Guitarist Jimmy Page tells the story of the musical build-up of 'Stairway To Heaven'. A short documentary by Top 2000 a gogo from 2014 (Dutch Public Television).
This song still moves me incredibly after all these years. The way it builds and unfolds. The power and emotion. What a rock masterwork from giants of there time!
This will always take me back to when my Dad died. I’d get lost in it and even now when I hear I’m right back. It’s bittersweet. This is truly outstanding
This song entered my mind in the moments after my sister passed away. To this day I have no idea why this song entered my mind... I've been wanting to incorporate it into a possible live show to honor my sister's memory and raise money to help combat the type of cancer she suffered from for 8 years.
Every summer of my life I spent the Fourth Of July Weekend listening to the countdown to #1 wondering if any other song would bump Stairway To Heaven down the list, and it never happened. The DJ would come back from commercial, the song would play, Bonham would kick in and all was right in the world. Damn right Stairway To Heaven is #1. Long live Number One!
My first favorite album that I played over an over at my Aunt’s house when I was a kid! Still every time I hear this song it has to be loud an blaring an to be able to sing along! ❤️❤️
This song is EPIC and one of a kind....will always remember it. Only regret, not being old enough to go to one of their concerts. This is truly the band of "Classic Grandfather of them all Heavy Metal RocknRoll"...People will be listening to this 200 years from now...
Hahaha! Oh my God I can so relate. It was an unwritten, but universally abided-by rule that every single dance and party MUST end with Stairway to Heaven. I was in sixth grade and the new girl in school when a boy asked me to dance to this, and zoom! I was off to the races.
I've been to school dances where they danced to "Aqualung." I felt so sorry for the girls. I bet the coming of disco was like sunlight through clouds for them.
@@robinhodgkinson also quite some copying going on there. Did you ever listen to Muddy Waters' 'You Need Love', written by Willie Dixon.....? They did Joan Baez, Jake Holmes, Howlin' Wolf, Moby Grape, Sonny Boy Williamson, Bukka White, The Great Bert Jansch, Richie Valens, Blind Willy Johnson and some as well...... But heey, they did it in a quite 'cool' way I would say. Changing the thing? IDK, maybe! Maybe not! Innovators? For me, no! But I kind of like them anyway. My youth was around their peak, so....
@@marcjacobs5988 oh God another moron saying they copied. Almost every single song that they "copied" is indecipherable from the original. Yes, the basis of the song is the same, but the structure and overall melody is completely different.
@@iggystardust9236 Muddy Waters - 'I Need Love' vs Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love. Lyrics: similar, definitely copied. Structure: similar, definitely copied. Melody: similar, definitely copied. But you are quite right. I am a moron. Who cares? I actually don't. It's easy to call names, I'm not really into that game from the start; Later on perhaps. You probably right about the structure and melody being different and all. I know shit about that stuff. But I listened to pop music obsessively the last 55 years (also check out my uploads, and don't forget to dislike them all :-) ) and my conclusion with just the one song I mentioned above (there are others in my humble opinion) is: NO 'Whole Lotta Love' in that beautiful particular form as it is, without 'I Need Love'. I do feel all the jazz and what came out of it came more or less out of Ravel and the blues and rhythm & blues out of the field/folk music, but that's not really what I mean here. I do feel/know everything is this popular music field is linked in a way, so one can hide behind that anytime. I just mean: NO 'Whole Lotta Love' without 'I Need Love' Copy! No problem. I like Led Zeppelin and their 'interpretations' quite a bit actually. 'Over the hills and far away' is amazing in my humble opinion, but I'm just saying... Take care rude boy.
Oh the memories this song brings up. Stairway to heaven was my prom theme. Dancing to this song was mezmerizing to say the least. Thank you LZ for writing this song when you did. Best song ever.
This is the song that entered my mind in the seconds after my sister passed away. To this day I still have no idea how I remembered the lyrics, melody, everything about it. My view of it is that it means our loved one has left us and is now on her way to Heaven and getting her halo and wings. I hope someday the members of Led Zeppelin read this and I hope this was the meaning of the lyrics.
lars bauman there's no stealing in art, there's influencing, inspiring… and petty ppl who can't live with their contributing to the growth of human expression without it being accompanied by monetary gain.
I remember having a good listen to this song on my Walkman as a wee 12yr old boyscout siting a tent up on the great Big Bear mountains, the pitch darkness all around me and cool mountain breeze and echoes of the forest animals and trees guiding the music softly into my ears…It was mágical. I can still remember the feeling.
Led Zep is my all time favorite band. This is not my favorite song of theirs but I understand why it has it's place in music history. It is pretty singular as far as lyrics, as well as how the song was structured musically. I was 10 years old when this song was released. I am 58 now. It has been part of the soundtrack of my LIFE.
It’s sad how the generation of music is going. People shaking there butts, and I’m over here listing to stairway to heaven. I’m teaching my kids the meaning of true Rock N Roll. Where the music is raw and pure, and not auto tuned. Zeppelin will always rock my house, for years to come, cause rock n roll never dies.
In my well heard experience, Zeppelin IV is THE greatest rock album ever produced. Period. Its the mix of brilliant material, like _The Battle of Evermore,_ that pushes it the several furlongs ahead of the very deserving others. Trivia: My generation was so in to this album, I bought it in 1981 thinking that it was a NEW release. We of the time called it _ZOSO,_ not _IV,_ so I had no idea for quite sometime that it was Zep's fourth release from a decade prior.
