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)
Down by the Seaside
Led Zeppelin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
See the boats go sailin'
Can the people hear
What the little fish are sayin'
Oh, oh, the people turned away
Oh, the people turned away
See all the folk go racin', racin'
No time left, to pass the time of day
The people turned away
The people turned away
So far away, so far away
See how they run, see how they run,
See how they run, see how they run
Do you still do the twist
Do you find you remember things that well
I want to tell you
Some go twistin' every day
Though sometimes it's awful hard to tell
Out in the country,
Hear the people singin'
Singin' 'bout their progress
Knowin' where they're goin'
Oh, oh, the people turned away
Yes, the people turned away
Sing loud for the sunshine
Pray hard for the rain
And show your love for lady nature
And she will come back again
The people turned away
The people turned away
The lyrics to Led Zeppelin's "Down by the Seaside" suggest a juxtaposition between city life and nature, encouraging individuals to take a step back from the distractions of urban living and seek simplicity in the natural world. The song sets a peaceful and relaxed tone through the opening verse, "Down by the seaside, see the boats go sailin'/ Can the people hear what the little fish are sayin'?" The lyrics highlight the tranquility and gentle communication found in nature, as opposed to the fast-paced and chaotic city streets mentioned in the following verse. The chorus repeats the phrase "The people turned away," implying a disconnect between society and the wonders of the natural world.
The latter half of the song shifts its focus to the importance of environmentalism through hopeful lyrics, "Sing loud for the sunshine/ Pray hard for the rain/ And show your love for Lady Nature/ And she will come back again." The lyrics suggest that humans can repair the damage caused to the earth through connectedness with nature and dedication to its wellbeing. The song encourages reflection on the importance of environmental protection and peaceful, connected living.
Line by Line Meaning
Down by the seaside
The singer is near the sea
See the boats go sailin'
The singer can observe boats sailing on the sea
Can the people hear
The singer questions whether people are able to hear something
What the little fish are sayin'
The artist wonders if people can understand the communication of small fish
Oh, oh, the people turned away
The people ignored something notable
Oh, the people turned away
The people still ignored something notable
Down in the city streets
The singer moved to the city
See all the folk go racin', racin'
The artist observes people hurriedly busy with typical city life
No time left, to pass the time of day
People are too busy to even say hello to each other
So far away, so far away
The artist reflects on how different life is from where they are now
See how they run, see how they run
The singer continues to observe people hustling quickly in the city
See how they run, see how they run
The artist still watches urban people act in haste
Do you still do the twist
The singer questions if a certain popular dance is still being performed
Do you find you remember things that well
The singer asks if people remember past events
I want to tell you
The singer wants to share something with the listener
Some go twistin' every day
There are people who still love to dance every day
Though sometimes it's awful hard to tell
It can be difficult to tell if people still enjoy something
Out in the country
The singer is now in the countryside
Hear the people singin'
The singer hears country people singing
Singin' 'bout their progress
The people are proud of the progress they have made
Knowin' where they're goin'
The people have clear goals they are working towards
Oh, oh, the people turned away
The people ignored something notable in the countryside
Yes, the people turned away
The people still ignored something notable in the countryside
Sing loud for the sunshine
The artist suggests people should sing happily in the sunshine
Pray hard for the rain
The singer suggests people should pray for rain
And show your love for lady nature
The singer urges people to love and respect nature
And she will come back again
Nature will thrive again if people care for it
The people turned away
The people refused to lend attention to something important
The people turned away
The people still refused to focus on something important
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