I came to this site looking for more information on the story that I had heard in multiple places regarding the meaning of this song, but it seems no one has posted the true meaning as I've heard it. Well, here it is, courtesy of Wikipedia, the quickest reference I could find:
"It refers to an incident when Robert Plant was held for some hours in police custody for loitering after dark in Hyde Park." -Wikipedia article on the song
Based on this information, it would seem that Plant was out for a walk when he ran into some flower children who asked if he wanted to score. While many people see marijuana here, I think given the time period and who he scored from, I think LSD is an equally likely possibility. Furthermore, given the fact that he says he:
A) Didn't even notice that it had gotten very dark, and
B) Was 'really, really out of his mind'
It seems likely that he was on more than just marijuana. I know I can say that no matter how much grass I've smoked (and I live in BC, widely known for our excellent smoke) I've never been in a state that I would even remotely describe as 'really, really out of my mind.' Stoned, yes. Baked, yes. Even too high, yes. Never 'really, really out of my mind.' On the other hand, there have been many times during my long career of psychedelic exploration that I have reached states that I would describe, either in the moment or in retrospect, as 'really, really out of my mind.' So basically he was detained by a policeman for hanging out after dark in a park, with a bunch of 'suspicious characters' (as I'm sure the police would refer to a bunch of members of the counterculture of the day) while being under the influence of something.
The verse that begins 'Why don't you take a good look...' has always struck me as being spoken by a member of the police department. It seems like a very typical thing for a member of the establishment (see: 'the man') to say to a group of hippies who, in the mind of the speaker, are accomplishing nothing but spinning the clock and 'rotting their mind.' I can remember many a-time when a similar thing was said to me in my youth.
The final verse has always carried for me the tone of a 'call to arms' (figuratively) for the youth of the day. In my mind, Plant is saying that the majority of people of that day in his society don't really care what their government does to them and their kin. They don't care if they're pushed from the political 'right' or 'left', they're just happy to do what the establishment tells them to. It is so upsetting to him that he has decided to go to a place where his spirit can be free and he can be among like-minded individuals. The Misty Mountains are a metaphor for a long and difficult, yet ultimately rewarding and meaningful journey. Anyone who has read Tolkien's work can tell you that the Misty Mountains are a place that is mysterious, awe-inspiring, and seemingly infinitely far away from the perspective of the main characters at the start of their journeys.
While the basis of the song , Plant's encounter with the police one evening in Hyde Park, are apparently known, the rest of the song is certainly open to interpretation, and I could have gotten it quite wrong. I'd be happy to hear what others think.
I came to this site looking for more information on the story that I had heard in multiple places regarding the meaning of this song, but it seems no one has posted the true meaning as I've heard it. Well, here it is, courtesy of Wikipedia, the quickest reference I could find:
"It refers to an incident when Robert Plant was held for some hours in police custody for loitering after dark in Hyde Park." -Wikipedia article on the song
Based on this information, it would seem that Plant was out for a walk when he ran into some flower children who asked if he wanted to score. While many people see marijuana here, I think given the time period and who he scored from, I think LSD is an equally likely possibility. Furthermore, given the fact that he says he:
A) Didn't even notice that it had gotten very dark, and B) Was 'really, really out of his mind'
It seems likely that he was on more than just marijuana. I know I can say that no matter how much grass I've smoked (and I live in BC, widely known for our excellent smoke) I've never been in a state that I would even remotely describe as 'really, really out of my mind.' Stoned, yes. Baked, yes. Even too high, yes. Never 'really, really out of my mind.' On the other hand, there have been many times during my long career of psychedelic exploration that I have reached states that I would describe, either in the moment or in retrospect, as 'really, really out of my mind.' So basically he was detained by a policeman for hanging out after dark in a park, with a bunch of 'suspicious characters' (as I'm sure the police would refer to a bunch of members of the counterculture of the day) while being under the influence of something.
The verse that begins 'Why don't you take a good look...' has always struck me as being spoken by a member of the police department. It seems like a very typical thing for a member of the establishment (see: 'the man') to say to a group of hippies who, in the mind of the speaker, are accomplishing nothing but spinning the clock and 'rotting their mind.' I can remember many a-time when a similar thing was said to me in my youth.
The final verse has always carried for me the tone of a 'call to arms' (figuratively) for the youth of the day. In my mind, Plant is saying that the majority of people of that day in his society don't really care what their government does to them and their kin. They don't care if they're pushed from the political 'right' or 'left', they're just happy to do what the establishment tells them to. It is so upsetting to him that he has decided to go to a place where his spirit can be free and he can be among like-minded individuals. The Misty Mountains are a metaphor for a long and difficult, yet ultimately rewarding and meaningful journey. Anyone who has read Tolkien's work can tell you that the Misty Mountains are a place that is mysterious, awe-inspiring, and seemingly infinitely far away from the perspective of the main characters at the start of their journeys.
While the basis of the song , Plant's encounter with the police one evening in Hyde Park, are apparently known, the rest of the song is certainly open to interpretation, and I could have gotten it quite wrong. I'd be happy to hear what others think.
this description i totally agree with
this description i totally agree with