Still Looking For My Stairway To Heaven...
This morning I saw the article “13 hit songs hated by the musicians who wrote them” published by The Independent on November 9, 2024.
I was very surprised to see the quote from Robert Plant, the lead singer of one of my all-time favorite bands…Led Zeppelin…quoting that article in the section: Led Zeppelin – “Stairway to Heaven” (1971) which stated:
“Robert Plant was in his early twenties when he sat down to add lyrics to Jimmy Page’s idea for the epic song that became “Stairway to Heaven”. As he got older, he began to view his efforts more critically. “If you absolutely hated ‘Stairway to Heaven’, no one can blame you for that because it was so... pompous,” he told Q in 1988. “Lyrically, now, I can’t relate to it, because it was so long ago. I would have no intention ever to write along those abstract lines any more.” That same year, he added in an interview with the Los Angeles Times: “I’d break out in hives if I had to sing that song in every show, I wrote those lyrics and found that song to be of some importance and consequence in 1971, but 17 years later, I don’t know.”
On one hand I was not too surprised to hear him or any famous musician to lament having to sing the same song(s) every night…however…they do it for their fans and for the music. However, a few words he stated caught my attention which was his reference to the song being so “pompous”…and then stated…”I wrote those lyrics and found that song to be of some importance and consequence in 1971, but 17 years later, I don’t know.”
This quote really struck me this morning because not only is Stairway To Heaven one of my most favorite songs (like many people) and has had such an impact over my life… I was equally surprised to hear the singer of this amazing rock band question the importance of this song. For me personally, Stairway To Heaven has even more significance and consequence than when I first heard it as a teenager.
Some quick background around this one…Led Zeppelin was truly the first band that I referred to as my favorite band at the time. While I heard their music at various parties, events, and on the radio…my love for Led Zeppelin happened when I was living and working near Palm Springs, CA for a summer. I actually lived in that area a few times off and on, including having attended the College of the Desert in Palm Desert, CA for a semester before heading off to Indiana University in Bloomington, IN.
At that time I had work and money to spend and my first cassette that I purchased with my own money…that I can remember…was Led Zeppelin’s self-titled album. I very much recall driving down the highway through the desert (before the crazy development that occurred in the area) with Led Zeppelin cranking and I listened to both sides of the cassette during that mini-road trip. When I heard the combination of the drums, bass, electrifying and bluesy guitar…overlaid with a set of vocals who sounds permeated my soul…I was hooked on Led Zeppelin forever. It did not take long for me to purchase almost every one of their albums and at the time could have told you all of the songs in order for each of the albums…that is not a fan…that is a lover of music.
I had actually been introduced to Led Zeppelin much earlier in my teenage years and was absolutely mesmerized by the song Stairway To Heaven…the lyrics, notes, combination and structure of the music…I was floored with how much that song pulled at my heart for some sort of longing that I was not aware of. I was so taken by this song that I actually wrote the lyrics down on a small piece of paper that I used to keep folded up in my wallet and I would study the lyrics and tried memorizing not only the lyrics, but also trying to play the accompanying music along in my head. I am not sure exactly why at the time because the lyrics didn’t entire make sense to me, but I spend a lot of time while waiting for class to start or catching a bus or while eating or studying…pulling out that little sheet of paper and studying those lyrics.
I can see where some people may interpret that song as being “pompous” from the line “And she's buying a stairway to Heaven”…because at the time in the 1970s, the U.S. in particular was coming off from the 1960’s Vietnam War era, moved into sex, drugs, and rock and roll of the 19070s…which then led into what is known as the Decade of Decadence in the 1980s when sex, drugs, and rock and roll…specifically “Hair Metal” or what some people refer to (I disagree) as “Glam Metal”. I prefer to call it “Hair Metal” because that is what it was…a throwback to run wild in all aspects of your life…for better or worse…’til death do us part.
If anyone wanted to know why I turned out the way I did…you can either compliment or curse the bands before, during, and after that decade…it was very hard not to get caught up in it all…and I approached that phase in my life no different than I have any other phase in my life…for better or worse.
Thankfully nowadays, I can enjoy the music without all of the pain and suffering and strings attached like it felt like sometimes…by tuning into Sirius XM Channel 39 - Hair Nation and other channels and reliving that important time in my life…without some of the “fun” that was associated with living a life of sex, drugs, and rock and roll…in theory…even though I was never a rock star. Interestingly enough as well, I have also found since I turned 50 a few years back…when I was expecting to have already been dead and lived my life with that expectation…that this music and the lyrics have even more deeper meaning to me than when I first became such a music fanatic.
