Led Zeppelin was an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group c… Read Full Bio ↴Led Zeppelin was an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are cited as one of the progenitors of hard rock and heavy metal, although their style drew from a variety of influences, including blues and folk music. Led Zeppelin have been credited as significantly impacting the nature of the music industry, particularly in the development of album-oriented rock (AOR) and stadium rock.

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)

No Quarter
Led Zeppelin Lyrics

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Close the door, put out the light
No, they won't be home tonight
The snow falls hard and don't you know?
The winds of Thor are blowing cold

They're wearing steel that's bright and true
They carry news that must get through, oh
They choose the path where no-one goes

They hold no quarter
They hold no quarter, oh

Walking side-by-side with death
The devil mocks their every step, ooh
The snow drives back the foot that's slow
The dogs of doom are howling more

They carry news that must get through
To build a dream for me and you, oh, oh, oh
They choose the path where no one goes
They hold no quarter
They ask no quarter

They hold no quarter
They ask no quarter
Yeah
Without quarter, quarter, yeah (without quarter)
Without quarter, quarter, quarter
Taking no quarter

Oh, oh, oh (hear the dogs of doom) (no, never quarter)
I hear the dogs of doom are howling more

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Led Zeppelin's song "No Quarter" are open to interpretation by the listener, but a commonly accepted interpretation is that the song is about soldiers or warriors who are on a dangerous mission, walking side-by-side with death, and carrying news that must get through. The setting is in winter, with the snow falling and the winds of Thor blowing cold. The soldiers are wearing steel that's bright and true, suggesting that they are well-equipped for battle. The devil is mocking their every step, and the dogs of doom are howling more, creating a foreboding atmosphere.

The soldiers are choosing to venture down the path that no one else dares to go, holding no quarter as they go. This line can be interpreted in many ways, but it suggests that the soldiers are not asking for mercy or showing any weakness. They are determined to complete their mission, despite the danger and obstacles they face. The final lines of the song suggest that the dogs of doom are growing louder, foreshadowing potential danger or defeat.

Overall, "No Quarter" is a dark and atmospheric song that paints a vivid image of soldiers on a dangerous mission. The lyrics are open to interpretation, but the imagery and mood of the song carry a powerful sense of foreboding and dread.

Line by Line Meaning

Close the door, put out the light
Shut the doors, turn off the lights

No, they won't be home tonight
They won't come home tonight

The snow falls hard and don't you know?
It's heavily snowing

The winds of Thor are blowing cold
It's really cold, just like the Norse god of thunder's wind

They're wearing steel that's bright and true
They have a strong and unwavering determination to achieve their goal

They carry news that must get through, oh
They bear important messages that must be conveyed

They choose the path where no-one goes
They take the unconventional route

They hold no quarter
They don't show mercy

They hold no quarter, oh
They don't show mercy

Walking side-by-side with death
They are living in danger

The devil mocks their every step, ooh
The evil forces are taunting them every step of the way

The snow drives back the foot that's slow
The slowest ones will not make it in the harsh environment

The dogs of doom are howling more
The creatures that signal death are getting louder

To build a dream for me and you, oh, oh, oh
They want to create a better future for everyone

They carry news that must get through
They bear important messages that must be conveyed

They choose the path where no one goes
They take the unconventional route

They hold no quarter
They don't show mercy

They ask no quarter
They don't ask for mercy

They hold no quarter
They don't show mercy

They ask no quarter
They don't ask for mercy

Without quarter, quarter, yeah (without quarter)
Without mercy

Without quarter, quarter, quarter
Without mercy

Taking no quarter
Not giving any mercy

Oh, oh, oh (hear the dogs of doom) (no, never quarter)
The creatures that signal death are getting louder, and they'll never show mercy

I hear the dogs of doom are howling more
The creatures that signal death are getting louder

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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