The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
How many more times, treat me the way you wanna do
How many more times, treat me the way you wanna do
When I give you all my love, please, please be true
I'll give you all I've got to give, rings, pearls, and all
I'll give you all I've got to give, rings, pearls, and all
I've got to get you together baby, I'm sure, sure you're gonna crawl
I was a young man, I couldn't resist
Started thinkin' it over, just what I had missed
Got me a girl and I kissed her and then and then
Whoops, oh lord, well I did it again
Now I've got ten children of my own
I got another child on the way that makes eleven
But I'm in constant heaven
I know it's all right in my mind
'Cause I got a little schoolgirl and she's all mine
I can't get through to her 'cause it doesn't permit
But I'm gonna give her everything I've got to give
Oh, Rosie, oh, girl, oh, Rosie, oh, yeah
Steal away now, steal away
Steal away, baby, steal away
Little Robert Anthony wants to come and play
Why don't you come for me, baby, steal away, alright, alright
Well, they call me the hunter, that's my name
Call me the hunter, that's how I got my fame
Ain't no need to hide, ain't no need to run
'Cause I've got you in the sights of my gun
How many more times, barrel house all night long
How many more times, barrel house all night long
Well I've got to get to you, baby, oh, please come home
Why don't you listen to me, babe
Why don't you please come home
Why don't you please come home
Why don't you please come home
How many more times, treat me the way you wanna do
When I give you all my love, please, please be true
I'll give you all I've got to give, rings, pearls, and all
I'll give you all I've got to give, rings, pearls, and all
I've got to get you together baby, I'm sure, sure you're gonna crawl
I was a young man, I couldn't resist
Started thinkin' it over, just what I had missed
Got me a girl and I kissed her and then and then
Whoops, oh lord, well I did it again
Now I've got ten children of my own
I got another child on the way that makes eleven
But I'm in constant heaven
I know it's all right in my mind
'Cause I got a little schoolgirl and she's all mine
I can't get through to her 'cause it doesn't permit
But I'm gonna give her everything I've got to give
Oh, Rosie, oh, girl, oh, Rosie, oh, yeah
Steal away now, steal away
Steal away, baby, steal away
Little Robert Anthony wants to come and play
Why don't you come for me, baby, steal away, alright, alright
Well, they call me the hunter, that's my name
Call me the hunter, that's how I got my fame
Ain't no need to hide, ain't no need to run
'Cause I've got you in the sights of my gun
How many more times, barrel house all night long
How many more times, barrel house all night long
Well I've got to get to you, baby, oh, please come home
Why don't you listen to me, babe
Why don't you please come home
Why don't you please come home
Why don't you please come home
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The spoken part of the song is interesting, because it's a switch in narrative from Plant's usual complaining that a woman won't stay faithful. In that part, Plant sings in the voice of a really sleazy guy within eleven kids who is having an affair with a young (probably underage) girl.
What's interesting is if the schoolgirl's name is "Rosie" because of a 1965 Kinks song called "Rosie Won't You Please Come Home." The Kinks song was about a girl who left her working class home to live in the upper class, but the first verse could be reinterpreted to be about a girl who left home-- perhaps ran away:
Rosie, won't you please come home Mama don't know where you've been Rosie, won't you please come home Your room's clean and no one's in it
Oh my Rosie how I miss you You are the world to me Take a look and see if you like it if you doubt it, please come back etc.
What if Rosie left home, and she hooked up with a sleazy guy?
"How Many More Times" was done in 1968, so it's a contemporary to the Kinks song. Further, since Page worked with the Kinks back when he did studio work for "All Day and All of the Night", so there could be a lighthearted connection. This part of "How Many More Times" could be an explanation of where Rosie went after she left home. That explains Plant's character pressuring Rosie to leave her home and "steal away" to him instead.
The original Kinks song is sweet, while the Led Zeppelin song is rather menacing, particularly with the bow-work that Page does with his guitar. You get the feeling of a guy who is a lot older than Rosie, manipulating her for sex. To top it off, the character mockingly sings to her to "please come home" (around 7:43), echoing the original Kinks song.
If this was the intention of HMMT, hats off to Plant for a fun twist on the original song.
@sdp <br /> <br /> This is exactly the kind of comment I come to this site for. That is absolutely fascinating and adds an entirely new dimension of appreciation to an already spectacular song. You've set me off on another LZ listening-research extravaganza.
@sdp👍❤, you should get paid for this. Thanks. Have a Blessed weekend. This would be song - to hear all day if I were on Gilligans Island. <br />
Holy mother of all gods...i don't know y only 1 person has commented abou this song!?!?! This, out of every Zeppelin song i've listened to, has gotta be the one that has fiddled my fancy. This song makes me wanna be a rocknroll star. I love the design of this song. It has no main refrain (like many other Zeppelin song), goes into sort of a dreamy type sound in the middle. I love the words. Reminds when i just started dating this girl that i've already dated 2 times. Well that's all i gotta say. hope someone else can say somethin about it too
JPJ is really good in the intro. Is it him? I can't tell. Not to experienced.
This song is really sweet.`
This song feels like a journey to me. Like a neverending jam. It is so good. I love the middle section, that sounds sorta Spanish, and then when it all stops and then the drums come back in right after that. Woo! Crazy good blues.
my buddy says this song is about cheatin on his wife. he dont like doing it but he keeps on...
Some guy, your buddy...
Well they call me the hunter, that's my name. They call me the hunter, that's how I got my fame. Ain't no need to hide, Ain't no need to run. 'Cause I've got you in the sights of my..........gun!
I love Zep, but this lyric is directly stolen from Freddy King's The Hunter.
This songs good, buts its one of the biggest rips,the bass is taken straight from smokestack lighting, and in the live version, jimmy plays the main guitar riff from smokestack lightning to it
i dont know about that, live, the guitar is the same. I cant speak for the bass but page plays the same riff.
they knew they were taking it, it is intentional. they didn't know they needed to get permission until around '85, 5 years after bonzo. The hunter part is a vocalist in-joke