Stairway to Heaven

I believe that your interpretation is absolutely brilliant, but from a slightly deeper perspective, I believe that it reflects the deepest teachings of Christ. <br /> <br /> I've copied and pasted everything you wrote below, and then added my comments below each paragraph:<br /> ----<br /> In the first verse, the lady represents the naive soul of a person, believing that everything will work out, believing that she can simply ask for something and receive it, and in the end she will reach heaven for being good.<br /> <br /> Erik: I totally agree with this 100%. <br /> <br /> In the second verse, it says that "there's a sign on the wall". I believe this represents the fact that we don't know for sure what to believe, but there is a religious authority which gives us a standard answer. However, the woman looks deeper because there may be more than one simple meaning.<br /> <br /> Erik: Yes, from a Christian perspective, the religious authority could be likened to the "scribes and Pharisees" who, while teaching the "letter of the law", often miss the "Spirit of the law" which requires one to look deeper and listen to the Holy Spirit within.<br /> <br /> "In a tree by the brook",(using more natural and mystical language than the "sign") a songbird hints that our entire perception about the world around us may be wrong. I believe the songbird represents the wondering of our mind.<br /> <br /> Erik: Yes, this is referenced in Paul's letter to the Corinthians' in which he says that we are like children looking through a "darkened glass". Our perception of the world is distorted because our hearts aren't pure, and only through the "renewing of the mind" which he talks about in his letter to the Romans.<br /> <br /> Then, "Ooh, it makes me wonder"<br /> <br /> Third Verse. Here it begins to get a little bit dark. "There's a feeling I get when I look to the west, and my spirit is crying for leaving." Something is pulling at my soul to look for something else and leave what I know behind. "In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees, and the voices of those who stand looking." The trees represent the "forest" of the mind, and rings of smoke has to mean that something inside the mind is trying to communicate something, which is rather spooky. The voices looking are his thoughts in response to the "smoke rings".<br /> <br /> Erik: Yes, the mind has become distorted due to selfish thinking and now seems to be stuck in a forest of impure thoughts. Yet, the Holy Spirit is still there sending up smoke signals, offering relief to the mind that is willing to look for Him.<br /> <br /> "Ooh, it makes me wonder."<br /> <br /> Fourth Verse<br /> <br /> And it's whispered that soon if we all call the tune<br /> Then the piper will lead us to reason.<br /> And a new day will dawn for those who stand long<br /> And the forests will echo with laughter.<br /> <br /> If we all call the tune and follow the whisperings of our mind, "the Piper" will lead us to see things differently. The result being that we will leave way we knew behind and live in a new way of splendor and freedom.<br /> <br /> Erik: Yes, the "Piper" is the Holy Spirit, Who is Calling us to this new and better way.<br /> <br /> The drums start, as does this new vision of existence.<br /> <br /> Fifth Verse<br /> <br /> "If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now.<br /> It's just a spring clean for the May Queen." <br /> <br /> A hedgerow is a bush, this is imagery depicting a bush shaking from the inside, but refers to wary feelings in the mind. The "May Queen" is an occultist reference. It says that while you may be alarmed at first, she is simply cleaning out your old ways of thought.<br /> <br /> Erik: When you start to listen to the Holy Spirit and follow Christ, it will feel as though you are being shaken up on the inside. The old self will rage inside, as it feels that it is having to sacrifice control, and the temptation to go back to the old ways will be very strong in the beginning. That's why we must be vigilant. The May Queen, in my perspective anyway, is another way of referring to the Holy Spirit, Who's job it is to clean out the altar of our mind so that we may serve Christ and Christ alone.<br /> <br /> "Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run<br /> There's still time to change the road you're on."<br /> <br /> It's not too late. You still can go down either path if you want, but in the long run this occultist enlightenment will always be at arms' length.<br /> <br /> Erik: The two ways are the way of Christ, and the way of satan. We've all been on the path of satan (i.e. selfishness), but there's still time to change the road we've been on.<br /> <br /> Sixth Verse<br /> "Your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know,<br /> The Piper's calling you to join him."<br /> <br /> You're wary and anxious about it but you won't go unless you decide to surrender yourself to it, meanwhile "The Piper" is calling you on.<br /> <br /> Erik: When you are still "on the fence" about which of the two roads you will walk on, it will feel as though your head is "humming" with a splitting headache. The split will not be healed until we answer the Holy Spirit's (the Piper's) Call to join Him.<br /> <br /> "Dear Lady can you hear the wind blow, and did you know,<br /> Your stairway lies on the whispering wind."<br /> <br /> The Lady is the pure soul. He asks, don't you hear the whisperings of your mind, and do you know that the way to your paradise is through following those deepest thoughts and wants?<br /> <br /> Erik: Yes, the DEEPEST thoughts and wants of our mind are those which come from True Inspiration, i.e. those which are Given to us BY the Holy Spirit for our healing and joy. "Your Stairway lies on the whispering wind" is a metaphorical way of saying that you will get to Heaven by listening to the "small, still Voice within", which can seem like the whispering wind because it's so quiet and pure.<br /> <br /> Then, a sudden strange and abrupt change in music. The solo seems to communicate its own particular message without words. This transition seems to represent the crossing over from innocence and falling into the rich, mournful truth.<br /> <br /> Erik: Yes, it's a transition from the false innocence of just believing that everything is "hunky-dory" to the fact that there is a cosmic war going on in my mind for possession of it, and that I need to start becoming highly vigilant for the Truth and ONLY for the Truth.<br /> <br /> Then:<br /> <br /> And as we wind on down the road<br /> <br /> Our Shadows taller than our soul (Our desires overcoming our potential for goodness)<br /> <br /> There walks a Lady we all know of (We are all familiar with the intimacy of our souls)<br /> <br /> Erik: I think that the Lady in this case could also be thought of as the part of our Soul that HAS chosen Light over darkness, and now wants nothing more than but to extend and share this Light with everyone.<br /> <br /> Who shines bright light and wants to show (She is figuratively radiant from the new knowledge)<br /> <br /> How everything still turns to gold <br /> (In this new vision, things turn to gold, as opposed to the naive optimism earlier of believing all glittering things were gold)<br /> <br /> Erik: Yes, when you are letting the Light of Christ shine THROUGH you, then everything lights up and is seen as beautiful, like gold. And yes, this IS in stark contrast to the earlier naivety of seeking for pleasure in the world and believing that "all that glitters is gold".<br /> <br /> And if you listen very hard (Listen!)<br /> <br /> The truth will come to you at last (Promising the thing everybody is searching for)<br /> <br /> When all is one and one is all <br /> <br /> (The belief that everything is for you and for your purpose. Everything is you and you are everything. The central ideal in satanism. Robert Plant has yelled "That's what HE is!" quickly after this line in concert.)<br /> <br /> Erik: I wouldn't attribute the idea of Perfect Oneness to satan, but to Christ. We are all one in Christ, as Christ is one with God. <br /> <br /> To be a rock and not to roll. (To be the unmoveable center of your universe)<br /> <br /> Erik: Or like a rock in the sense of being totally steadfast and unmovable in one's pure devotion to Christ.<br /> <br /> Lots of Love to you!<br /> Erik

