getting things she wants due to money.
The smoke in the trees is just a universal sign of danger. Looking to the west is longing for something more.
"piper" played pan pipes and is a common folk story that he lead people with his music - he was then hired to lead rats from the city. And in this case he's leading us from temptation to the road less travelled of virtue.
With Zeppelin, always expect switch-ups and mixes of Blues and Rock with some of the funkiest bass lines and drumming. Damn near every single song switches up at some point. They are legends for a reason; Four of the best to do what they do.
This is the MOST requested rock song in FM radio history.
Hey guys, love your reactions, for me, it's always meant that you can live your life in pain, like you're dying, or you can change the road you're on and choose to accept your authentic self and realize your worth and know that you can change this experience on earth and be at peace and just BE! You guys just described your interpretation so honestly I'm humbled! You get it! God bless you both for real real!! I've been singing this song since I was a young teenager, I'm 60 now, and I always felt it, Led Zeppelin gave us a gift, to anyone who ever felt alone and in pain, stuck. It's always been a song of understanding and of hope for me! Thank you both for this, I needed it, we're all connected!! 🙏❤🎶🙏🌎
Lyrics
There's a lady who's sure
All that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven
When she gets there she knows
If the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
And she's buying a stairway to heaven
There's a sign on the wall
But she wants to be sure
'Cause you know, sometimes words have two meanings
In a tree by the brook
There's a songbird who sings
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven
Ooh, it makes me wonder
Ooh, it makes me wonder
There's a feeling I get
When I look to the west
And my spirit is crying for leaving
In my thoughts I have seen
Rings of smoke through the trees
And the voices of those who stand looking
Ooh, it makes me wonder
Ooh, it really makes me wonder
And it's whispered that soon
If we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason
And a new day will dawn
For those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter
Oh whoa-whoa-whoa, oh-oh
If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now
It's just a spring clean for the May Queen
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
And there's still time to change the road you're on
And it makes me wonder
Oh, whoa
Your head is humming and it won't go
In case you don't know
The piper's calling you to join him
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow?
And did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind?
And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last
When all are one and one is all, yeah
To be a rock and not to roll
And she's buying a stairway to heaven
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Robert Plant / James Patrick Page
Stairway to Heaven lyrics © Flames Of Albion Music Inc., Succubus Music Ltd., Flames Of Albion Music,
This was a Dilettante Presumption Theorem: All statements of fact, opinion, or analysis expressed do not necessarily reflect official positions or views or any other entity, past or present. Nothing in the contents should be construed as asserting or implying endorsement of interpretations and factual statements.
I am so jealous, to imagine having never heard this song !!! Jimmy Page on that guitar still makes me tear up.....the guitar and Jon Bonham (Bonzo) on them drums ....just perfection. Of course, Robert Plant's vocals are in a class of their own. I am 58 years old, and I can say with certainty that the music of my youth in the 70's was the best music ever....it is just different in so many ways. We had real, honest to goodness artists....singers, musicians, writers that went so far beyond most music nowadays. Don't get me wrong, there are musical geniuses now too...and in every decade & genre....but it would be very hard nowadays to find groups with the depth and perfection that Led Zeppelin & Pink Floyd in particular had. You need to dive into Pink Floyd since you seem to try to dissect the lyrics....lol...I wanna see you explore their catalog. I really enjoyed your reaction, and now I am gonna check out your videos. Great job !!!!
And as we wind on down the road, our shadow's taller than our soul.
Screams winter time tripping to me.
The first day of winter is the day that your shadow is furthest away from you that it will get all year, because of the sun being at its furthest point southward!
You can't take this in all at one time, it is something that takes years to figure out!
Stairway to Heaven and Bohemian Rhapsody have to be the two most iconic songs penned. So ICONIC!
They did A LOT of drugs back then. Music wasn't all about literal interpretation, It was MJSIC. It was feeling. You want to trip out, check Pink Floyd and the Doors out!
Led Zeppelin pre dates heavy metal the were a well rounded band that dove into many different genres blues Classical Folk to name a few sometimes they were heavy but I wouldn't call them heavy metal. They were one of the pioneers of hard Rock Their music is timeless
This is THE classic song from the 70's, I would crank this while jumping on our trampoline!
You need to listen to the LIVE version. Studio versions have ideal acoustics, but live versions show their true virtuosity. Unique solos at each live concerts
Yes, Exactly !!!
Yes, this song at Madison Square Garden.
It was voted in 2000 by VHS as the #3 song on its list of "Greatest Rock Songs" and landed the #31 spot on Rolling Stone magazine's "Greatest Songs of All Time" list. "Stairway to Heaven" was the most requested song on FM radio in the 1970s. Interestingly, "Stairway to Heaven," for all its popularity, was never released as a single.
