Originally named the New Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin signed a deal with Atlantic Records that gave them considerable artistic freedom. Initially unpopular with critics, they achieved significant commercial success with eight studio albums over ten years. Their 1969 debut, Led Zeppelin, was a top-ten album in several countries and featured such tracks as "Good Times Bad Times", "Dazed and Confused" and "Communication Breakdown". Led Zeppelin II (1969) was their first number-one album, and yielded "Ramble On" and "Whole Lotta Love". In 1970, they released Led Zeppelin III which featured "Immigrant Song". Their untitled fourth album, commonly known as Led Zeppelin IV (1971), is one of the best-selling albums in history with 37 million copies sold. The album includes "Black Dog", "Rock and Roll" and "Stairway to Heaven", with the latter being among the most popular and influential works in rock history. Houses of the Holy (1973) yielded "The Ocean", "Over the Hills and Far Away" and "The Rain Song". Physical Graffiti (1975), a double album, featured "Trampled Under Foot" and "Kashmir".
Page wrote most of Led Zeppelin's music, particularly early in their career, while Plant wrote most of the lyrics. Jones's keyboard-based compositions later became central to their music, which featured increasing experimentation. The latter half of their career saw a series of record-breaking tours that earned the group a reputation for excess and debauchery. Although they remained commercially and critically successful, their touring and output, which included Presence (1976) and In Through the Out Door (1979), grew limited, and the group disbanded following Bonham's death in 1980. Since then, the surviving former members have sporadically collaborated and participated in one-off reunions. The most successful of these was the 2007 Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert in London, with Bonham's son Jason Bonham on drums.
Led Zeppelin are one of the best-selling music artists of all time; their total record sales are estimated to be between 200 and 300 million units worldwide. They achieved eight consecutive UK number-one albums and six number-one albums on the US Billboard 200, with five of their albums certified Diamond in the US. Rolling Stone magazine described them as "the heaviest band of all time", "the biggest band of the Seventies", and "unquestionably one of the most enduring bands in rock history". They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995; the museum's biography of the band states that they were "as influential" during the 1970s as the Beatles were during the 1960s.
Albums
Led Zeppelin (1969)
Led Zeppelin II (1969)
Led Zeppelin III (1970)
Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
Houses of the Holy (1973)
Physical Graffiti (1975)
Presence (1976)
In Through the Out Door (1979)
Coda (1982)
Custard Pie
Led Zeppelin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drop down, mama, just dream of me
Well, my mama allow me to fool around all night long
Well, I may look like I'm crazy, I should know right from wrong
See me comin', throw your man out the door
Ain't no stranger, been this way before
See me comin', mama, throw your man out the door
I ain't no stranger, I been this way before
Put on your night shirt and your morning gown
You know by night I'm gonna shake 'em down
Put on your night shirt mama, and your morning gown
Well, you know by night I'm gonna shake 'em down
Your custard pie, yeah, sweet and nice
When you cut it, mama, save me a slice
Your custard pie, I declare, it's sweet and nice
I like your custard pie
When you cut it mama, mama please save me a slice oh
(I chew on a piece of your custard pie)
Drop down, drop down, drop down
(I chew on a piece of your custard pie)
The lyrics of Led Zeppelin’s song Custard Pie could easily be interpreted as an invitation for a sexual encounter. The song begins with the singer calling for his female companion to “drop down,” indicating that he would like to see her in a vulnerable position. The use of the term “mama” throughout the song can be seen as both a term of endearment, as well as a reference to the woman’s authority or dominance. The lyrics continue to suggest that the singer has permission from his mother to “fool around all night long,” indicating that he has familial permission to engage in sexual activity. However, despite this permission, the singer recognizes that his actions may not always be moral, suggesting that he may be struggling with a sense of guilt or societal norms.
The second verse of the song continues with sexual overtones, as the singer advises the woman to “put on your night shirt and your morning gown,” indicating that he wants to engage in sexual activity both at night and in the morning. He then affirms that he will “shake ‘em down” or have sex with her, stating that he has been in this situation before and knows how to proceed. The final stanza of the song brings a slightly more innocent note to the lyrics, with the singer praising the woman’s “custard pie” and requesting that she save him a slice. Overall, while the lyrics of Led Zeppelin’s Custard Pie are suggestive and potentially controversial, they are also somewhat ambiguous and open to interpretation.
Line by Line Meaning
Drop down, baby, let your daddy see
The singer is requesting the woman to expose herself to him so that he can appreciate her beauty.
Drop down, mama, just dream of me
He is asking the woman to think of him and imagining his presence and love.
Well, my mama allow me to fool around all night long
His mother allows him to stay out and have fun, partying all night.
Well, I may look like I'm crazy, I should know right from wrong
The singer knows that he comes across as wild and untamed but he is aware of his actions.
See me comin', throw your man out the door
He wants the woman to get rid of her partner, as he is interested in her.
Ain't no stranger, been this way before
He is confident and self-assured, as he has been in similar situations before.
Put on your night shirt and your morning gown
He wants the woman to wear something that is comfortable for her to move in.
You know by night I'm gonna shake 'em down
The singer is confident that he will woo the woman and make her his own by the end of the night.
Your custard pie, yeah, sweet and nice
The 'custard pie' is a metaphor for the woman's body, even though it is sweet and desirable.
When you cut it, mama, save me a slice
He wants a piece It of the woman's pie, as in a piece of her body, with her consent.
I like your custard pie
He expresses his attraction and admiration for the woman's body.
When you cut it mama, mama please save me a slice oh
He is pleading with the woman to give him a part of her body, signifying he wants to be intimate with her.
(I chew on a piece of your custard pie)
He is enjoying the moment and indulging in pleasure, affirming his desire for the woman.
Drop down, drop down, drop down
The singer is reaffirming his request for the woman to reveal herself to him.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Debmeow
on No Quarter
Brilliant, a masterpiece.
robin
on Immigrant Song
i love this
Marie Fenouilliére
on Stairway to Heaven
j'adoreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee