After Led Zeppelin disbanded, Page worked on some critically acclaimed solo material, played in supergroups The Honeydrippers and The Firm, recorded two albums with his Led Zeppelin times buddy Robert Plant and worked as a session guitarist.
Page's past experiences both in the studio and with the Yardbirds were very influential in contributing to the success of Led Zeppelin in the 1970s. As a producer, composer, and guitarist he helped make Led Zeppelin a prototype for countless future rock bands, and was one of the major driving forces behind the rock sound of that era, influencing a host of other guitarists. Allmusic states that "just about every rock guitarist from the late '60s/early '70s to the present day has been influenced by Page's work with Led Zeppelin". For example, his sped up, downstroke guitar riff in "Communication Breakdown" is cited as being the inspiration for guitarist Johnny Ramone to develop his punk-defining, strictly downstroke guitar strumming, while Page's landmark guitar solo from the song "Heartbreaker" has been credited by Eddie Van Halen as being the inspiration for his two-hand tapping technique after he had seen Led Zeppelin perform in 1971. Page's solo in the famous epic "Stairway to Heaven" has been voted by readers of various guitar magazines, including Guitar World and Total Guitar, as the greatest guitar solo of all time, and he was named 'Guitarist of the Year' five years straight during the 1970s by Creem magazine. In 2001 he was voted London's greatest guitarist in Total Guitar magazine's poll of the greatest 12 British guitarists. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named him number nine on their list of the "100 greatest guitarists of all time".
Walking
Jimmy Page Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As my feet hit the ground
Before I could walk I was humming
An old railroad sound
Things didn't get much better
When by the age of five
They found me walking into Clarksdale
Trying to keep my friends alive
No time for celebration
There was no known cure
Seems I was born and raised
In the wrong killing floor
And my loved ones gathered round see
If the experiment had worked
I was misplaced, out of time
privileged and worse
Oh, mama please
Don't cry for me
Tears to the river
Tears to be free
Now I see twelve white horses
Walking in a line
Moving east across the metal
Bridge on highway 49
And standing in the shadows
Of a burnt out motel
The king of Commerce Mississippi waited
With his hound from hell, oh
A shiny noon riverboat taking
Income from the poor
It's floating by the levee in
an artificial pool
There's a six mile tailback
Back on junction 304
A stranger at the crossroads
Believe I've seen his face before
Oh,
Don't cry for me
Tears fill the river
Tears to be free
Oh, I'm sad to be leaving
The sun is going down and I really got to go now
I'm sad to be leaving
The sun's going down and I really got to go now
Really got to go now
I gotta go
I've got to move
I've got to move, yeah, ah
I'm sad to be leaving
Sun's going down and I really got to go now
I'm sad to be leaving
The sun's going down and I really got to go now, oh
I'm sad to be leaving
Sun's going down and I really got to go now
I'm sad to be leaving
The sun's going down and I really got to go now
Really got to go now, yeah
Oh, gotta go now, yes
Yes, gotta go now
Yeah
The lyrics of "Walking" by Jimmy Page and Friends tell a story of a person's displacement and struggles in life. The first verse talks about the individual's early days and how they were always on the move, even before they could walk. This theme of movement follows through the song, as reflected by the twelve white horses walking in a line and the six-mile tailback on junction 304. The second verse refers to the individual as being misplaced, out of time, and born in the wrong killing floor, indicating a feeling of disconnect with the world around them. The chorus, "Tears to the river, tears to be free" expresses the individual's yearning for liberation and their struggle to find their place in the world.
The third verse brings in the character of the king of Commerce, Mississippi, and his hound from hell, who is waiting for the individual in the shadows of a burnt-out motel. This character adds a sense of foreboding and danger to the story, perhaps representing the obstacles and challenges the individual faces in their journey. The fourth and final verse again emphasizes the individual's need to move on, as the sun sets and they have to go.
Overall, the lyrics of "Walking" are poetic and open to interpretation, but it seems to be about a person who has never felt completely at home in the world, always searching for a sense of belonging and freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was born I was running
I was born with a restlessness in me.
As my feet hit the ground
The craving to move forward stayed.
Before I could walk I was humming
The passion for music was innate.
An old railroad sound
The roots of blues were already in me.
Things didn't get much better
Life wasn't smooth sailing.
When by the age of five
At age five...
They found me walking into Clarksdale
I headed towards Clarksdale.
Trying to keep my friends alive
The motive was to save friends.
No time for celebration
There was no moment to rejoice.
There was no known cure
The situation was unchangeable.
Seems I was born and raised
I realized that I was brought up...