I have always tried listening to music with an ear towards hearing how each instrument comes into play for the whole song and to hear and try to understand what the singer was trying to convey through the lyrics to the song…coupled with the energy they put into their performance. I especially enjoy going to live concerts because it is there that you can truly see if a rock band is passionate about money…or passionate about music. This is not to say rock bands shouldn’t create the show and performance of a lifetime for their fans…because most fans are not like me…who go to see their favorite musical artists several times, listens to the deep cuts in their music and not just whatever makes the top 40 list, purchase multiple albums and not only “greatest hits” (the previous version of what is now called a “playlist”) and really try to understand the emotion, lyrics, and music. I do this because of the power of music and how it truly touches my soul…that is…bringing happiness and peace to my spirit.
With that background, here are the lyrics to “Stairway to Heaven”…
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, 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, makes me wonder
Ooh, 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, 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-oh-oh-oh-whoa
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
There's still time to change the road you're on
And it makes me wonder
Oh, whoa
领英推荐
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
To be a rock and not to roll
And she's buying a stairway to Heaven
In response to Robert Plant’s quote regarding the song being “pompous” and “I wrote those lyrics and found that song to be of some importance and consequence in 1971, but 17 years later, I don’t know.”…here is how I view and listen to the lyrics in that beautiful song…
I agree the song touches on being “pompous” thinking anyone can buy a stairway to Heaven. At the time of the song and ever since…our world has turned into one big pompous circus side-show that even a Roman Emperor would be jealous of…in a bad way due to the absolute gluttony, selfishness, conceit, and general disregard for the planet and humanity. Even at a young age I took those lyrics to mean that in fact…you cannot buy your way into Heaven despite what all of the corrupt marketing and advertising will tell you. At that time, their song was incredibly relevant, and I could make a strong argument that the song is even more relevant today than it was when it was first released.
I am not going to go through a line-by-line comment of the lyrics, however, here are a few key points that I take from this song…even after some 50 years since its first release.
Perhaps I am reading too much into the lyrics to this beautiful song, however, that is how I see it now a few decades later. Even though I have heard the song countless times, I still thoroughly enjoy listening to it for the positive energy and spiritual healing this music gives to me….but what do I know…you can listen for yourself.
For those people who enjoy seeing stripped down rock and roll music in its raw form and you would like to see Led Zeppelin off the stage…then check out the film “The Song Remains The Same”. I used to own a VHS tape of this film, the cassette and later the CD, and at one point, I probably could have told you the order of the songs played in the film, if not describing each of the scenes within this very cool film. I could not even give a realistic number of times that I have watched this film or how many times I have listened to the music…and every time I come to the same conclusion…these guys are GOOD!
For anyone who would like to dive in deeper to the Led Zeppelin catalog, check out the official YouTube home for the band on the Led Zeppelin Channel.
There is no denying the positive impact the music and style of Led Zeppelin had on some many musical artists and other people looking to break out of forced styles…instead of people and bands just being their authentic selves…that is another big lesson that I learned from the early days of Led Zeppelin.
I have often been both amazed and appreciative when other musical artists cover other artists songs as well…not so much just to do a cover tune…but to truly honor the musicians themselves. For Stairway To Heaven, I cannot think of a better tribute to each and every member of the band Led Zeppelin, as well as all of their support staff (the Roadies) who are part of the team that makes all of this magic happen…than the amazing tribute performance of Stairway To Heaven by another one of the bands I enjoy listening to…Heart. If you don’t believe me, then just watch the expressions on the face of the members of Led Zeppelin who were present and knowing the original (now deceased) drummer’s son was playing drums during this amazing and very deserving tribute.
I doubt Robert Plant or any of the other band members of Led Zeppelin or their support staff will see this article, however, for what it is worth, I wanted to write this article for Led Zeppelin to thank them for giving me so much through their music and for making such a positive impact on music and on the hearts and souls of so many people with their music. As far as I am concerned, that beautiful song…Stairway To Heaven…has even more relevance today than it ever has.
So with this article I wish to thank and acknowledge that Led Zeppelin was truly a band ahead of their time and I hope the record will show they deserve credit where credit is due. Rock On and Thank You!
A note on the cover image to this article - I incorporated a “lyrical cloud” for Stairway To Heaven from Susan Maxwell Schmidt at SMS Art on the Edge. There are some very cool designs on that website…my compliments to those involved in producing such beautiful works of art!
This article can also be found on the Substack newsletter: "Still Looking For My Stairway To Heaven...".