Moby Dick

Moby Dick has become a metaphor for something that we pursue vigilantly, but that will ultimately destroy us. Something we become obsessed with and in the end consumed by.

This has always led me to believe that the song was so called because it was so hard on Bonham to create, recreate and perform live. I always assumed that the other band members referred to it as his Moby Dick.

I like the hooker story though.

This was originally named "pat's delight'' Pat is bonzo's wife

the song title actually came from John Bonhams son telling his dad to play "the big one" and John saying "what big one?" then his son said "you know the one thats big like Moby", hence the name "Moby Dick.

A lot of their titles are inside jokes. They would write a song which they couldn't think of a name for, so they would just name it something funny to them. The best example of this is Achilles Last Stand. Robert Plant had broken his heel in a car accident around the time it was written. Page called him up to hear his final produced version of it (remember it was still untitled) and when Plant heard it he was so impressed by it that he stood up in shock, forgetting about his bad heel. He immediatly fell over. Achilles Last Stand. Anyway, I don't really know what the joke is that goes with this song but I'm guessing it was named with a similar method since the name has nothing to do with the song. Great song by the way.

I agree with the fact that most of there song titles were inside jokes. have you ever heard black dog? well anyway the story, or at least the story ive always heard, is that Moby Dick was the result of the band attempts to "inspire" john bohnam. They hired a prositute to provide oral sex while bonham was playing. This gives a whole new meaning to the term "drum head." I have no idea wheather or not this is a true story, it makes for some interesting conversation as well as explaining the name of the song.

the studio isnt that great. its fucken great, but the live is better.

My dad told me something intereting about his interpitation of john bonham as a person

he told me john bonham was an idiot stupid drunk, and that even though he was an awsome drummer and started a rock revolution he is still a dumbass. He had a son, a wife, a fabulous rock star life, played drums in LED ZEPPLIN and he still drunk to his death.

I partly agree with this. That was pretty damn stupid. imagine what they could be like today.

Sad way to go eh?

Im the last person that would bash bonzo, but i just thought that would be interesting to mention since everyone in here is talking about how awsome he is

I'm pretty sure this song is a play on Jimmy's amazing guitar playing. It starts out with that bad butt riff and you think its going to be another classic zep tune and then BAM its a 3 minute drum solo that ventures from jazz to funk and page coming in like "what about my f*kin riff!?!?" and its like dude Bonham can hold his own any day. its just the mainstream would rather page be up front. Makes sense?

such deep lyrics i love it

1st post! This is A AWESOME SONG! GREATEST DRUM PREFORMANCE EVER!!

Anyone who is a Zeppelin fan should go out and buy "How the west was won". The live version of this is spectaular!

great song, obviously no meaning, but a great one anyway. I love the live version from How The West Was Won.