In the wrong killing floor
...in a negative environment.
And my loved ones gathered round see
My family huddled together to see...
If the experiment had worked
...if things had turned out different.
I was misplaced, out of time
I felt like an outcast.
privileged and worse
It resulted in more problems.
Oh, mama please
Please, Mom...
Don't cry for me
...don't cry for me.
Tears to the river
Let the tears flow away with the river.
Tears to be free
Tears, the symbol of pain, flush away to bring liberation.
Now I see twelve white horses
I see a vision of...
Walking in a line
...twelve horses walking in a row.
Moving east across the metal
They're moving towards the east, away from here.
Bridge on highway 49
crossing highway 49 on a bridge.
And standing in the shadows
As they stood in the shade of a building...
Of a burnt out motel
...which was a burnt-down motel.
The king of Commerce Mississippi waited
The sovereign waited in Commerce Mississippi.
With his hound from hell, oh
With his vicious dog by his side.
A shiny noon riverboat taking
A bright river-bus that takes...
Income from the poor
...money from the underprivileged.
It's floating by the levee in
It's flowing near the levee...
an artificial pool
...which is an artificial pool.
There's a six mile tailback
There's a jam that stretches six miles.
Back on junction 304
At junction 304...
A stranger at the crossroads
I saw an unfamiliar person at the intersection.
Believe I've seen his face before
I think I recognize him from somewhere else.
Oh,
Oh,
I'm sad to be leaving
I'm feeling low as I depart.
The sun is going down and I really got to go now
The sun's setting, and I must depart.
Really got to go now
I need to leave.
I'm sad to be leaving
I'm unhappy to leave.
The sun's going down and I really got to go now, oh
The sun's going down, and I must leave. Oh,
I'm sad to be leaving
I'm unhappy to leave.
Sun's going down and I really got to go now
The sun's setting, and I must depart.
I'm sad to be leaving
I'm unhappy to leave.
The sun's going down and I really got to go now
The sun's setting, and I must depart.
Really got to go now, yeah
I need to leave for sure.
Oh, gotta go now, yes
Yes, I need to leave now.
Yes, gotta go now
I must depart now.
Yeah
Yeah.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES PATRICK PAGE, MICHAEL PEARSON, ROBERT PLANT, STEPHEN CHARLES JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TIffanyrose Angeles
So I'm relating but alas to the poet PERCY as we call him here 🇬🇧 some are aware .
Other places,every time I saw a pic of Robert or the film The Song Remains The Same,listening to Whole Lotta Love.
Dance get high to these ( in the past but still dancing') I'd fall harder in love.....IM 1/2 Brit by birth & 1/2 Canadian.
I loved LZ since age 16 I recently turned 60
I listened to RPs podcasts,anything about him I try not miss it ....yes he's put on weight but likely by hanging out at the pub
After watching HIS soccer team play( think he has one or avid watcher since I'm a chick & no interest in soccer...
But fans have spotted Percy there & their experience: very humble friendly guy chit chatty talk more if you watch the game with him for another pint or 2 of Guinness or something?
His hair,like Jimmys isn't as well kept as younger.
But,most importantly these Rock Gods are still here today!
,
The song that really got me were acually -29 Psalms solo career) is about rock singer CDN Alannah Myles brief affair ( I wished that'd been me!!!) back in his young days with his groupies some quite lovely,still,I could give them a run....even now.
I've searched the Internet it would seem my man crush" is single
As the Beatles so aptly put it Robert " why don't we do it in the road"? 🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻✌🏻✌🏻🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣Fellow non 1/2 English ppl or stagnant ppl.
Sim a JOKE !!
K!!!
Of course I expect the full Robert charming sexy style"
From Led Z.KASHMIR!!!
Nobody's fault but mine,
No Quarter.
Since I've Been Loving You...
CLIMAX WHOLE LOTTA LOVE!!!
David Callahan
When Jimmy pops out of the car, he's still got the moves he used on stage. A true legend
Ruben Vila
Yesssss
Zeppelin Fan
Goosebumps! Actually someone who deserves the Red Carpet.
GenXer™
Exactly.
SDC
Music has kept him young. A musical genius in every way. Simply the greatest band of all time.
T Dunph
@k P ALWAYS has....if you catch my drift...
T Dunph
Well, music has kept him young and a hot assed, young wife too :)
k P
He loves the young
Professor Ken
ONE, of the greatest mean....as a cover band, yes the greatest cover band ever.👍🏻
John Barone
Jimmy Page formed the greatest rock band of all time, the mighty Led Zeppelin!