“Ramble On” Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, 1969)
The connections between Led Zeppelin, Norse mythology, magic and folklore is well documented. Do we need to rehearse the so-called “Curse of Led Zeppelin,” according to which (if you believe the legend) Jimmy Page’s and Robert Plant’s obsession with that mother of all 20th century occultists, Aleister Crowley, including the purchase of Crowley’s legendary manor (Boleskine House) near (of course!) Loch Ness which was purchased by Page, eventually led to some satanic covenant and thus the eventual death of John Bonham among others close to the band? You can delve into this lore if you wish, but one thing for certain was Page’s and Plant’s influence from J.R.R. Tolkien. The great trilogy in Led Zeppelin IV of “The Battle of Evermore,” “Stairway to Heaven,” and “Misty Mountain Hop” is perhaps the most clear example of Norse/Tolkien influences on Page & Plant. One could argue that House of the Holy is literally an album-length Edda by Led Zeppelin. But Led Zeppelin II’s “Ramble On” is the most acute and literal homage to Tolkien specifically. The song, a paean to the road and travel, was inspired by Tolkien’s poem "Namárië," which appears in The Fellowship of the Ring. Written in Tolkien’s invented Elf language, Quenya, the poem speaks of the paradoxical melancholy and adventure of the “farewell” (namárië) and Page’s and Plant’s lyrics are evocative of this very formula, albeit with an accent of dreams of love and adventure that the road evinces:
“T'was in the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair.
But Gollum, and the evil one crept up and slipped away with her, her, her....yeah.
Ramble On, And now's the time, the time is now, to sing my song.
I'm goin' 'round the world, I got to find my girl, on my way.
I've been this way ten years to the day, Ramble On,
Gotta find the queen of all my dreams.”
Let’s not forget that “Ramble On” is textbook Led Zeppelin at its best, a beautiful imbrication of acoustic and electric that we will never get tired of down the road. And note that the song preceded the epic instrumental “Moby Dick” on the album. Perfect!
Leaves are falling all around, It's time I was on my way.
Thanks to you, I'm much obliged for such a pleasant stay.
But now it's time for me to go. The autumn moon lights my way.
For now I smell the rain, and with it pain, and it's headed my way.
Sometimes I grow so tired, but I know I've got one thing I got to do...
Ramble On, And now's the time, the time is now, to sing my song.
I'm goin' 'round the world, I got to find my girl, on my way.
I've been this way ten years to the day, Ramble On,
Gotta find the queen of all my dreams.
Got no time to for spreadin' roots, The time has come to be gone.
And to' our health we drank a thousand times, it's time to Ramble On.
Ramble On, And now's the time, the time is now, to sing my song.
I'm goin' 'round the world, I got to find my girl, on my way.
I've been this way ten years to the day, Ramble On,
Gotta find the queen of all my dreams.
Mine's a tale that can't be told, my freedom I hold dear.
How years ago in days of old, when magic filled the air.
T'was in the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair.
But Gollum, and the evil one crept up and slipped away with her, her, her....yeah.
Ramble On, And now's the time, the time is now, to sing my song.
I'm goin' 'round the world, I got to find my girl, on my way.
I've been this way ten years to the day, Ramble On,
Gotta find the queen of all my dreams.
Gonna ramble on, sing my song. Gotta keep-a-searchin' for my baby...
Gonna work my way, round the world. I can't stop this feelin' in my heart
Gotta keep searchin' for my baby. I can't find my bluebird!