Led Zeppelin & LOTR lyrics

[doug*platypus]

Battle of Evermore sounds more like it's just general reference to fantasy, with some vague Tolkien refs thrown in, like Dark Lord.

I've always loved that bit about Gollum and The Evil One, especially the way Robert Plant sings it. Also in Ramble On is:

Leaves are falling all around
Time I was on my way
referring to Frodo's departure from The Shire in autumn, when he always felt more like journeying.

In Finland there's a really popular hevy-metal band

Interesting, but I'd have to agree with...

LED ZEPPELIN KICKS ORC BUTT!!!!!

Less well-known bands using LOTR lyrics isn't really all that exciting. Immigrant Song is cool as well, although not LOTR - all about coming from the land of the ice and snow. Go, the Zeppelin!

[Mattius]

Thought about starting a new thread for this but this topic seems quite similar. Does anyone else listen to Thrice? They are an amazing band and their latest work is a series of 4 EPs, each of which represents an element of nature: earth, air, fire, and water. They are called the The Alchemy Index and the fire/water section features a song called Burn the Fleet which reminds me so much of Fëanor burning the ships at Losgar. Here are the lyrics:

In this dark night,
We stand or we fall,
We are kings now,
Or nothing at all.

Check your armor,
Light up your torch,
Touch the flame to the sand,
Before you head to the shore.

And we will burn the fleet,
We can never go home,
So to victory or underground.

Burn the fleet,
We’ll be heroes or ghosts,
But we won’t be turned around.

Well the old flag,
Will burn with the sand,
And a new one,
Will fly if we fail.

But the fire,
Continues to rise,
And it shows not a hint,
Of any fear in our eyes.

And we will burn the fleet,
We can never go home,
So to victory or underground.

Burn the fleet,
We’ll be heroes or ghosts,
But we won’t be turned around.

Burn the fleet,
We can never go home,
So to victory or underground.

Burn the fleet,
We’ll be heroes or ghosts,
But we won’t be turned around

Obviously the story of the song is very much like the situation in the Silmarillion and I particularly like the line 'We can never go home'. On the same album there is a song called Lost Continent which reminds me of the destruction of Númenor. I like this one because it seems that the continent in the song is being destroyed by the sea because the inhabitants could not find peace and only had hearts for war. The lyrics are:

Was there a time that we knew peace;
when all the children had a place to sleep;
when rhetoric was not enough?

Was there a time we weren't at war;
when we knew what our hearts and hands were for?
I don't believe there ever was.

It's always been a lie,
a soothing lullaby;
we'll soon be swallowed by the sea.

Was there a time we looked around,
and do we really even want to know what's going down?
Well I think no one really does.

We'd rather close our eyes;
sing soothing lullabies.

It's always been a lie,
a soothing lullaby;
we'll soon be swallowed by the sea.

The water's rising now;
and we will surely drown,
if we don't turn around.

What do you guys think? I am unsure whether the singer/writer has ever even read any Tolkien but these songs strike quite a chord with me.

[MatthewM]

I love Led Zep. Those are definitely Tolkien references in their songs, they stated it a bunch of times. In a recent magazine article it said they "worshiped Bilbo Baggins".

It's funny that this topic is resurrected, because I was just listening to Led Zep, and upon listening to "Stairway to Heaven", I could pick out a couple of LotR references. I'm not sure if they have made it very apparent with that song, though. More of a hidden meaning, I would say...

Examples:

There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold

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
The West could be referring to Valinor, the spirit could be Frodo's or any of the characters who sailed West, or who did not, such as Arwen or Aragorn.
Rings of smoke through the trees reminds me of Fangorn, and Isengard burning it.

And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
And the forest will echo with laughter
Resist the evil, the destruction of Isengard by the Ents

With a word she can get what she came for
A possible reference to Galadriel? Could the "Queen" Led Zep talk about be referencing Galadriel? With a word she could have had the Ring...

Just thought it was interesting!

[Eönwë]

Originally Posted by doug*platypus

Immigrant Song is cool as well, although not LOTR - all about coming from the land of the ice and snow. Go, the Zeppelin!

Well, its definitely about the Vikings. And the Viking can sort of be compared to Anglo-Saxons (I mean, look at their goods- Thor=Thunor, Odin=Woden, etc) and Tolkien borrowed a lot from both mythologies.

[Eönwë]

Well, I just listened to "Stairway to heaven" lately, and I've come up with ssome more similarities. Here are all the lyrics:

There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold -Bilbo's Aragorn poem
And she's buying the 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, and she's buying the 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. -sounds a bit like the hobbit
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. -The elves' longing for Valinor
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees,- Isengard?
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. -Ulmo? Some other water-related singing/music (especially Lothlorien)
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long - End of battles, beginning of 4th age, destruction of ring
And the forests will echo with laughter. -possible Fangorn

If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now, -Sam eavesdropping
It's just a spring clean for the May queen.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on. -Frodo choosing to accept the quest, or debating about whether to destroy it, or Sam's decisions, or Gollum's
And it makes me wonder.

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 - Wind from the West
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind.

And as we wind on down the road -The road goes ever on and on...
Our shadows taller than our soul. - The ring taking over Frodo?
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show -Galadriel or Luthien maybe
How everything still turns to gold. -Sounds very similar to what Gandlaf said in the movies. Well, they basedthem on something, didn't they?
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last.
When all are one and one is all - Fate
To be a rock and not to roll. -"He is a moss-gatherer, and I have been a stone doomed to rolling" Gandalf

And she's buying the stairway to heaven.



Well, slightly farfetched (in some cases), but on the whole I don't think I did too badly.


edit: well it seems someone sees things a similar way...