Led Zeppelin & LOTR lyrics - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Boromir's Lady · 12-02-2002, 09:14 AM

NOTE: I finally found (through search) that this topic has been discussed in August! So I apologize for a second post! If board members and Moderators want me to delete this, just let me know.

This was something interesting that I had heard about a long time ago - That Led Zeppelin used LOTR references in some of their songs - and my curiosity got the best of me so I went looking into the lyrics and this is what I found. Now I can't say for certain they definately are referencing Tolkien, but it's still pretty interesting!

The Battle of Evermore
(From Led Zeppelin 4 - 1971)

The Queen of light took her bow
and then she turned to go
The Prince of Peace embraced the gloom
and walked the night alone

oh, dance in the dark of night
Sing to the morning light

The Dark Lord rides in force tonight
and time will tell us all, oh
Oh throw down your plow and hoe
rest not to lock your homes

Side by side we wait the night
of the darkest of them all

I hear the horses thunder down in the valley below
I'm waiting for the Angels of Avalon
waiting for the Eastern Glow

The apples of the valley hold the seas of happiness
The ground is rich from tender care
Repay, do not forget, no, no

Oh dance in the dark of night
Sing to the morning light

The apples turn from brown to black
The tyrant's face is red
Oh, war is the common cry
Pick up you swords and fly

The sky is filled with good and bad
that mortals never know

Oh, well, the night is long
The beads of time pass slow
Tired eyes on the sunrise
waiting on the eastern glow

The pain of war cannot exceed
the woe of aftermath
The drums will shake the castle wall
The ring-wraiths ride in black, ride on

Sing as you raise your bow
Shoot straighter than before
No comfort has the fire at night
That lights the face so cold