I think this is a great attempt at explanation, and none of us will probably ever get it all. But would like to put in my halfpence worth.<br /> <br /> "When all is one and one is all"<br /> This is clearly and only and totally a buddhist belief. <br /> Working this into satanism or christianity is illogical. Theistic Satanism requires a god enemy (twoness), and vice versa. Not to mention the pythonesque holy trinity (threeness). Atheistic satanism is just atheism. Although many religions are currently trying to be all things to all men nowadays (even african witchcraft is becoming buddhist), we need to look at their origins and scriptures, not just at how we can twist them to fit.<br /> <br /> And as we wind on down the road (as we get older)<br /> Our Shadows taller ... (our past becoming larger) <br /> than our soul (overcoming our essentialness)<br /> (as we lose touch with who we are/were)<br /> what is a soul ? The I that inhabits us all. sense of Self. Unfortunately the concept has been completely hijacked by christianity.<br /> <br /> To be a rock and not to roll (To be certain in ones beliefs, no more doubts)<br /> <br /> PS whilst we are all getting mystically carried away<br /> Plant's own explanation of the lyrics was that it "was some cynical aside about a woman getting everything she wanted all the time without giving back any thought or consideration.<br /> <br /> hope this creates some reponse

        it was interesting                                  

@Heyuhmaybe Try this take on for size. <br /> I first heard this song in when it came out in 1971. This song came out around the same time as Jethro Tull's My God. <br /> To me both songs speak of God and His realm in a way that's different from what is traditionally taught and believed. "My God" exposes ritualistic religion as shallow and disconnected from the real truth about God. <br /> "Stairway" alludes to a God - the piper, the May queen - who will clear away the falsehoods that surround people's understanding of what He ultimately has in store for the people created in His image. The line "Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run, there's still time to change the road you're on." is a statement of the purpose of Jesus' sacrifice, a second chance for humanity. <br /> The final phrase promising what the tune will reveal to the diligent listener: "When all are one and one is all", echoes what Jesus asked His Father for on the night He was betrayed, (John 17:20-21) "I pray also for those who will believe in me through their [His disciple's] message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you." <br /> No rock musicians are not theologians but the Spirit that inspired the Bible is the one Ian Anderson reminds us of in My God. <br /> If you're a little curious you can also discover that the Old Testament prophet Daniel had something to say about people shining brightly and wanting others to know why in Daniel 12:3, check it out. <br />

I mostly agree with your interpretation of this song. I definitely agree that it has a Satanic message. It is well known that Jimmy Page was interested in the occult. He lived in an estate which had been owned by Aleister Crowley and had been used by him for occult ceremonies. Also, the song "Houses of the Holy" contains the lyrics "From the door comes Satan's daughter....Will you heed the master's call Oh...Satan and man". It has been claimed that if you play Stairway to Heaven backward, it contains Satanic messages. Some people dismiss that claim, but the lyrics played forward also seem to have Satanic implications ("the piper is calling you to join him"), and the lyrics also suggest that there is a hidden message in the song. For example "You know sometimes words have two meanings" (one meaning when played forward and another meaning when played backward), and "And if you listen very hard, the tune will come to you at last" (you need to listen to the song very carefully to understand its meaning).