I once heard Robert Plant say in an interview that it's about a lady who becomes very rich and then thinks that being rich maybe isn't quite as good as she thought it would be. "She's buying the stairway to heaven". Back in the 1980's Robert Plant walked into the barbers shop where my sister worked and she did his hair. (Not casting aspersions on Mr Plant but my sister originally trained as a lady's hairdresser, so doing his long hair was easy).
I am thrilled to have been able to witness this masterpiece which I don’t think was ever made before nor it could have any alternative in future … anthem ❤️
It means alot to me it was the secound song i ever learned on guitar way back in 1997 i was i was 8 now im 30 and knowing all the music i do now when my hand goes into that majestic aminor pentatonic i sometimes reflect on the child in me from 97 and think wow ive come so far thanks led
I never made an interpretation of my own but a friend who used to take me to all these diferent churches - and even too see Billy Graham at Wembley once - became convinced they referred to the occult and had Satanic references,especially the May Queen. I admit I never took the time to try and fathom whether there was anything in that or not.
It’s the devil prophesying the Virgin Mary coming and defeating him satan. Where do you think he got those lyrics from all the sudden? The devil will tell the truth. Look how nervous he is about his own conclusions about the song.
This was the only Rock song my mother ever liked. Zeppelin bridged generations and continues to do so today. I know GenXers that have discovered their music and included it in their play lists.
I learned to play it on the piano as a teenager years after it came out. Bet I don't have a clue today but I wish I did remember how... I play the guitar but have never tried to play this. It's not one a person gives one permission to abuse. It belongs to them & for me to listen & remember my life way back then. 💜💜
Robert stated that when he,wrote the lyrics it's as tho something grabbed his hand and he said the lyrics were penned in like 15 minutes. He stated it was an eerie feeling.
Jimmy Page you hero! This was made year I was born...and as non guitarist...loving 90s techno...yeah it makes hairs stand up..goose bumps from god...at least to rock gods eh?🙌⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ oh and we all love a bit of aceeed lol
I'll take In my time of dying, Achilles last stand, Song Remains the same, or The Rain Song over Stairway any day, but the songs construction and execution was surely Epic and masterful. The story and lyrics were pure poetry. The inspiration of every member of that band influences hundreds of songs I've written. I could be no less grateful to a god that gave me breath. Zep was much better god. Definitely cooler hair! :D
I remember exactly - I was in 7th grade, lying in bed after my bedtime, listening to a transistor radio with one earpiece. It blew me away. And Jimmy Page isn’t the best guitarist, but he was perfect for Zeppelin. Seems like such a nice guy, besides.
That's awesome to think about. So much strong imagery in the lyrics to turn into decorations or things to wear. I bet it was every bit as memorable as the song is.
Grandioos nummer, staat niet voor niets ieder jaar weer hoog in de chards. Maar het was (en is) een leuk café in Utrecht. Waar ooit de legendarische club disco Cartouch gevestigd was. Waar het muziek tv-programma Count Down werd opgenomen. Waar ik ooit opeens naast de bandleden van Simply Red aan de bar stond. Ik was veel te jong om er te mogen komen, maar ik had zo mijn 'ingangen'. 😁 geweldige tijd.
And that's what missing in today's bands... No creativity.. Just because you send a digital file to another, it does not justify creativity. Creativity cones from within Band members and the Chemistry begins😎👊
ElfSixDave I distinctly remember my 50th birthday so when I read your comment, it sent me down memory lane..... I'm about 20 years older than you and I'm here to tell you this......You need to live life to its fullest, don't take anything for granted, be truthful with the people around you, don't take "a bunch" of drugs( in moderation, ok?). Don't take shit off of people but you have to cut some people some slack because they're just assholes......because you're going to wake up one morning and realize you are 65 years old and you will say "what the fuck happened here....where has the time gone?" So....Live it up now, brother!.....and hopes that you have a fulfilling life. ✌️🍄🍸💊🎵✌
Several LZ songs have references to Tokein’s writing. This one is more subtle. “There’s a feeling I get when I look to the West and my spirt is crying for leaving”. This is a reference to the Middle Earth Elves leaving for Valinor in the West
All these "but they stole it from Spirit!" comments are cute. Are any of them musicians, understanding how music works? Okay, go sit down now and we'll listen to some Led Zeppelin.
Thank you Jimmy Page!! It would have been great to know the entire story behind the song, but sometimes it is better to have your own interpretation of this. And yes! Even now still bad boy and sexy too.
Hahaha , but not enough to avoid a plagiarism suit. I love reading , when people slaver over this drivel . Particularly when it's the band themselves . Played this live a few times . Nobody liked it .
@tjcint I'm talking about his craftsmanship with a guitar ,I'm not getting into the other stuff ,I'm not sufficiently well informed to make an informed comment
I always felt like this defines progressive rock. Do you remember where you were the first time you heard this? Aside that, a friend of mine calls the movie The Dong Remains the Same because of the way Plants' jeans were so low on his hips.
@@spearfisherman308 Yes it was !! Have you ever noticed Page has never composed quality melody other than in the first part of Stairway ? If he was capable of composing quality melody he would have at other times, wouldn't he ? He never has. Why ? Because he can't. This is why he stole.
