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)
WHAT IS AND WHAT SHOULD
Led Zeppelin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Take my hand, child come with me
It's to a castle I will take you
Where what's to be, they say will be
Catch the wind, see us spin
Sail away leave today
Way up high in the sky, hey, whoa
You really shouldn't go
It only goes to show
That you will be mine
By takin' our time, ooh
And if you say to me tomorrow
Oh what fun it all would be
Then what's to stop us, pretty baby
But what is and what should never be
Catch the wind, see us spin
Sail away, leave today
Way up high in the sky, hey whoa
But the wind won't blow
You really shouldn't go
Only goes to show
That you will be mine
By takin' our time, ooh
So if you wake up with the sunrise
And all your dreams are still as new
And happiness is what you need so bad
Girl, the answer lies with you, yeah
Catch the wind, see us spin
Sail away, leave today
Way up high in the sky, hey whoa
But the wind won't blow
You really shouldn't go
Only goes to show
That you will be mine
By takin' our time, ooh
Hey, oh
Oh the wind won't blow and we really shouldn't go
And it only goes to show-ow-ow
Catch the wind, we're gonna see it spin
We're gonna sail, little girl
Do do do, bop bop a do-oh
My my my my my my my yeah
Everybody I know seems to know me well
But does anybody know I'm gonna move like hell
Baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, oh, Lord
Baby, baby, baby, oh, right now, yeah
No, no, no, no, no, come on, now
The lyrics in Led Zeppelin's song What Is and What Should Never Be express the idea of taking a chance and living in the moment. The singer encourages the listener to embrace life and not think too much about the consequences of their actions. He invites them on a journey to a place where fate decides what will happen. The lyrics suggest that the person should take the risk and see where the wind takes them.
The song also reflects on the idea of what could have been versus what should never be. The singer asks the listener to imagine a future where they could have fun and cast aside their fears, but also warns them to be careful not to make a mistake that could change their life forever. He suggests that happiness lies within oneself, and encourages the listener to be true to themselves and their dreams.
Overall, the lyrics of What Is and What Should Never Be are a call to live life to the fullest, take risks, and embrace the unknown. They encourage listeners to trust their instincts and follow their dreams, but also to be mindful of the consequences of their decisions.
Line by Line Meaning
And if I say to you tomorrow
If I tell you we have a future together
Take my hand, child come with me
Come with me to explore the future that we have together
It's to a castle I will take you
I am going to take you somewhere truly amazing and special
Where what's to be, they say will be
Where we can discover what our future holds and let fate guide us
Catch the wind, see us spin
Come with me and experience the spontaneity and excitement of life
Sail away leave today
Let's leave our worries behind and embark on an adventure
Way up high in the sky, hey, whoa
We will soar above the world and embrace the freedom of flight
But the wind won't blow
Unfortunately, reality will set in and we will face challenges
You really shouldn't go
Perhaps it's not wise for us to pursue this path
It only goes to show
This is a testament to the fact that sometimes we have to let go of our dreams
That you will be mine
Despite the obstacles, I will always cherish you
By takin' our time, ooh
If we are patient and careful, we can make the most of our time together
And if you say to me tomorrow
If you also believe in our future together
Oh what fun it all would be
We can have an amazing journey filled with fun and excitement
Then what's to stop us, pretty baby
There's nothing standing in our way if we believe in ourselves
But what is and what should never be
Yet, at the same time, we must be mindful of what is realistic
So if you wake up with the sunrise
If you wake up with renewed hope and energy
And all your dreams are still as new
And your dreams still feel fresh and alive
And happiness is what you need so bad
And you are craving happiness and fulfillment
Girl, the answer lies with you, yeah
You hold the key to your own happiness and fulfillment
Hey, oh
A cheerful and upbeat sound
Oh the wind won't blow and we really shouldn't go
The reality of the situation is that we should reconsider our choices
And it only goes to show-ow-ow
This is a testament to the difficulty of finding true love and happiness in the world