@Heyuhmaybe It's about a woman junky trying to score some heroin for God sake. Simple as!!!

@Heyuhmaybe That's a very interesting interpretation, thank you. It's just I still wonder how in the name of G-d is it Satanic? When all is one and one is all?

@Heyuhmaybe so I have about 50 different Zeppelin shows I have never heard him say " That's what HE is" quickly after this line in concert. Don't know where you get that from but it puts a little hole in your theory. the way I see it.

@Heyuhmaybe I think it's neither Christian, Satanist or Buddhist, but Neopagan.<br /> <br /> The figure of the Piper living in the woods makes me think of Pan, the half-man, half-goat Greek deity of nature, fertility and spring (May is right in the midddle of spring season). This figure is heavily associated with Neopaganism and is always depicted playing a windpipe and is a symbol of man's connection with Mother Nature, which is essential for human understanding of oneself.<br /> <br /> Speaking of mothers, both the Lady and the May Queen seem to represent yet another key figure of Paganism: the Goddess. The divinity in every woman, a representation of the female sex as the one capable of creating life, which can be found in religions all across human history since the Venus of Willendorf workshipped by the first humanoids to modern religions such as Wicca. She's also associated with the Moon ("Who shines bright light and wants to show"). This figure is often divided in three, the Maiden (virgin and innocent), the Mother (powerful and nurturing) and the Crone (enlightened and wise), and the Lady in the song seems to go through all three stages in her path from naiveté to wisdom.

@Heyuhmaybe

So sad you would be so limited in that interpratation! One man's curiousity does not the whole band sway, and it was a trist at best! I would look at the colledge background of Bobby first befor you get too personal with internalizing your hopes for the song inspired by a 16th centurie melody!<br />

Allow me, a song enthusiast and occult analyzer, to state my opinion on the matter. <br /> <br /> First off, let's start with the interpretation of the song. I personally think there are many possible valid interpretations. Unlike what Heyuhmaybe says, I don't think that his/her intepretation is anywhere close to the "intended meaning behind the song", and presisely because Stairway was meant to be interpreted in many ways, even if some interpretations clash, like Heyuhmaybe's and erikarcibo's.<br /> <br /> Regarding "Everything is you and you are everything [is] the central ideal in satanism", I have no reliable evidence to support this. There are two major satanist ideologies; theistic satanism, where satan is worshipped as a deity (what everyone thinks of by the term), and LaVeyanism, which treats Satan as a concept rather than a entity, and, to my knowledge, does not require worship elements.<br /> <br /> Regarding "That's what HE is", I am unable to find any reliable evidence for this happening in any Led Zeppelin concert.<br /> <br /> Regarding darkoff's comment: Although it is true that Jimmp Page once occupied the Boleskine House (which was a former Crowley property), there are two important things to keep in mind.<br />

1. I cannot find any reliable evidence that Crowley himself was a theistic satanist or a LaVeyan. Rather, he was the founding Thelemite, which is considered New Age. Although Crowley did cite satanistic motifs in "The Book of the Law", it is unclear why.<br />
2. Jimmp Page never described himself as a Thelemite nor was he ever inducted into the Typhonian Order.<br /> There are more things to unpack here.<br />
3. The notion that Stairway contains satanic backmasked messages has been debunked literally thousands of times, and the general scientific consensus is that the perceptions of such is more attributable to the human mind than to the song or the band who played it; basically, people find what they want to find, and believe what they want to believe.<br />
4. There is not sufficient evidence to suggest that Stairway was meant to be satanic forwards either. Like I said before, this song was meant to be interpreted multiple ways, and was executed to such a degree that any possible conclusion is possible given the interpretation process is not rigid.<br /> <br /> I hope this clears things up and we can get back to enjoying songs without getting caught up in the war on music.

@Heyuhmaybe, I believe your interpretation has validity, whether or not 100% accurate. However, anyone seeing Christian themes in this song is very misguided... why would a group of pagans be promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Sorry, that’s just plain nutty.

@Heyuhmaybe WOW!!!,,,,Fucking Brilliant Interpretation, In all honesty,<br /> It moved me. Kudos to You and Your mindful thoughts.