Great reaction! The live version at Madison Square Gardens is a must watch!! Would definitely love to see that reaction. Then the LZ tribute by Heart would finish this song off on a high note.
Context is needed for interpreting Zep songs. They were heavily influenced by the Tolkien universe.
The tune that comes to you long is the summons back to West for the Elves, the song that calls them in sung by sea birds and carried on the wind. The character that this about shines white light walks a glow, the white witch of Lothlorein.
For what it's worth, 'Rock n Roll' is an evolution of early African American Blues Artists i.e. Howlin Wolf, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Memphis Minnie just to name a few.. Rock music is heavily 'Blues' influenced and is not all 'Head Bangin'. 'Four Sticks', 'In My Time of Dyin', 'Heartbreaker', Ten Years Gone, 'The Rain Song', 'When the Levee Breaks', 'Kashmir', are ALL EPIC however HIGHLY RECOMMEND, 'Dazed and Confused' which is Guaranteed to BLOW YOUR MIND...!!! New Sub. Peace 12/22 .
To hear iconic music from back then you cannot stop every 2 seconds to try to suss out the meaning of each line. You need to listen to it in its entire length. Back then it was the era of rock operas like Tommy and album rock with themes like Dark Side of the Moon.
Songs like Stairway were opus type songs with meanings but, they are layered in alot of imagery and not always spelled out.
It was not an era of 3 minute ditties.
Staiway was actually about a rich woman who thought she could buy everything she wanted when she wanted it. Including getting into heaven complete with a golden staircase without doing anything for it other then being materialistic.
Robert Plant while a child growing up was not cool. He was a geeky kid who was wrapped up in stamp collecting and reading books. and he always, even as an adult, was into the great myths of Britian. The legends and great stories of kings and mystical things as in the round table.
Songs like Stairway and Kashmir must be listened to in the whole before going into figuring things out.
I’m 43 n grew up with this from my parents. Listening to zep n a lot more from their days more than my youth.
As a really old fart-ress, I totally enjoyed your face and reaction to that wonderful old song. Will rewatch to see it again.
Yo! I fucking love what you are doing. This ain’t just another reaction channel. You guys put your brain to this shit. Good on yah, I’m a fan.
Really like how you dove deep into the lyrics. A lot of people just listen to the song and say “I don’t know what it was about but it was good”.
The lyrics are open for multiple interpretations and can mean different things to different people.
Drug talk, indeed.
@Arnold I’m referencing a previous comment that called these lyrics “drug talk.”
@Arnold none are necessary.
🤣🤣🤣 This song twisted the Flawd-mind! 🤣🤣🤣
I've heard that song a thousand times no idea what it really means. But you nailed it that song made a lot of people me included to pick up a guitar and learn how to play it. I like rap now but it took a long time - when you grew up with all the master guitarists of that era, rap almost sounds like music-less music relatively speaking, more product than music. But I do dig the art of lyrics in rap now the greats. Next Zep if you do another one, I'd go with Since I've been Loving You.
Especially when it lost all substance
I hate when I miss the lives Skwad msgs rolling by Amanduh 😂 👍
👋 Skwad ❤️ I crashed out been feeling beat since the last full moon.
When was that? Bc girl I’ve been getting beat super early into the night for the past couple days! Like maybe a week now
@@HolyMeauxly 7th was full moon.
Man , you need to listen to this song without as many interruptions. Awesome song. Then talk about it.
A few times... letting it take them where it wants to lol
Stairway is so legendary and well known in my circle that it's truly shocking and enjoyable to watch people really appreciate it for the first time....surreal and amazing. Watching you dissect it still gave me new insights and angles to the lyrics i never thought of though, that just goes to show why it is widely regarded as one of if not the best rock songs of all time! Glad you loved it!
You should have just kept going with Sound of Silence. Great reaction to a true classic. Interesting to see a new generation listen to it and what you hear.
Peace and Blessings to you and yours
weve already done it. just havent put it out yet,
@@FlawdTV Well something to look forward to then.
Later Skwadzilla
"the feeling I get when I look to the west" I always interpreted that as the east is where the sun rises (aka when you're born) and sets in the west (when you die). So looking to the west is thinking about your eventual demise and how life may be short.
Wow! I feel soooo old suddenly. Can't wait to watch this. Super cool to see someone experiencing certain music for the first time.
And it didn't disappoint. 😁 Flawd and I had the same moves dancing in our seats. 😆 What about getting into playing it backward?! 👀
Stairway to Heaven is 51 years old. That speaks for itself.
Guys don't even try to figure out what this song is about, cause they don't even know. Just enjoy the amazing vocals and musicianship of it all.....
