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)
Travelling Riverside Blues
Led Zeppelin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She said, "You might get hurt if you don't keep it hid"
Well I know my baby, If I see her in the dark
I said I know my rider, If I see her in the dark
Now, I goin' to Rosedale, Take my rider by my side
Still barrelhouse, If it's on the riverside, yeah
I know my mama, Lord, a brown skin, but she ain't no plum
See my baby, tell her, Tell her hurry home
Had no lovin', since my baby been gone
See my baby, Tell hurry on home
I ain't had, Lord, my right mind, Since my rider's been gone
Hey, she promises, She's my rider
I want to tell you, She's my rider
I know you're mine, She's my rider
She ain't but sixteen, But she's my rider
I'm goin' to Rosedale, Take my rider by side
Anybody argue with me man, I'll keep them satisfied
Well, see my baby, tell her, Tell her the shape I'm in
Ain't had no lovin', Lord, since you know when
Spoken: Why don't you come into my kitchen
She's a kindhearted lady. She studies evil all the time
She's a kindhearted woman. She studies evil all the time
Squeeze my lemon 'til the juice runs down my leg
Squeeze it so hard, I'll fall right out of bed
Squeeze my lemon, 'til the juice runs down my leg
Spoken: I wonder if you know what I'm talkin' about
Oh, but the way that you squeeze it girl
I swear I'm gonna fall right out of bed
She's a good rider
She's my kindhearted lady
I'm gonna take my rider by my side
I said her front teeth are lined with gold
She's gotta mortgage on my body, got a lien on my soul
She's my brown skin sugar plum
The lyrics of Led Zeppelin's song "Travelling Riverside Blues" tell the story of a man who is searching for his lover, referred to as his "baby" or "rider." He is seeking her out, but knows that he may be hurt if his desires are discovered, as his lover may be involved in illicit activities. He believes that he knows his lover well, even in the dark, and throughout the song, he expresses his intense longing for her.
The singer sings about his travels to Rosedale with his lover by his side, and their drinking escapades on the riverside. He laments that his lover has been gone and he has not had any affection since her departure. He then pleads with his lover to hurry home to him. He dreams of squeezing her "lemon" until the juice runs down his leg, showcasing the song's strong sexual undertones.
The song is full of metaphorical language and double entendres, allowing for a range of interpretations. Some interpret the riverside as an allegory for the Mississippi River, which echoed with the sounds of blues musicians, like the ones who performed the song. Others believe the song is a reference to a wood alcohol drink called “jake" that was popular in the 1920s and had severely detrimental effects on those that drank it.
Line by Line Meaning
Asked sweet mama, Let me be her kid
I pleaded with an older woman to take care of me.
She said, "You might get hurt if you don't keep it hid"
The woman warned me that I might suffer if I didn't behave well.
Well I know my baby, If I see her in the dark
I am familiar with my lover's appearance and can recognize her even in the dark.
I said I know my rider, If I see her in the dark
I repeated my certainty in recognizing my lover even in the dark.
Now, I goin' to Rosedale, Take my rider by my side
I plan to take my lover with me on a trip to Rosedale.
Still barrelhouse, If it's on the riverside, yeah
I strongly prefer drinking and partying on the riverside.
I know my baby, Lord, I said, "is really sloppy drunk"
I am aware that my lover often gets excessively intoxicated.
I know my mama, Lord, a brown skin, but she ain't no plum
I am referring to my mother as a brown-skin woman who is not someone to mess with.
See my baby, tell her, Tell her hurry home
I want someone to deliver the message to my lover that I miss her and want her to return quickly.
Had no lovin', since my baby been gone
I feel lonely and have not been intimate with anyone since my lover left.
I ain't had, Lord, my right mind, Since my rider's been gone
My mental and emotional state has been unstable since my lover departed.
Hey, she promises, She's my rider
I affirm that my lover is committed to me and is my partner.
I want to tell you, She's my rider
I repeat that my lover is exclusively mine.
I know you're mine, She's my rider
I emphasize that my lover belongs to me and no one else.
She ain't but sixteen, But she's my rider
I acknowledge that my lover is very young, but I still consider her as my partner.
Anybody argue with me man, I'll keep them satisfied
I will firmly and confidently handle anyone who disagrees with me or challenges me.
Well, see my baby, tell her, Tell her the shape I'm in
I want someone to inform my lover about my current physical and emotional state.
Ain't had no lovin', Lord, since you know when
I haven't been intimate with anyone for a long time.
Why don't you come into my kitchen
I invite my lover to enter my personal space and share intimacy with me.
She's a kindhearted lady. She studies evil all the time
I describe my lover as someone who is compassionate but also knowledgeable about negative aspects of life.
Squeeze my lemon 'til the juice runs down my leg
I indulge in sexual euphemism, describing a physical sensation associated with intimacy.
Squeeze it so hard, I'll fall right out of bed
I exaggerate the intensity of the sexual experience, emphasizing its thrilling nature.
I wonder if you know what I'm talkin' about
I ask rhetorically if the listener understands the sexual reference I just made.
Oh, but the way that you squeeze it girl
I praise my lover for her sexual skills and appeal.
I swear I'm gonna fall right out of bed
I emphasize the intensity of the sexual sensations, which cause me to feel lightheaded.
She's a good rider
I declare that my lover is excellent in bed.
She's my kindhearted lady
I reiterate my lover's compassionate nature and its connection to her sexual appeal.
I'm gonna take my rider by my side
I plan to spend more time with my lover and enjoy her company.
I said her front teeth are lined with gold
I admire a specific feature of my lover's appearance, her gold teeth.
She's gotta mortgage on my body, got a lien on my soul
I express my strong attachment to my lover and the significant influence she has on me.
She's my brown skin sugar plum
I affectionately describe my lover as a sweet and attractive brown-skinned woman.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROBERT JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cl5619
When a band has a throwaway unreleased song that would be any other band’s signature hit, you have true greatness
@mikem8621
True that
@ctbadger
When it came out I thought how the f*ck did this not make it on an album?
@bobvervillejr9484
Love this, but it owes a ton to Robert Johnson's Terraplane Blues....to which they also paid homage further on with Trampled Underfoot...
@kat7011
Amen! Zeppelin had no throw aways!
@tabi5901
Abso effin lutely. They’re phenomenal!!
@journeystarr
I've fallen down a Led Zep rabbit hole, going over the hills and far away with digging deep into their career. This song and video are absolutely amazing
@brianperson5152
I fell down that rabbit hole 35 years ago and never came out.
@maureent6800
You will embellish what we were ALL BLESSED WITH IN THE 70 S !!!!!@
@socalraps7850
Me too. I always liked the hits but never really listened until a few weeks ago. I haven't listened to anything else since