Stairway To Heaven
31 - Led Zeppelin Lyrics


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There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven.
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for.
Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven.

There's a sign on the wall, but she wants to be sure
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings,
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.

Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it makes me wonder.

There's a feeling I get when I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees,
And the voices of those who stand looking.

Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it really makes me wonder.

And it's whispered that soon, if we all call the tune,
Then the piper will lead us to reason.
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long,
And the forests will echo with laughter.

If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now,
It's just a spring clean for the May queen.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on.
And it makes me wonder.

Your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know,
The piper's calling you to join him,
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind?

And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul.
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold.
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last.
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll.





And she's buying a stairway to heaven.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven are widely regarded as some of the most enigmatic and complex in rock music history. The song is driven by mythical themes and cryptic allusions, and has kept its audience captivated and enraptured since its release in 1971. The song is structured in a way that is poetic, with verses that build upon one another to create a story that unfolds in the listener's mind.


The first two verses of the song create a dream-like atmosphere, telling the story of a woman on a quest for something more. The woman believes that everything that glitters is gold, and she is buying a stairway to heaven. The stairway represents a path or journey to a higher plane of existence, or perhaps a higher form of consciousness. Yet, she is unsure of herself and needs to be sure the path she is on is the right one. The song then introduces a tree and bird that sings in it, which symbolize nature and the natural world. The verse concludes with the line "sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven," suggesting that our beliefs and thoughts may not always align with reality.


The second part of the song takes a more focused approach, describing a journey that the singer himself is taking. He talks of seeing rings of smoke in the distance and hearing the voices of people, perhaps suggesting the passing of time and memories. The poem then introduces the idea of a piper who may lead us to reason, of a new day dawning for those who persist, and the forests echoing with laughter. The idea of the piper may represent a higher force or a guide that can help us on our journey.


As the song approaches its end, it becomes clear that the lyrics are a call for the listener to be more mindful of their inner life and their environment. The Stairway to Heaven represents a metaphorical journey that everyone can take in their own way, a path to a better understanding of life, and the world around us.


Line by Line Meaning

There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold
There is a woman who is convinced that everything that shines is valuable.


And she's buying a stairway to heaven.
She is attempting to purchase a way to enter paradise.


When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed
She is aware that if the shops were closed when she arrived, she could still acquire what she wants with just a word.


With a word she can get what she came for.
By speaking a single phrase, she can obtain whatever she desires.


Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven.
She is purchasing a path to the afterlife.


There's a sign on the wall, but she wants to be sure
Although there is a sign indicating the way, she is not taking any chances.


'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
She is skeptical of the ambiguities that may arise in communication.


In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings,
There's a bird that sings in a tree by the river.


Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.
Often our thoughts can be misguided.


Ooh, it makes me wonder,
This makes me curious.


Ooh, it makes me wonder.
This makes me question things.


There's a feeling I get when I look to the west,
A certain emotion comes over me when I gaze in western direction.


And my spirit is crying for leaving.
I long for departure on a spiritual level.


In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees,
I have envisioned smoke patterns while thinking about trees.


And the voices of those who stand looking.
I can hear the sounds of people who stand by and watch.


And it's whispered that soon, if we all call the tune,
It is rumored that if we sing in unison, we can make something happen.


Then the piper will lead us to reason.
A person who plays the instrument known as the pipe will show us the way towards logic and truth.


And a new day will dawn for those who stand long,
Those who persevere will see a new beginning.


And the forests will echo with laughter.
The woods will reverberate with amusement.


If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now,
If you hear something stirring in the bushes, don't worry about it.


It's just a spring clean for the May queen.
It's only the process of clearing out things for the Queen of May.


Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
Certainly, there are two routes you can take, but ultimately


There's still time to change the road you're on.
You can still alter the path that you're currently traveling.


And it makes me wonder.
This makes me think.


Your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know,
You have a tune stuck in your head and it won't leave, just in case you weren't aware.


The piper's calling you to join him,
The piper is summoning you to come and follow him.


Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know
Hey woman, can you sense the breeze and do you recognize


Your stairway lies on the whispering wind?
That your path upwards is located in the soft whispers of the wind?


And as we wind on down the road
As we travel along the highway


Our shadows taller than our soul.
Our shadows stand taller than our actual selves.


There walks a lady we all know
There is a woman who we all recognize


Who shines white light and wants to show
This woman radiates bright light and desires to reveal


How everything still turns to gold.
That everything still has value.


And if you listen very hard
If you pay close attention


The tune will come to you at last.
The melody will come to you eventually.


When all are one and one is all
When everyone is unified and everything is cohesive


To be a rock and not to roll.
To embody stability and tranquility instead of restlessness and agitation.


And she's buying a stairway to heaven.
She is purchasing a way to ascend to the afterlife.




Contributed by Juliana E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@idk-ic1vi

There's a lady who's sure
All that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven
When she gets there she knows
If the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
And she's buying a stairway to heaven

There's a sign on the wall
But she wants to be sure
'Cause you know, sometimes words have two meanings
In a tree by the brook
There's a songbird who sings
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven

Ooh, it makes me wonder
Ooh, it makes me wonder

There's a feeling I get when I look to the west
And my spirit is crying for leaving
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees
And the voices of those who stand looking

Ooh, it makes me wonder
Ooh, it really makes me wonder

And it's whispered that soon
If we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason
And a new day will dawn
For those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh

If there's a bustle in your hedgerow
Don't be alarmed now
It's just a Spring clean for the May queen
Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on

And it makes me wonder

Your head is humming and it won't go
In case you don't know
The piper's calling you to join him
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow?
And did you know your stairway lies on the whispering wind?

And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our souls
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you, at last
When all are one and one is all, yeah
To be a rock and not to roll

And she's buying a stairway to heaven



All comments from YouTube:

@sanandonas6712

I’m going to leave this comment so when someone like this I will be reminded to watch this again

@dnnajames8259

Nice!!!

@jorefad130

Reminder to listen to this song.

@chronalcactus9258

Listen to it now

@tortisrot

You can only be notified when you get a comment. I've a couple highly voted comments and only get notifications on comments.

@pineapple_the_fruit_dude8889

Listened to it 140 Times ?😂

698 More Replies...

@user-uz3ks2sg5l

93 years old, two wars, 5 kids, 9 grandchildren, this song brings back memories of my past !

@viitanen.

sure

@maxlopez3566

The ww2 and the Korean war, right?

@gosliglitzho

Doubt that! X

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