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)
Walter
Led Zeppelin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh tryin' hard to change but can't let go
Oh cryin' tears of pain and more and more
Oh everyday is the same as the one before
I'm walkin' the floor over you
I'm walkin' the floor
To the hand that takes your dreamless soul
Oh is it long to wait, is it much to pay?
Oh sometimes it's hard waiting for the day
You know it's hard I said it's hard
You know it's true I said it's hard
You know it's hard you know it's true
Every tear that falls is a smile that's lost
When you hear the call can you count the cost?
As you stand alone do you wonder how?
Can you step aside, does it matter now?
Every love that's changed ?
In the eye of the night ?
In the day everything ?
She was smilin' a tear at her waters fall ?
You know it's true now
You know it's true now uh uh yeah
I'm walkin the floor over you
I'm walkin' the floor
Every tear that falls is a smile that's lost
When you hear the call can you count the cost?
As you stand alone do you wonder how?
Can you step aside, does it matter now?
Does it matter now?
In "Walter's Walk," Led Zeppelin creates a song about heartbreak and the aftermath of a failed relationship. The first verse illustrates the singer's struggle to move on from his past relationship, a task that seems impossible as he looks out the door and feels strange. He wants to change, but cannot let go of the memories and emotions that he still feels for his former partner. Every day is a repetition of the one before, reminding him of his heartbreak and loneliness.
The second verse talks about the coldness of the heart that breaks, how it takes away the soul of the dreamer. Waiting for love to come back is hard and takes a toll on the heart, but the singer cannot help but hold on to the remnants of the past. He wonders if waiting is worth it, if the pain he has to endure, is just a test of his true feelings or a reminder that he is hopeless.
The chorus reinforces the idea of walking the floor, an action that suggests moving but not progressing or healing. Every tear that falls is a smile that's lost, a reminder of what once was and can never be again. The lines also ask a poignant question, can you count the cost and wonder if it's too late to mend it all.
As with many Led Zeppelin songs, there isn't a definitive meaning to the lyrics, but it can be inferred that this song reflects on one's need to heal from a past love in order to move forward. The idea of walking the floor over someone implies being stuck and unable to move on from the loss of the relationship, a resonating theme in the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh know I feel so strange looking out the door
Feeling unsettled and restless, looking for a way out.
Oh tryin' hard to change but can't let go
Attempting to make a change, but unable to move on from the past.
Oh cryin' tears of pain and more and more
Being consumed with sadness and grief.
Oh everyday is the same as the one before
Feeling stuck in a monotonous routine.
I'm walkin' the floor over you
Attempting to cope with the pain of heartbreak.
Every heart that breaks is a heart that's cold
Experiencing a sense of detachment and numbness after heartbreak.
To the hand that takes your dreamless soul
Giving up on one's dreams and sense of self when with someone who takes without giving.
Oh is it long to wait, is it much to pay?
Wondering if waiting for the right person is worth the time and effort.
Oh sometimes it's hard waiting for the day
Struggling with patience and longing for the future.
Every tear that falls is a smile that's lost
Each time one cries, they lose a bit of happiness and joy.
When you hear the call can you count the cost?
Thinking about the possible negative consequences that come with taking a risk.
As you stand alone do you wonder how?
Reflecting on how they got to this point and feeling unsure of the future.
Can you step aside, does it matter now?
Contemplating whether they should take a step back or if it's too late.
Every love that's changed?
Potentially questioning whether all love changes and fades over time.
In the eye of the night?
Possibly referencing the idea of deceptive appearances and things not being as they seem.
In the day everything?
Reflecting on how different things are during the day compared to at night.
She was smilin' a tear at her waters fall?
Describing a woman who was crying while trying to put on a smile.
You know it's true now
Confirming the validity of previous statements made.
I'm walkin the floor over you
Closing out the song with the same line as before, implying the pain still lingers.
Does it matter now?
Asking oneself if the pain and struggle is still relevant and important to their life at present.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JIMMY PAGE, ROBERT PLANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Debmeow
on No Quarter
Brilliant, a masterpiece.
robin
on Immigrant Song
i love this
Marie Fenouilliére
on Stairway to Heaven
j'adoreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee