A professional singer since she was fifteen, Brooks' début, a cover of Etta James's "Something's Got A Hold On Me", was released on Decca in 1964. Later she became the vocalist with a British 12-piece Stax-influenced, jazz-rock fusion band called Dada that released one, eponymous, album in 1970.
Brooks, along with guitarist Pete Gage, singer Robert Palmer and bassist Steve York formed Vinegar Joe in 1971, adding keyboard player Dave Thompson. The band was without a drummer; Conrad Isidore and Rob Tait drummed on the first album, released in 1972.
In 1974, after three albums Vinegar Joe split and Brooks went solo. After a time in the US as backing singer with the American southern boogie band Wet Willie, she returned to England. Her first solo album on A&M records was Rich Man's Woman (1975).
Stairway to Heaven
Elkie Brooks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
'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 standing 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 ev'rything 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.
The lyrics of Elkie Brooks's song "Stairway to Heaven" describe a lady who is determined to achieve her ultimate goal, which is buying a stairway to heaven. The singer seems to be in awe of this lady, and is struck by her confidence and bravery to pursue her dreams. The lady is convinced that everything that glitters is certainly gold, and she will stop at nothing to acquire what she needs to make her purchase.
The lyrics suggest the lady believes that she can get whatever she wants with just a single word, and she is not afraid to use her power to acquire what she came for. However, the song acknowledges the fact that words can at times have two meanings, and this could be interpreted as a warning that the lady should be careful with her words and actions. The singer goes on to describe the lady's journey to heaven, which is filled with thoughts and feelings of leaving everything behind.
The lyrics also mention a piper who will lead mankind to reason, and this suggests that the lady is on a spiritual journey. The song ends with a powerful message about unity and self-actualization, urging listeners to be a rock and not to roll. Overall, "Stairway to Heaven" is a deeply introspective song, encouraging listeners to pursue their dreams with conviction and determination.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a lady who's sure
There is a lady who is confident
All that glitters is gold
She believes that everything attractive is valuable
And she's buying a stairway to heaven.
She is trying her best to reach heaven
When she gets there she knows
She is confident about reaching her destination
If the stores are all closed
She expects to buy something from a store on the way
With a word she can get what she came for.
She believes that she can get whatever she wants
Ooh ooh and she's buying a stairway to heaven.
She is trying her best to reach heaven
There's a sign on the wall
There is a sign on the wall
But she wants to be sure
But she needs to confirm
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
Because sometimes words can have two different interpretations
In a tree by the brook
There is a tree next to a brook
There's a songbird who sings,
There is a bird that sings
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.
Sometimes we misunderstand our thoughts
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
This makes me curious
Ooh, it makes me wonder.
This makes me curious
There's a feeling I get
I get a certain feeling
When I look to the west,
When I look to the west
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
I feel like leaving
In my thoughts I have seen
In my thoughts, I have visualized
Rings of smoke through the trees,
Smoke rings forming between trees
And the voices of those who standing looking.
And the voices of those who are watching
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
This makes me curious
Ooh, it really makes me wonder.
This really makes me curious
And it's whispered that soon, If we all call the tune
It is rumored that soon, if we all sing together
Then the piper will lead us to reason.
The piper will guide us to a resolution
And a new day will dawn
A new day will arrive
For those who stand long
For those who persevere
And the forests will echo with laughter.
The forests will echo with happiness
If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, Don't be alarmed
If there's activity in your surroundings, don't worry
Now,
Right now
It's just a spring clean for the May queen.
It's just a seasonal cleaning for the queen of May
Yes, there are two paths you can go by
Yes, there are two paths to choose
But in the long run
But in the long term
There's still time to change the road you're on.
You can still change your path
And it makes me wonder.
This makes me curious
Your head is humming and it won't go
You cannot stop thinking about something
In case you don't know,
In case you are unaware
The piper's calling you to join him,
The piper wants you to join him
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow,
Can you hear the wind blowing, my dear lady?
And did you know
Did you know?
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind.
Your path is connected to the soft wind whispers.
And as we wind on down the road
As we continue down the path
Our shadows taller than our soul.
Our shadows are taller than our inner being
There walks a lady we all know
There is a woman that we are all familiar with
Who shines white light and wants to show
She glows with a pure light and wants to demonstrate
How ev'rything still turns to gold.
How everything becomes valuable
And if you listen very hard
If you listen closely
The tune will come to you at last.
The music will eventually reach you
When all are one and one is all
When everyone is united and equal
To be a rock and not to roll.
To be strong and stable
And she's buying a stairway to heaven.
She is trying her best to reach heaven
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind