Black Dog

you guys are crazy, this is just like most rock songs, it doesnt have a true meaning just about a how when a guy sees a hot chick and how he is feeling its not meant to have a deep meaning to it, and blackbird is right about how they got the name

Simple story about a girl, like a lot of their songs. This one he was really attracted to, then she shut him down. Where he says "down and out" is where he gets rejected. And yes, the name has nothing at all to do with the the song, just like a good half of their songs. Moby Dick anyone?

To somebody who isn't familiar with Led Zep's history, interviews and other such things, the meaning of this song seems pretty obvious.

Verse 1: He meets a woman he's extremely turned on by.

Verse 2: He learns the hard way she's just using him (for money, fame, etc).

Verse 3: He says he wants a woman who will be a true companion to him and make him happy.

Many guys have dated a girl that they were crazy about physically only to end up heartbroken because she was psychotic and selfish (myself in included).

In this song, the guy is depressed about getting used by a hot chick for his money, car and fame. Now he wishes he had an honest woman who actually loved him and could make him happy (aka no longer depressed).

Hence the title "Black Dog", which is a well-known term in England: "The Black Dog has been used as a metaphor for depression from antiquity to the present day"

"Big legged woman ain't got no soul" comes from an old blues tune called "Big Legged Woman." It was originally released by Brownie McGhee in 1946.

The first verse reads:

Big Legged woman now, where have you been? I ain't had no livin' now, since God knows when Aaah, big legged woman tell me where have you been? I ain't had no livin' yeah, since God knows when

Like many of Zeppelin's lyrics, it was stolen from an old blues song and no credit was given to the author.

IT'S TRUE - Check out the beginning intro of the song, before Plant starts singing. Page creates a "dog panting" sound with the guitar.. another reference to Plant relating to a 'Black Dog' in heat.

Rap??? brokenrecall, you've got your time-line all messed up! This track pre-dates Rap by 25 years! The style is much more reminiscent of DELTA BLUES. Muddy Waters sometimes belted out lyrics one line at a time between riffs in the same manner. And just because Plant's lyrics rhyme... that doesn't make it Rap! It's Zeppelin Blues, and that's BLOOZ with a twist of lemon from those ultra-talented limey lemon-squeezers!!!

It is all about trying to get a hot woman with long legs and having sex with her.

In British culture, black dogs is kind of a mythical destructive being. What the song is talking about is a woman who was at first attractive, but took his money and car, just used him. So in this case, the woman would be the "black dog" or destructive force the song is named after.

i wonder if there is any relation between the title and the black dog of British folklore explained here

http://www.pantheon.org/articles/b/black_dog.html

ive heard the thing about the title coming from the fact that there was a black dog on the grounds of the recording studio, and that is probably true, but i cant help but think that the mythological black dog is perhaps being referenced here in some way. in british folklore these creatures are highly destructive, perhaps a parallel between women who lie and the destructive Black Dog is being made.

i think this song is great!! and i think that the title was inspired by the black dog running through the studio or whatever... and perhaps its in relation to a girl.. it makes sense to me... its a typical rock song..