Although Houses of the Holy initially received mixed reviews, it has since become regarded by critics as one of Led Zeppelin's finest albums. The album provided notable additions to the band's catalogue, including "Over the Hills and Far Away", "Dancing Days", "The Song Remains the Same", "D'yer Mak'er", "No Quarter" and "The Ocean", and it has sold over 11 million copies in the United States. In 2003, the album was ranked number 149 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
This album was a stylistic turning point in the lifespan of Led Zeppelin. Guitar riffs became more layered within Jimmy Page's production techniques and departed from the blues influences of earlier records. In the album's opening opus, "The Song Remains the Same", and its intricate companion suite, "The Rain Song", Robert Plant's lyrics matured toward a less overt form of the mysticism and fantasy of previous efforts.
Houses of the Holy also featured styles not heard on the first four Led Zeppelin albums. For example, "D'yer Mak'er" is a reggae-based tune; "No Quarter" features atmospheric keyboard sounds and an acoustic piano solo from John Paul Jones; "The Crunge" is a funk tribute to James Brown; and "The Rain Song" is embellished by Jones on his newly-acquired mellotron. The album's closing song "The Ocean", which featues an a cappella section and a doo-wop influenced coda, is dedicated to "the ocean" of fans who at this point of the band's career massed to Led Zeppelin concerts.
The Song Remains the Same
Led Zeppelin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, yeah
Crazy dream, uh-huh
Anything I wanted to know
Any place I needed to go
Hear my song
Yeah, people don't you listen now?
Sing along
Oh
You don't know what you're missing, now
Any little song that you know
Everything that's small has to grow
And it's gonna grow, push push, yeah
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, California sunlight
Sweet Calcutta rain
Honolulu starbright
The song remains the same
Ooh, ooh, oh, oh
Here we go, here we go
All you gotta do, now
All you gotta do, now
Ooh-ee
Sing out Hare-Hare
Ooh, dance the Hoochie-Koo
City lights are oh so bright, as we go sliding, sliding
Sliding, sliding, sliding, sliding, sliding, sliding
Oh
The lyrics to Led Zeppelin's song "The Song Remains the Same" convey a sense of restlessness and longing for adventure. The singer begins with referencing a dream in which they can go anywhere and learn anything. They urge the listeners to join them in the journey and open their minds to the possibilities. The refrain of "California sunlight, sweet Calcutta rain, Honolulu starbright, the song remains the same" reinforces the idea that even though they may physically move from place to place, internally, they remain the same person with the same desires.
Moving into the second half of the song, the sense of restlessness continues as the singer urges for action - to sing, dance, and enjoy the bright city lights. The repetition of "sliding" suggests a sense of carefree movement and motion, as if they are sliding through life without a care in the world. Overall, the song can be interpreted as a call for adventure and a reminder that even though we may physically travel to new places, our identity and desires stay with us.
Line by Line Meaning
I had a dream
I had a wild dream
Oh, yeah
Yes, indeed
Crazy dream, uh-huh
A very bizarre dream, yes
Anything I wanted to know
I could learn anything I wanted to
Any place I needed to go
I could go anywhere I needed to
Hear my song
Listen to what I have to say
Yeah, people don't you listen now?
Hey, are you folks paying attention?
Sing along
Join in and sing with me
Oh
Ah
You don't know what you're missing, now
You don't realize what you're passing up at the moment
Any little song that you know
Even the smallest melody you're familiar with
Everything that's small has to grow
Everything has potential for growth
And it's gonna grow, push push, yeah
It will grow with a little help and effort
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, California sunlight
The sun in California is glorious
Sweet Calcutta rain
The rain in Calcutta is sweet
Honolulu starbright
The stars shining over Honolulu
The song remains the same
The melody stays unchanged
Ooh, ooh, oh, oh
Ah, ah, oh
Here we go, here we go
Let's do this, let's do this
All you gotta do, now
All you need to do at the moment is
All you gotta do, now
All you need to do at the moment is
Ooh-ee
Ah man
Sing out Hare-Hare
Sing a song about Hare Krishna
Ooh, dance the Hoochie-Koo
Do the Hoochie Koo dance
City lights are oh so bright, as we go sliding, sliding
The lights of the town are very bright as we slide around
Sliding, sliding, sliding, sliding, sliding, sliding
Sliding, sliding, sliding...
Oh
Ah
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAMES PATRICK (JIMMY) PAGE, ROBERT ANTHONY PLANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Debmeow
on No Quarter
Brilliant, a masterpiece.
robin
on Immigrant Song
i love this
Marie Fenouilliére
on Stairway to Heaven
j'adoreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee