Originally named the New Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin signed a deal with Atlantic Records that gave them considerable artistic freedom. Initially unpopular with critics, they achieved significant commercial success with eight studio albums over ten years. Their 1969 debut, Led Zeppelin, was a top-ten album in several countries and featured such tracks as "Good Times Bad Times", "Dazed and Confused" and "Communication Breakdown". Led Zeppelin II (1969) was their first number-one album, and yielded "Ramble On" and "Whole Lotta Love". In 1970, they released Led Zeppelin III which featured "Immigrant Song". Their untitled fourth album, commonly known as Led Zeppelin IV (1971), is one of the best-selling albums in history with 37 million copies sold. The album includes "Black Dog", "Rock and Roll" and "Stairway to Heaven", with the latter being among the most popular and influential works in rock history. Houses of the Holy (1973) yielded "The Ocean", "Over the Hills and Far Away" and "The Rain Song". Physical Graffiti (1975), a double album, featured "Trampled Under Foot" and "Kashmir".
Page wrote most of Led Zeppelin's music, particularly early in their career, while Plant wrote most of the lyrics. Jones's keyboard-based compositions later became central to their music, which featured increasing experimentation. The latter half of their career saw a series of record-breaking tours that earned the group a reputation for excess and debauchery. Although they remained commercially and critically successful, their touring and output, which included Presence (1976) and In Through the Out Door (1979), grew limited, and the group disbanded following Bonham's death in 1980. Since then, the surviving former members have sporadically collaborated and participated in one-off reunions. The most successful of these was the 2007 Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert in London, with Bonham's son Jason Bonham on drums.
Led Zeppelin are one of the best-selling music artists of all time; their total record sales are estimated to be between 200 and 300 million units worldwide. They achieved eight consecutive UK number-one albums and six number-one albums on the US Billboard 200, with five of their albums certified Diamond in the US. Rolling Stone magazine described them as "the heaviest band of all time", "the biggest band of the Seventies", and "unquestionably one of the most enduring bands in rock history". They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995; the museum's biography of the band states that they were "as influential" during the 1970s as the Beatles were during the 1960s.
Albums
Led Zeppelin (1969)
Led Zeppelin II (1969)
Led Zeppelin III (1970)
Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
Houses of the Holy (1973)
Physical Graffiti (1975)
Presence (1976)
In Through the Out Door (1979)
Coda (1982)
Good Times Bad Times
Led Zeppelin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was told what it means to be a man
Now I've reached that age
I've tried to do all those things the best I can
No matter how I try
I find my way to the same old jam
Good times, bad times
You know I've had my share
When my woman left home
For a brown-eyed man
Well, I still don't seem to care
Sixteen I fell in love
With a girl as sweet as could be
It only took a couple of days
'Til she was rid of me
She swore that she would be all mine
And love me 'til the end
But when I whispered in her ear
I lost another friend
Good times, bad times
You know I've had my share
When my woman left home
For a brown eyed man
Well, I still don't seem to care
Good times, bad times
You know I've had my share
When my woman left home
For a brown eyed man
But, I still don't seem to care
I know what it means to be alone
I sure do wish I was at home
I don't care what the neighbors say
I'm gonna love you each and every day
You can feel the beat within my heart
Realize, sweet babe, we ain't ever gonna part
The song Good Times Bad Times by Led Zeppelin tells the story of a man who is reflecting on his life experiences. The opening lines of the song convey that the singer has come of age and has learned what it means to be a man. He has attempted to do everything to the best of his ability but still finds himself in difficult situations. The refrain, “Good times, bad times, you know I’ve had my share” highlights the ups and downs of the singer’s life.
Later, the singer recounts a failed love story with a woman he fell in love with at the age of sixteen. The woman promised to love him until the end but when he whispered something in her ear, he lost her. The song suggests that the singer experienced many difficult times throughout his life, but when his woman left him for another man, he still doesn’t seem to care.
The song’s overall message is that life has its highs and lows, but one must keep going and appreciate the good times, even when bad times come around.
Line by Line Meaning
In the days of my youth
When I was younger
I was told what it means to be a man
I was taught what is expected of a man
Now I've reached that age
Now that I am older
I've tried to do all those things the best I can
I have attempted to live up to those expectations
No matter how I try
Despite my efforts
I find my way to the same old jam
I end up in the same difficult situation
Good times, bad times
I have experienced both joy and hardship
You know I've had my share
I have had my fair share of both
When my woman left home
When my partner left me
For a brown-eyed man
For someone else
Well, I still don't seem to care
I am not bothered by it
Sixteen I fell in love
When I was sixteen, I fell in love
With a girl as sweet as could be
With a lovely girl
It only took a couple of days
Our relationship ended quickly
'Til she was rid of me
Until she wanted nothing to do with me
She swore that she would be all mine
She promised to love me forever
And love me 'til the end
And to always love me
But when I whispered in her ear
But when I spoke intimately to her
I lost another friend
I lost her affection
I know what it means to be alone
I am familiar with loneliness
I sure do wish I was at home
I wish I was with someone I love
I don't care what the neighbors say
I do not care what others think
I'm gonna love you each and every day
I will love you every day
You can feel the beat within my heart
You can sense my love for you
Realize, sweet babe, we ain't ever gonna part
Understand that we will always be together
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Bonham, John Paul Jones, 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