We're gonna sail, little girl
We should embrace our journey together and make the most of it
Do do do, bop bop a do-oh
Vocalizing a light and cheerful tune
My my my my my my my yeah
Expressing enthusiasm and excitement
Everybody I know seems to know me well
Everyone seems to think they understand me
But does anybody know I'm gonna move like hell
But no one knows the full extent of my ambitions and desires
Baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, oh, Lord
Expressing affection and desire for the object of the song's affection
Baby, baby, baby, oh, right now, yeah
Continuing to express affection and desire
No, no, no, no, no, come on, now
Expressing exasperation or frustration, perhaps in response to obstacles standing in the way of the relationship
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Robert Anthony Plant, James Patrick Page
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-ip9yu7lp1q
What Is and What Should Never Be
And if I say to you tomorrow
"Take my hand, child, come with me"
It's to a castle I will take you
Where what's to be, they say will be
A-catch the wind, see us spin
Sail away, leave today
Way up high in the sky
It won't, but the wind won't blow, we really shouldn't go
It only goes to show that you will be mine by takin' our time
Oooh, ho-whoa
And if you say to me tomorrow
"Oh, what fun it all would be"
then what's to stop us, pretty baby-ay
but what is and what should never be
So if you wake up with the sunrise
and all your dreams are still as new
and happiness is what you need so bad
Well, girl, the answer lies with you, yeah
Hey, ho, ma
A-well, the wind won't blow, and we really shouldn't go
and it only goes to show-whoa-whoa-whoa
Grab the wind, we're gonna see us spin
We're gonna sail, leave today-a
A-do-do-do, ba-ba-n-do, oh
Ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, yeah
Everybody I know seems to know me well
but does anybody know I'm gonna move like hell
A-baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, ho, I love ya
Baby, baby, babe, huh, oh, I love ya
Do, no, no, no, no, no, no, come on, now
I want you to
-------------------------
@brunolanasantos5604
And if I say to you tomorrow
Take my hand, child come with me
It's to a castle I will take you
Where what's to be, they say will be
Catch the wind, see us spin
Sail away leave today
Way up high in the sky, hey, whoa
But the wind won't blow
You really shouldn't go
It only goes to show
That you will be mine
By takin' our time, ooh
And if you say to me tomorrow
Oh what fun it all would be
Then what's to stop us, pretty baby
But what is and what should never be
Catch the wind, see us spin
Sail away, leave today
Way up high in the sky, hey whoa
But the wind won't blow
You really shouldn't go
Only goes to show
That you will be mine
By takin' our time, ooh
So if you wake up with the sunrise
And all your dreams are still as new
And happiness is what you need so bad
Girl, the answer lies with you, yeah
Catch the wind, see us spin
Sail away, leave today
Way up high in the sky, hey whoa
But the wind won't blow
You really shouldn't go
Only goes to show
That you will be mine
By takin' our time, ooh
Hey, oh
Oh the wind won't blow and we really shouldn't go
And it only goes to show-ow-ow
Catch the wind, we're gonna see it spin
We're gonna sail, little girl
Do do do, bop bop a do-oh
My my my my my my my yeah
Everybody I know seems to know me well
But does anybody know I'm gonna move like hell
Baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, oh, Lord
Baby, baby, baby, oh, right now, yeah
No, no, no, no, no, come on, now
@glumphyStoned
The band that can go from a whisper to a roar.
@zackzallie8735
Try Pixies. They're the masters of slowness to sudden roar burst. Not sure if you like 'em.
@roameryang
exactly.
@davidp.1767
So well said!!
@carlneoh5843
Bonzo really knew what he was doing
@craigday1759
Hense….Led ( heavy ) Zeppelin ( light ) Come on now folks
@tbates4159
Incredible song. John Paul Jones on bass killed it.
@victornegrin7692
Yeshhhhh
@tangchang7406
Jimmy and John Paul are friggan string wizards. Even plant in some occasions.
@lawrenceofarabia5299
Zep has always been the truth!!!
The classic ' what is and what should never be' defines total music resonance. The work of talented musicianship whom not only put in the hard work but left us all music lessons to learn. I learn from the giraffe holder John paul Jones every time I listen. Zep is ongoing music curriculum with 500 level master courses for everyone whom chooses to learn weather you play with knives, forks, spoons, brooms or anything!!!