It has been suggested that Page collaborated with Coverdale in order to irk Page's former Led Zeppelin band-member Robert Plant, who up to that point had been reluctant to re-unite with Page.[1] In interviews at the time, Plant expressed some derision at the guitarist's collaboration with Coverdale.[2] Rumours emerged that Coverdale and Page would be joined by John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham in a reformed Led Zeppelin, but this did not pan out.[citation needed]
This studio album marked a return to commercial success for Page since his days with Led Zeppelin. However, after a series of concerts in Japan, sluggish tickets sales for a subsequent world tour resulted in the partnership being dissolved. Page subsequently teamed up with Plant for an "UnLedded" MTV project and Coverdale re-appeared from time to time with different Whitesnake line-ups.
Absolution Blues
Coverdale/Page Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An' still I lust for sweet young things.
On the day that I was born, bells rang out in Babylon
Still I can't tell right from wrong, no matter what the Good Book says.
Now I can see the sun is shining,
But, I can feel the rain
Falling down to wash my tears away,
Holy Mother, save your tears, you've cried for me a thousand years
But, I was blind to all your fears.
Now I can't stop the tears from falling down.
Come the dawn of judgement day,
I'll get down on my knees and pray,
St. Peter don't you, don't you send me away.
Now I can see the sun is shining,
But, I can feel the rain
Falling down to wash my tears away.
Bless me, Father, I have sinned, I've broken hearts, got drunk on gin
An' still I lust for everything, every little thing
Come the dawn of judgment day, I'll get down on my knees and pray,
The Good Lord don't send me away, I'll never ever go.
Now I can see the sun is shining,
But, I can feel the rain
Falling down to wash my tears away.
Wash my tears away, I'll get down on my knees
Don't send me away, don't you send me away, no, no, no.
The opening line of "Bless me, Father, I have sinned" sets the tone for the song, which speaks of a person who is struggling with their own moral compass. The next few lines express their propensity to do wrong things such as breaking hearts, getting drunk and indulging in lustful desires. The lyrics also mention how the person is unable to distinguish between right and wrong, despite the presence of the Bible or any other religious text. The line "On the day that I was born, bells rang out in Babylon" is a reference to the ancient city, which is associated with sinful indulgences, suggesting that the singer's story may not end well.
As the song progresses, the person appears to be seeking redemption, asking for forgiveness from God and the Holy Mother. The lyrics express the singer's regret and sadness, as represented by the tears they cannot stop from falling. However, they also show a glimmer of hope, as reflected in their belief that they will pray and atone for their sins come judgment day.
Overall, "Absolution Blues" is a melancholic, introspective song that speaks to the human condition of sin, guilt and the desire for forgiveness, and ultimately, redemption.
Line by Line Meaning
Bless me, Father, I have sinned, I've broken hearts, got drunk on gin
I come to you, Father, confessing my sins of hurting others, getting drunk, and still being unable to control my desire for younger, innocent things.
An' still I lust for sweet young things.
Despite my awareness of my sins, I still can't help but crave and desire the innocence and beauty of younger individuals.
On the day that I was born, bells rang out in Babylon
My birth was a celebration, but my life has led me astray from true righteousness and brought me to a place of confusion, similar to the ancient city of Babylon.
Still I can't tell right from wrong, no matter what the Good Book says.
Even with the guidance of the Bible, I remain lost in my inability to distinguish right from wrong and the consequences of my actions.
Now I can see the sun is shining,
But, I can feel the rain
Falling down to wash my tears away,
Wash my tears away.
Though the sun shines, and life appears as if things may improve, I am consumed by feelings of sorrow and regret, wishing the rain could cleanse me of my mistakes and failures.
Holy Mother, save your tears, you've cried for me a thousand years
But, I was blind to all your fears.
My Mother, a symbol of purity, has spent so long crying over my mistakes and poor decisions, but I was blinded to her fears and concerns at the time.
Now I can't stop the tears from falling down.
Now that I understand the gravity of my mistakes, I have become consumed by my emotions, unable to control my tears.
Come the dawn of judgement day,
I'll get down on my knees and pray,
St. Peter don't you, don't you send me away.
Confronted by God's judgement, I will plead on my knees for forgiveness, hoping that my good intentions can save me from being banished by St. Peter.
Bless me, Father, I have sinned, I've broken hearts, got drunk on gin
An' still I lust for everything, every little thing
Again, I confess to my Father, that I have committed grave sins, including alcoholism and hurting others, yet I still cannot shake my desire and cravings for every little thing that tempts me.
The Good Lord don't send me away, I'll never ever go.
I plead with God to not banish me, for I will never willingly leave my desire for righteousness and penance.
Wash my tears away, I'll get down on my knees
Don't send me away, don't you send me away, no, no, no.
Still consumed by the weight of my mistakes, I pray for relief from my pain and plead with God once more to not turn me away from redemption.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID COVERDALE, JAMES PATRICK (JIMMY) PAGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ivane406
If there was ever an intro sequel to In The Evening...gives chills, awe at same time... Bonzo would have played the hell out of it...
@brandonbelongstocharlottef1798
I love In the Evening...so fucking epic 😎🤘
@planetprince67
One live version on you tube has perfect sound and the band stretches out the intro.. search for it. You'll know it when you hear it.
@TheHumbuckerboy
@@brandonbelongstocharlottef1798 Definitely one of my favourite Zeppelin songs for sure but deserves more attention IMO
@ledzeppelin4195
a bad, bad BAD ass intro.............. only Jimmy Page could pull this off................. awesome.
@lindahandley5267
They are wonderful together!
@keith9713
Mr. Jimmy Page and Mr. David Coverdale, great vocals, and well, its Fuckin' Jimmy Page on guitar!!
@TheHumbuckerboy
It is so obvious that David and Jimmy were both inspired by each other... the fire was burning !
@jjrj8568
It's obvious Page wanted to flex his HARD-Rock muscle;none better than Coverdale for that,the guy was on fire in 1982-1990;one of the few '70s legends that had a heavy-metal career in the '80s
@TheHumbuckerboy
@@jjrj8568 Yes, I saw Whitesnake in 83 or 84 and Coverdale was brilliant as were the rest of the band which consisted of Jon Lord, John Sykes, Mel Galley, Neil Murray and Cozy Powell ... definitely one of the best gigs that I ever attended !