Led Zeppelin References to LOTR in songs

[Old Man Willow]

Many people do not realize that one of the best and most famous rock bands ever, Led Zeppelin, wrote many songs directly referring to or cleverly hinting about LOTR material. This would make sense, due to the fact that the band itself was British and into the mystical and fantasy. Just thought I would bring this up, if you want to check it out go to www.led-zeppelin.com and click on lyrics. They have all of their albums and you can click on whichever one you want, getting the lyrics to all songs on it.

Some of the main songs are:

The Battle of Evermore (The Untitled Album): This talks about the distant land, the constant battle between the ringwraiths, sauron, and good. word "ringwraiths" is specifically mentioned.

Ramblin' On (Led Zeppelin II or Houses of the Holy):
This song talks about Frodo's journey from Rivendell to Mount Doom, being led by Gollum. Words "Gollum" and "Mordor" are specifically mentioned.


Carouselambra (Houses of the Holy): It is not as direct in this one, but "the eye from the deep searching for the weak" is most likely the eye of sauron, and it talks about an old age war. It also talks about the "key which could not be dropped", I take that to mean the ring of course (Isildur).


I'm sure if I looked a little more into this subject I could probably find a paper by Robert Plant (lead singer) on his fondness of Tolkien's works. There are also probably more references to LOTR on some songs on the site that I missed. Anyways, I just thought this whole thing was really cool that possibly the greatest band of all time wrote about one of the best novels of all time. Feel free to comment!!!

[Curufinwe]

I don't lnow if anyone else knew tis but George Lucas who made star wars used a little Quenya in his names. Endor is Middle-Earth I believe in Quenyan. Endor is the home planet of the Ewoks if anybody doesnt realise.

[WARDNINE]

Not to mention that Robert Plant's dog's name is Strider. Too cool.
On a related subject, on of my best friends is named Galadriel. Her brother is named Theoden.
Her other brother is named for the drummer of (I believe) the Moody Blues. Uh, yeah, her parents are hippies. :)

[Lorien]

hey this is so neat......my fav. band meets my fav. author and plant and page both confess to being fans of tolkien and if u listen to some of the newer jimmy page and robert plant albums they make frequent references to the silmarillion especially to Turin and Hurin's stories.....

[Bitternstorm]

A couple of interesting web site for lovers of Led Zeppelin and Tolkien Scott Selisker Led/Tolkien (http://www.geocities.com/Athens/2406/) andLed/Tolkien Break down (www.ledtolkien.com) :cool:

[Old Man Willow]

Thanks for the website Bitternstorm, it is great!

[syongstar]

I love Led Zepplin but since there not touring and Rush is about to start a tour,please go to www.r-u-s-h.com and vote for them to play the song titled Rivendell in their upcoming tour....THANKS!!!!!!!

[Retrovertigo]

When I was younger, about 14 or 15, I just listened to music because I liked the sound of it and neevr really listened to ther words. When I relaized that Led Zepplin were singing about Ringwraiths I lost it.. it's so tacky it's funny.

We had a brickie come to our house to do some work, and he took his son along who's name was Gloin. He ended up changing it to John becuase he couldn't stand the endless torture for it. That's a name that even adults would look at you sideways for. Albeit silly ones, but a lot of people are.

[Glaurung]

I personally think it would be cool if 'Ramble On' was played during the end credits of Return of the King. It would leave the movie with a tremendously upbeat feeling that the adventure, while ending, is really just beginning. The song is really about continuing the journey of life (leaving the theatre) when everything has entered darkness (the film ending).

[Atticus]

Dude, The Tolkien References were what got me into Zeppelin in the first place!!!

[Enedlammothiel]

*sighs* It is so beautiful to see all of you Led Zepplin fans! I love Led Zepplin, they are the best! I like the song "Misty Mountain Hop". It's a great one. I like "Battle of Evermore" the music and the lyrics are just awesome. I like the high part, it's really cool.

Correct me if I am wrong - Are the "Angels of Avalon" the "elves of Rivendell"? Cuz Avalon and Rivendell are two neighborhoods in England right by each other, right? I wouldn't know...

My best friend is named Elbereth :)

[7doubles]

don't forget "Over the Hill and Far Away"

Zepp rule!!!!!!!

[Bitternstorm]

Forget Over The Hill and far Away 7doubles never.It is one of my fav LZ songs,the Tolkien/LZ web site can be found in this thread,giving details of this particular tunes lyrical connections to JRRT.:cool:

[Courtney]

I'm just glad Stairway to Heaven isn't about LOTR! That would completely ruin it!

[Hama]

Was listening to Ramble on about six months ago when I first noticed the mention to "Gollum the Evil one" and "Mordor". Was delighted. Thanks for the tips on the other songs. Will listen more carefully. Am a big LZ fan. Got a giant poster in my room with Robert Plant staring at me when I go to bed. Also have great DVD of them live in Madison Square Garden. Get your hands on it if you can.

[Anarchist]

Well it's cool to meet other rockers who like Tolkien. I like Led Zepelin but I didn't know about the connection with JRR. That's cool. There is a part in Stairway to heaven that reminds me of Galadriel:
There walks a lady we all know, who shines white light and wants to show how everything still turns to gold.
There are a lot of bands inspired by Tolkien. Blind Guardian created an album entirely based on Silmarillion. It's called "Nightfall in Middle Earth". They also have songs like "The Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings". Also bands like Cirith Ungol (what does this remind you?) and Domine are based on Tolkien and other fantasy writter. Oops sorry I just realised that this is a Led Zepelin discussion. Sorry:rolleyes:

[Courtney]

NO! NO! NO! Stairway to Heaven is NOT Tolkien related!!! No!

[Goro Shimura]

I think the actual lyric was:

"...in the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair... but Gollum and the Evil One slipped up and crept away with her-er her-er her-er oh yeah..."

