First off, in my Led Zeppelin piano/guitar book, the credits for this song are "Words and Music by Anne Bredon, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant." Not "Traditional Arrangement by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant" (such as for Gallows Pole). So Led did write it themselves.
About the lyrics, I've always seen it two ways. One is the more obvious, the man who has to leave a girl but doesn't want to. Everyone else here seems to have covered that one, so I don't need to explain it again.
The other is a darker, much more depressing variation of that. Throughout the song, Plant is singing about how he has to leave not only this girl, "But I got to go away from this place..." However, he doesn't really want to leave her. Just the place. And he also keeps referring to how he's being called "home." Home is a very common metaphor for heaven. And he says that "one day," things will be good again. They will be together eventually and "walk through the park every day." They will be in a paradise together. In this interpretation, he's planning on killing himself.
I like the first one better. Much better. But I thought I should share the second one anyway.
@erasmus11290 Your seconde interpretation is awesome and powerful! I never used to listen to the words in songs as I was more interested in the backing music. Haven't heard anybody else see it that way. Do you have a more elaborate analysis than what you posted?
@erasmus11290 Your seconde interpretation is awesome and powerful! I never used to listen to the words in songs as I was more interested in the backing music. Haven't heard anybody else see it that way. Do you have a more elaborate analysis than what you posted?
First off, in my Led Zeppelin piano/guitar book, the credits for this song are "Words and Music by Anne Bredon, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant." Not "Traditional Arrangement by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant" (such as for Gallows Pole). So Led did write it themselves.
About the lyrics, I've always seen it two ways. One is the more obvious, the man who has to leave a girl but doesn't want to. Everyone else here seems to have covered that one, so I don't need to explain it again.
The other is a darker, much more depressing variation of that. Throughout the song, Plant is singing about how he has to leave not only this girl, "But I got to go away from this place..." However, he doesn't really want to leave her. Just the place. And he also keeps referring to how he's being called "home." Home is a very common metaphor for heaven. And he says that "one day," things will be good again. They will be together eventually and "walk through the park every day." They will be in a paradise together. In this interpretation, he's planning on killing himself.
I like the first one better. Much better. But I thought I should share the second one anyway.
@erasmus11290 Your seconde interpretation is awesome and powerful! I never used to listen to the words in songs as I was more interested in the backing music. Haven't heard anybody else see it that way. Do you have a more elaborate analysis than what you posted?
@erasmus11290 Your seconde interpretation is awesome and powerful! I never used to listen to the words in songs as I was more interested in the backing music. Haven't heard anybody else see it that way. Do you have a more elaborate analysis than what you posted?
@erasmus11290 I got that vibe too re your second interpretation.
@erasmus11290 I got that vibe too re your second interpretation.