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)
Nobody&
Led Zeppelin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nobody's fault but mine
Trying to save my soul tonight
Oh, it's nobody's fault but mine
The devil he told me to roll
The devil he told me to roll
How to roll the log tonight
Brother he showed me the gong?
Brother he showed me the ding dong ding dong
How to keep that gong alive
Oh, it's nobody's fault but mine
Got a monkey on my back
Got a mo, mo, mo, mo, monkey on my back, back, back, back
Gonna change my ways tonight
Nobody's fault but mine
I will get down rollin' tonight
No-no-no-no-no-no-nobody's fault
Led Zeppelin's Nobody's Fault But Mine is a song that references religious symbolism and struggle with addiction. The singer is trying to save their soul and take accountability for their actions, acknowledging that their addiction is nobody's fault but their own. The devil is personified as a temptation or a voice in the singer's head that urges them to continue their destructive behavior. The "roll the log" line seems to be a metaphor for drug use, and the indulgence in such behavior is entirely the responsibility of the singer.
However, throughout the song, the singer also makes references to religion and spiritual healing. The "gong" and "ding dong" are both sounds that were often used in religious ceremonies, indicating that the singer is seeking guidance and healing from a higher power rather than relying on drugs to cope. The monkey on their back also references the idea of addiction as a weight that can be lifted through spiritual redemption.
Overall, the song is a powerful commentary on addiction and the need for personal accountability and spiritual growth to overcome it. Rather than blaming external sources for their problems, the singer takes responsibility for their actions and looks inward for solutions.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, nobody's fault but mine
The singer is taking responsibility for their actions.
Trying to save my soul tonight
The singer is attempting to redeem themselves in some way.
The devil he told me to roll
The singer is blaming their actions on temptation and evil influences.
How to roll the log tonight
The artist is referring to committing a sin or indulging in pleasure.
Brother he showed me the gong?
The artist references someone who showed them how to do something (potentially sinful).
Brother he showed me the ding dong ding dong
The singer is referring to learning a skill or technique (potentially sinful).
How to keep that gong alive
The singer is learning how to continue indulging in sin or pleasure.
Got a monkey on my back
The artist is referring to being addicted to something.
Gonna change my ways tonight
The artist is attempting to break their addiction or change their behavior.
I will get down rollin' tonight
The artist is resolving to commit to their addiction or sinful behavior.
No-no-no-no-no-no-nobody's fault
The singer is reiterating that they alone are responsible for their actions.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROBERT ANTHONY PLANT, JAMES PATRICK (JIMMY) PAGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@andy4365
One of Bonzo's best shows. He completely holds it down.
@derekjackson1039
Page's best solo of the night, I love watch Plants reaction during he solo as well and how well they all were listening and reacting to each other
@bishlap
oOOOOOh JIMMY !!!
@derekjackson1039
@@bishlap “DO IT! SUCK IT!”
@bishlap
@@derekjackson1039 Oh my, I'm appalled and shocked....
@derekjackson1039
@@bishlap “was he talking to me?!” Said girl or boy in the front row
@bishlap
@@derekjackson1039 ok. Thanks, was a bit confused, but didn't take any offense at your comment. OOOH JIM-MAY
@jamessilba1164
The Greatest Rock & Roll band of all time !!!!
@dmb4ever127
Yes! Definitely! But have you ever watched the greatest Jam Band of all time? Dave Matthews Band? There's plenty of full length concerts available from 1993 to now, to watch on YouTube. They're phenomenal, and still touring!
@SwampEye1
Plant's harp solo as the entire performance are just spot on ... Jonesy and Bonham kept it together ....