Sappy? :rolleyes:
Odd? :eek:
Betraying a lack of understanding of Tolkien? :confused:

Certainly tacky.
Definitely stupid.

[Glaurung]

I think the actual lyric was:

"...in the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair... but Gollum and the Evil One slipped up and crept away with her-er her-er her-er oh yeah..."

Sappy?
Odd?
Betraying a lack of understanding of Tolkien?

Certainly tacky.
Definitely stupid.


Sorry, I must disagree with you on this. The fact is when you take most rock lyrics and place them out of the context of their musical accompaniment, they often sound corny or silly. Listen to them with their intended song however and they sound awesome, like the lyrics above.

[TheJospeh]

"Stairway to Heaven" is soooooo about "the Lord of the Rings"!

Sincerely,
The Joseph

[Courtney]

how could Stairway to Heaven possibly be LOTR realated?

[Halasían]

Of all the songs on Led Zep's 4th album, I cared less for Stairway than most other songs on that album. I bought it the day it was released and so hadn't heard any of the songs except Black Dog which was the released single.

As for their Tolkien references, well I didn't know them as such, for I didn't read Lord of the Rings intil 1976.

[Melko Belcha]

I've read that while on tour Page and Plant would sit around and make up songs to Tolkiens work.

And I don't know if this is true but I heard that at one time Plant had bought a house on the same street Tolkien lived on when he wrote LOTR.

I just wonder what The Beatles version of the movie that was offered them would have been like?
John as Gollum, scary thought.

[greypilgrim]

Misty Mountain Hop and Ramble On definately has Lord of The Rings. I don't know about Kashmir though...that could be like a strange peyote trip in the desert or something.

You can just sit there and write songs all the time from Tolkien.

[Ruinel]

Misty Mountain Hop and Ramble On definately has Lord of The Rings. I don't know about Kashmir though...that could be like a strange peyote trip in the desert or something.

You can just sit there and write songs all the time from Tolkien.
Not to mention all the songs that are already in the stories. ;)

[WeaselRedeemer]

hey I might be 3 years late to respond to this thread but what the heck. I think its obvious that "Stairway to Heaven" has Tolkien references from LOTR and the Silmarillian. Although I feel as a whole its not necessarily a direct event or anything in ME, but more a separate idea with an included Tolkien tribute per say. Here are a few lines from the song.


"There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold"

"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be the blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king." -LOTR


"There's a feeling I get when I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving."

The west- In ME all that is good is in the West. The Vala are there, and its where the elves sail to when they leave ME. And my spirit is crying for leaving- the great journey of the Noldor from Valinor back to ME??? Could Galdriel be the the voice in this song?


"In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees
And the voices of those who stand looking"

Simply the burning of Fangorn Forest in Isengard? OR, has Galadriel been staring in her mirror, seeing the future of Fangorn, as Saruman("voices", voice of saruman) once again stands looking. I say once again because as the leader of the White Counsel he advised to wait and not attack Dul Guldor(correct me if I'm wrong.) I'm guessing that if this is a song about Galadriel, it took place at a time when she did not yet know of Saruman's treachery. Maybe as she sees this "smoke through the trees," shes guesses its Sauron.


"And the forests will echo with laughter."

The Ents, after the War of the Ring?


Well I might have had too much fun here, but i don't think theres any denying that there are some Tolkien references in Stairway to Heaven.

[e.Blackstar]

I think the actual lyric was:

"...in the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair... but Gollum and the Evil One slipped up and crept away with her-er her-er her-er oh yeah..."

Sappy? :rolleyes:
Odd? :eek:
Betraying a lack of understanding of Tolkien? :confused:

Certainly tacky.
Definitely stupid.

Bwahaha! I've finally heard that song! Finally finally.

Sappy, sure, maybe. But no more so than anything else.
Odd? Nah...
Lack of understanding? No way!

Tacky and stupid? :mad: I rather like it...

:o

[Hammersmith]

"There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold"

"All that is gold does not glitter,
That's a common turn of phrase in the English language.


"There's a feeling I get when I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving."

The west- In ME all that is good is in the West. The Vala are there, and its where the elves sail to when they leave ME. And my spirit is crying for leaving- the great journey of the Noldor from Valinor back to ME??? Could Galdriel be the the voice in this song?
I don't think so. As before, "The West" is too vague for a band that's not afraid to use overt references when they want to. By all accounts *I* live in 'The West', but that doesn't mean I live in Middle Earth :rolleyes:


"In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees
And the voices of those who stand looking"

Simply the burning of Fangorn Forest in Isengard? OR, has Galadriel been staring in her mirror, seeing the future of Fangorn, as Saruman("voices", voice of saruman) once again stands looking. I say once again because as the leader of the White Counsel he advised to wait and not attack Dul Guldor(correct me if I'm wrong.) I'm guessing that if this is a song about Galadriel, it took place at a time when she did not yet know of Saruman's treachery. Maybe as she sees this "smoke through the trees," shes guesses its Sauron.
Again, no. The giveaway is 'Rings' of smoke. I always took that lyric to refer to somebody smoking a pipe or hookah, maybe one of Zep's drug references.

"And the forests will echo with laughter."

The Ents, after the War of the Ring?
Did the ents really laugh? Besides, if referring to anything 'forests' would refer to the huorns, who certainly didn't laugh.

Well I might have had too much fun here, but i don't think theres any denying that there are some Tolkien references in Stairway to Heaven.
Nice idea, but I'd be the first to deny it. Led Zeppelin's songs are varied, and only a few refer to Tolkien. Even these songs that do refer to his writing in oblique ways that are often metaphors for something else (cf: drugs or sex ;))

Now if it were a Blind Guardian song....:D