Oh, dance in the dark of night
Sing to the mornin' light

The magic runes are writ in gold
to bring the balance back
bring it back

At last the sun is shining
The clouds of blue roll by
with flames from the dragon of darkness
the sunlight blinds his eyes

~~~~~~~~~
On this same album there is a song titled 'Misty Mountian Hop' but the only reference I noticed was this line:

'So I'm packing my bags for the misty mountains where the spirits go now'

Misty Mountain hop

And 'Stairway to Heaven' may have some references
Stairway to Heaven

Ramble on

Mine's a tale that can't be told
My freedom I hold dear
How years ago in days of old
When magic filled the air
T'was in the darkest depths of Mordor
I met a girl so fair
But Gollum, and the evil one crept up
and slipped away with her...

Ramble on

[ December 02, 2002: Message edited by: Boromir's Lady ]

the witch king · 12-02-2002, 11:15 AM

theres anuther led zeppelin song that talks about gollem killing his kin but i forget which 1 it is sorry

thorondil · 12-10-2002, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Now I can't say for certain they definately are referencing Tolkien

They definitely are.

Lhunbelethiel · 12-11-2002, 02:40 PM

Here's a good site to explain alot of the Zep/LOTR links:
http://www.auburn.edu/~speedhe/

[ December 11, 2002: Message edited by: Lhunbelethiel ]

Nenya · 12-15-2002, 02:12 PM

In Finland there's a really popular hevy-metal band with a classical singer (a woman), Nightwish. They have a couple of songs which clearly have references from LotR. (I realised this really is a useless message. All the fins already know Nightwish, and the rest don't give a damn...:rolleyes [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] Anyways, their songs are beautiful ( and i don't even like heavy-metal at all) and the singer has a great voice, so if you ever should stumble across their material, do listen!

FarathrimMaiden · 01-06-2003, 05:44 PM

Nenya- actually i am interested, if you know where i can find info or lyrics from the band.

LED ZEPPELIN KICKS ORC BUTT!!!!! [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img]

01-07-2003, 12:15 PM

I have always loves the music of Zepplin mostly because of choice of lyrics. The are fantasy in music.

doug*platypus · 01-08-2003, 05:43 AM

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.

Quote:

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

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

Quote:

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 · 05-05-2008, 12:30 PM

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 · 05-06-2008, 01:49 PM

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 · 05-07-2008, 03:01 PM

Quote:

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 · 06-25-2008, 02:05 PM

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...

12-02-2002, 09:14 AM	#1
Boromir's Lady Pile O'Bones Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: USA Posts: 21	Led Zeppelin & LOTR lyrics NOTE: I finally found (through search) that this topic has been discussed in August! So I apologize for a second post! If board members and Moderators want me to delete this, just let me know. This was something interesting that I had heard about a long time ago - That Led Zeppelin used LOTR references in some of their songs - and my curiosity got the best of me so I went looking into the lyrics and this is what I found. Now I can't say for certain they definately are referencing Tolkien, but it's still pretty interesting! The Battle of Evermore (From Led Zeppelin 4 - 1971) The Queen of light took her bow and then she turned to go The Prince of Peace embraced the gloom and walked the night alone oh, dance in the dark of night Sing to the morning light The Dark Lord rides in force tonight and time will tell us all, oh Oh throw down your plow and hoe rest not to lock your homes Side by side we wait the night of the darkest of them all I hear the horses thunder down in the valley below I'm waiting for the Angels of Avalon waiting for the Eastern Glow The apples of the valley hold the seas of happiness The ground is rich from tender care Repay, do not forget, no, no Oh dance in the dark of night Sing to the morning light The apples turn from brown to black The tyrant's face is red Oh, war is the common cry Pick up you swords and fly The sky is filled with good and bad that mortals never know Oh, well, the night is long The beads of time pass slow Tired eyes on the sunrise waiting on the eastern glow The pain of war cannot exceed the woe of aftermath The drums will shake the castle wall The ring-wraiths ride in black, ride on Sing as you raise your bow Shoot straighter than before No comfort has the fire at night That lights the face so cold Oh, dance in the dark of night Sing to the mornin' light The magic runes are writ in gold to bring the balance back bring it back At last the sun is shining The clouds of blue roll by with flames from the dragon of darkness the sunlight blinds his eyes ~~~~~~~~~ On this same album there is a song titled 'Misty Mountian Hop' but the only reference I noticed was this line: 'So I'm packing my bags for the misty mountains where the spirits go now' Misty Mountain hop And 'Stairway to Heaven' may have some references Stairway to Heaven Ramble on Mine's a tale that can't be told My freedom I hold dear How years ago in days of old When magic filled the air T'was in the darkest depths of Mordor I met a girl so fair But Gollum, and the evil one crept up and slipped away with her... Ramble on [ December 02, 2002: Message edited by: Boromir's Lady ] __________________ ~Have you seen it, Aragorn? The white tower of Ecthelion glimmering like a spike of pearl and silver, its banners caught high in the morning breeze. Have you ever been called home by the clear ringing of silver trumpets?~

12-02-2002, 11:15 AM	#2
the witch king Wight Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Minas Morgul, Morgul Vale, Mordor Posts: 201	theres anuther led zeppelin song that talks about gollem killing his kin but i forget which 1 it is sorry __________________ 'Whenever death may surprise us, let it be welcome if our battle cry has reached even one receptive ear and another hand reaches out to take up our arms.'~ Che Guevara.

12-11-2002, 02:40 PM	#4
Lhunbelethiel Wight Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: San Francisco Bay Area (aka Bay of Belfalas) Posts: 103	Here's a good site to explain alot of the Zep/LOTR links: http://www.auburn.edu/~speedhe/ [ December 11, 2002: Message edited by: Lhunbelethiel ] __________________ ~~All that is gold does not glitter, not all who wander are lost, all that is old does not wither, deep roots are not touched by the frost...~~

01-06-2003, 05:44 PM	#6
FarathrimMaiden Pile O'Bones Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Wandering the Shores of Middle-earth Posts: 21	Nenya- actually i am interested, if you know where i can find info or lyrics from the band. LED ZEPPELIN KICKS ORC BUTT!!!!! [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img] __________________ Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost. Frodo most certainly does live. "Will you look into my mirror?" "What will I see?"

05-05-2008, 12:30 PM	#9
Mattius Soul of Fire Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: City of Steel Posts: 666	Thrice 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. __________________ A problem shared is a problem halved, so is your problem really yours or just half of someone else's?

12-15-2002, 02:12 PM	#5
Nenya Wight Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: the hand of Lady Galadriel Posts: 127	In Finland there's a really popular hevy-metal band with a classical singer (a woman), Nightwish. They have a couple of songs which clearly have references from LotR. (I realised this really is a useless message. All the fins already know Nightwish, and the rest don't give a damn...:rolleyes [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] Anyways, their songs are beautiful ( and i don't even like heavy-metal at all) and the singer has a great voice, so if you ever should stumble across their material, do listen!

01-07-2003, 12:15 PM	#7
Peacepoet Guest Posts: n/a	I have always loves the music of Zepplin mostly because of choice of lyrics. The are fantasy in music.

05-06-2008, 01:49 PM	#10
MatthewM Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: New York Posts: 628	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! __________________ "Loud and clear it sounds in the valleys of the hills...and then let all the foes of Gondor flee!" -Boromir, The Fellowship of the Ring

06-25-2008, 02:05 PM	#12
Eönwë Flame Imperishable Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Right here Posts: 3,928	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... __________________ Welcome to the Barrow Do-owns Forum / Such a lovely place Last edited by Eönwë; 08-04-2008 at 12:49 PM.

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