When The Levee Breaks
Æë°ØÁÖ·ÉͧLed Zeppelin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If it keeps on rainin' levee's goin' to break
When the levee breaks I'll have no place to stay.
Mean old levee taught me to weep and moan
Lord mean old levee taught me to weep and moan
Got what it takes to make a mountain man leave his home
Oh well oh well oh well.
Don't it make you feel bad
You don't know which way to go?
If you're goin' down South
They go no work to do,
If you don't know about Chicago.
Cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do you no good,
Now, cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do you no good,
When the levee breaks, mama, you got to move.
All last night sat on the levee and moaned,
All last night sat on the levee and moaned,
Thinkin' 'bout me baby and my happy home.
Going, go'n' to Chicago,
Go'n' to Chicago,
Sorry but I can't take you.
Going down, going down now, going down
going down now, going down, going down, going down, going down
Going down, going down now, going down
going down now, going down
going down now, going down
Going d-d-d-d-down
Woo woo
"When The Levee Breaks" is a song that has a deep melancholic feeling, reflecting on the sadness and chaos caused by a disaster beyond human control. The line "If it keeps on raining the levee's gonna break" refers to the ominous and inevitable prediction of a natural disaster. The lyrics describe how the singer and his loved ones will be affected by the breaking of the levee, as they will lose their home, and they will not know what to do nor have any place to stay.
The line "Mean old levee taught me to weep and moan" is metaphorical, personifying the levee as a character that has caused pain and loss. The next line "Got what it takes to make a mountain man leave his home" emphasizes how this disaster is so severe that it would cause anyone to leave their beloved home. The following lines describe the feeling of being lost and directionless in the face of such a catastrophic event, "Don't it make you feel bad when you're trying to find your way home, you don't know which way to go?"
The song portrays how crying and praying won't help and that everyone will have to face the consequence and move on. Lines like "Crying won't help you, praying won't do you no good" and "When the levee breaks, mama, you got to move" emphasizes how powerless one can feel in the face of a natural disaster.
Line by Line Meaning
If it keeps on rainin' levee's goin' to break
If the rain continues to fall heavily, the levee will be unable to hold back the water and it will break.
When the levee breaks I'll have no place to stay.
If the levee breaks, I will become homeless and have nowhere to stay.
Mean old levee taught me to weep and moan
The unkind levee has caused me so much pain and sorrow that it has taught me to weep and moan.
Got what it takes to make a mountain man leave his home
The destructive power of the flooding caused by the levee breaking is so great that even a strong mountain man would be forced to leave his home.
Don't it make you feel bad
When you're tryin' to find your way home
You don't know which way to go?
When you are lost and trying to find your way home, it can be a distressing and confusing experience not knowing which direction to take.
If you're goin' down South
They go no work to do,
If you don't know about Chicago.
If you travel to the southern United States, there may be a lack of employment opportunities, and if you are unfamiliar with the city of Chicago, this could also pose a challenge.
Cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do you no good,
Now, cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do you no good,
When the levee breaks, mama, you got to move.
There is nothing you can do to stop the levee from breaking, and even crying or praying won't make a difference. When the levee breaks, you have to evacuate and find a new place to live.
All last night sat on the levee and moaned,
All last night sat on the levee and moaned,
Thinkin' 'bout me baby and my happy home.
I spent all night sitting on the levee, filled with sadness and despair, thinking about my loved ones and the happy home I may no longer have.
Going, go'n' to Chicago,
Go'n' to Chicago,
Sorry but I can't take you.
I am leaving and traveling to Chicago, but regretfully, I cannot bring you with me.
Going down, going down now, going down
going down now, going down, going down, going down, going down
Going down, going down now, going down
going down now, going down
going down now, going down
Going d-d-d-d-down
Woo woo
The repeated phrase 'going down' and the sound effects represent the rising and falling of water during a flood caused by a breaking levee.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOE MCCOY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@PlayingForChange
If you are enjoying these videos and want to support PFC visit https://cutt.ly/SupportPFC
@Kreepyb5
Awesome thanks 🙏🏻
@alpeach9480
The more I hear this track, the less I can resist commenting. I mean, J. P. J., what can one say.? Genius, Maestro.? All the players are magnificent, - - standouts, - - Buffalo Nichols, Tedeschi / Trucks, Sebastian Robertson, Stephen Perkins, the maniac on drums, - - perfect.!! Which brings me to the beautiful Mihirangi, one of our very own Wahine Toa ( Google it.). As a Kiwi, I was already familiar with her work, but this piece just took my breath away.!! Go to " Peace Through Music, A Global Event For The Environment " to hear her incredible talk on the Whanganui River. Heart wrenching stuff, !! P. F. C. is truly the greatest force for peace in the world today. Al Peach, Aotearoa N.Z.
@Kreepyb5
@@alpeach9480 yes!! It's awesome he's awesome 👏🏻 💯👌🏻✌️👋👋
@Kreepyb5
@@alpeach9480 i
Listen almost everyday 👍🏽✌️💯
@Kreepyb5
@@alpeach9480 Thankyou for your comment smiling huge!!! Have a wonderful day
@pauldacus4590
I've read at least 1 million youtube comments about "underrated" bands, singers, musicians, etc. But there simply is no human being more underrated than John Paul Jones.
He played: Bass guitar, guitar, recorder, koto, lap steel guitar, autoharp, ukulele, clavinet, sitar, keyboards, keytar, mandolin, cello, harp, chitarrone, lirone, viola da gamba and percussion
He sang vocals in the greatest rock band in history. He's a composer, and has been in 9 movies/vid's. He has been an active musician for almost 60 YEARS.
I say again: There simply is no human being more underrated than John Paul Jones. Period.
@eugeniyerer1566
I would say more, his solo disks more interesting,then uthers Zep,s member s.
@klondike316
Gotta agree even though it's so strange saying that about a member of Zeppelin.
@tylerdurden5122
Mate I suggest you look up what the word “underrated” means. Because JPJ is very highly rated by anyone who knows anything about music. He isn’t underrated at all, you goose