You can be lazy brained if you want but the way I enjoy art is by trying to find meaning in it. Words are spoken for a reason and I'm going to try to understand them. I've written lyrics that had deeper meanings then I intended so I know that music can be interpreted all different ways. This type of song is the best song to try and breakdown because everyone comes to a different conclusion. No one else can tell me what part to enjoy and what to ignore, etc.
😂 this dude is sensOtive! You go to the effort of spending your valued time, to watch his terrible reaction videos, which he makes money off of, then actually comment, which he makes money off of, then his opening reaction to insult you? I wonder if he was ever assessed for narcissistic personality disorder, or he just had terrible parents.
This song is about finding your happiness. Sometimes there are storms, people with advice, restarts in life, things happen. But keep going, and you do you
Jimmy Page is the best guitarist ever. You should see a live performance of this song - madison square garden one is my favorite.
Led Zeppelin was great to watch in person. Saw them in Baton Rouge Louisiana in the mid 70's.
I still have the poster with that bridge at the end on my bedroom door
The way he put that, " the guitar is like spitting lyrics it's so Good." Profound and true.
You must experience Led Zeppelin live ! Try Whole Lotta Love from the Madison Square Garden concert next !
Yo bro that shit grips the soul, and squeezes! I saw the tears bruva, it makes me cry every single time I hear it! Jimmy Page was mad gifted. GLAD YOU DID THIS! I started watch for the hip hop content, never expected this. GG! I've always LOOOOVED LED ZEPLIN
LZ has great music. The meaning of this song changes depending upon your place in life, age is a big factor. Great reaction. You should do more led zeppelin.
Another great reaction! I have only seen 2 of your videos so far and this one earned my subscription. I like the way you analyze the lyrics and appreciate the vocals. Now I had to spend the next couple of hours looking at the rest of your channel so that I could see what else to suggest😁
Flawd, I think you're onto something with this view. The context of the song is that Robert Plant was an avid Tolkien fan and loved to evoke imagery from the stories of Middle Earth, but at the same time he's using that palette of LOTR to paint a poem about... whatever it's about. When the Fellowship meets Galadriel, she speaks to the group gladly and telepathically greets Frodo severely, like how words can have two meanings. She later is tested by refusing the ring and she says she will wither and go east. She would then be looking west, in retrospect and in the way Flawd mentioned about drug talk. Buying a stairway to heaven means buying your way into salvation. Double entendre could be in play as Galadriel was basically the most powerful person in Middle Earth so the Lady in the song is most powerful and thinks she can do no wrong. It's a thoroughly blended metaphor.
Stop being so analytical. It’s not “drug talk”, it’s all about beauty and nature - just listen and enjoy their incredible artistry.
Stop telling people how to digest music.
The lyrics have intrigued me forever. It's easier to listen to the entire song and then work backward, piecing together all you've heard to find themes, but it may just be that they wrote the song to tell a very imaginative story with pieces of wisdom but no singular message.
The song, lyrically and musically, is a journey. That's what life is, and there are multiple paths and lessons to be learned.
Maybe the point is we're all trying to find heaven.
May Queen is a title given to a person during a festival. She wears a white gown to represent purity
I grew up listening to STH but haven’t heard it in over a year! Hearing today makes me remember just how AMAZING LEF ZEPPLIN IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE!
This is probably my favorite song of all time. When I'm asked that question this song always comes to mind first.
I love that you guys actually listen and try to interpret the meaning. It's so refreshing and insightful. LOVE IT!
A classic band y'all might enjoy- the Moody Blues. Tuesday Afternoon, Nights in White Satin, Melancholy Man.
"WTF?!?!?", FTW!!! Hands down, the GREATEST reaction moment, period. It has been written. Henceforth, there shall only be second.
I didn't hear that song for at least 20 years. Always loved musical part of LZ but never knew meaning of lyrics as I did not understood language. Last 16 I live in UK and now it's like rediscovery with You Guys!! ❤❤
BRAVE BRAVO BRAVO you have both made a 60 year old man in England cry with your incisive breakdown of this super song, you are my go too Reaction pair
This song means about people living in a materialistic world where we greed over possessions but you can't take anything with you when you pass away.
A lot of this song is a reference to Lord of the Rings. In fact, the poem below is in Lord of the Rings. You can see the relationship between the first line in this and the first line of Stairway. Also, this song has a lot of references to "The Road" which is a common theme in LoTR, being the path that the adventurers follow but also in the book is a metaphor for life. Great video, awesome to see new fans of Zeppelin and people who want to explore music.
"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king."
I mean Robert plant the person who wrote it has admitted he doesn’t even know what it means anymore