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)
IV
Led Zeppelin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh baby I got to fly
Got to try to find a way
Got to try to get away
'Cause you know I gotta get away from you babe
Oh baby the river's red, ah baby in my head
I don't think I can hold out long
And when the owls cry in the night
Oh baby, baby when the pines begin to cry
Baby, baby, baby how do you feel?
If the river runs dry, baby, how do you feel?
Craze, baby, the rainbow's end, mmm, baby, it's just a den
For those who hide, who hide their love to depths of life
And ruin dreams that we all knew so, babe
And when the owls cry in the night
And baby when the pines begin to cry
Oh baby, baby, how do you feel?
If the river runs dry, baby, how do you feel?
Baby how do you feel?
Ooh yeah, brave I endure
Ooh yeah, strong shields and lore
And they can't hold the wrath of those who walk
An' the boots of those who march
Baby, through the roads of time so long ago
Ooooh, yeah
Ooooh
Oooooh, yeah
Ahhh
Ahhh
Ahhh
Ahhh
Oooooh
Hooooh
Hooooh
Hooooh
Hahhhh
Hoooh hooh hoooh hah hahhh
Led Zeppelin's "Four Sticks" is a song that captivates with its memorable opening lyrics, "Oh baby it's cryin' time, Oh baby I got to fly." It speaks volumes about the desire to break free from negativity, turmoil, and pain in one's life. The song directly dives into the singer's effort to find his way out and escape from the difficult situation that he is presently in. The river being red in color in the song appears as a metaphorical representation of pain, hardships, and agony- the murky river of pain that flows through the singer's mind.
The mention of owls crying in the night tells the tale of loneliness, fear, and a dark mood. It is followed by a similar reference to pines crying in the night- the world within has so much conflict, and the singer is not sure how to feel when he is confronted by such emotion. The song ventures to ruins, dreams lost to the depths of life; this possibly speaks about the destruction caused by the pain and agony that one experiences in their life.
Overall, the song Four Sticks presents a poignant and emotional take on the human spirit's resilience and the desire to break free from negativity and pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh baby it's cryin' time
I need to leave you now.
Oh baby I got to fly
I must try to find a solution.
Got to try to find a way
I need to come up with a plan.
Got to try to get away
I need to escape from this situation.
'Cause you know I gotta get away from you babe
I need to distance myself from you.
Oh baby the river's red, ah baby in my head
I'm experiencing strong emotions.
There's a funny feelin' goin' on
Something doesn't feel right.
I don't think I can hold out long
I'm not sure how much longer I can handle this.
And when the owls cry in the night
This is a dark time.
Oh baby, baby when the pines begin to cry
Things are falling apart.
Baby, baby, baby how do you feel?
Do you feel the same as I do?
If the river runs dry, baby, how do you feel?
If things don't work out, what will you do?
Craze, baby, the rainbow's end, mmm, baby, it's just a den
Life isn't always what it appears to be.
For those who hide, who hide their love to depths of life
Some hide their feelings to protect themselves.
And ruin dreams that we all knew so, babe
This can be destructive to our hopes and aspirations.
Ooh yeah, brave I endure
I will be strong through this.
Ooh yeah, strong shields and lore
I have the power to overcome.
And they can't hold the wrath of those who walk
Those who persevere can't be stopped.
An' the boots of those who march
I will make progress through action.
Baby, through the roads of time so long ago
This is a journey I must take.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
billwcc
I bought this album when it first came out, I was 13. Had not heard any songs on it, but figured it's Zeppelin, gotta be good. I took it home, put it on, and listened in stupefied, jaw dropping amazement. 51 years later, it still defies description. It will be a classic 1000 years from now.
john kalyna
Today's music 🎶 ,is not!
It's loud 🗑 rubbish...
Karen Kneisley
Same for me my friend. Heard Stairway to Heaven and bought my first album. Still love it and Led Zeppelin!
Scarlet Black
Yep, I was a few years older than you and my little brother bought the first two albums and I would go in the parlor by myself and sit on the floor in front of the record player and just listen. The Beatles and anyone else almost didn't exist after hearing this. It kind of got me into folk music that had meaningful lyrics that I have always loved. I still listen to this all the time.
Daniel
Half a century... Wow. Still as good as it was when it came out too! How much of today's Rap and "Hip Hop" will still be as fresh and awesome in 50 years?
Laert Cabral
It happened the same to me
Richard Nibbler
I'm a 346 year old vampire. Zeppelin in London 1974 was the best live show since Tchaikovsky in Prague 1880. 👍
Laurie Blancher
so envious. - on both
Mark Glanfield
Richard, we've met before. I was standing next to you on the roof at Abbey Road studios in 1969.
rap2xtrooper
Zeppelin didn't perform any concerts in 1974. Maybe you're thinking of 1975 when they played for 5 nights at Earl's Court? I imagine it's pretty easy to jumble some dates up when you live for centuries...