Stairway to Heaven
Letz Zep Lyrics

There's a lady who's sure
The song begins with a lady who's confident in her belief

All that glitters is gold
She believes that everything that looks valuable is truly valuable

And she's buying a stairway to heaven
She's trying to reach heaven and she thinks she can buy her way there

When she gets there she knows
She's confident that she will get to heaven

If the stores are all closed
If she can't buy her way to heaven

With a word she can get what she came for
She believes that she has the power to achieve anything she desires

Oh oh oh oh and she's buying a stairway to heaven
The chorus repeats the lady's persistent efforts to buy a stairway to heaven

There's a sign on the wall
The lady is warned about the dangers on the way to heaven

But she wants to be sure
She is determined to continue her efforts despite the warning signs

'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings
The lady realizes that not everything is as straightforward as it seems

In a tree by the brook
The focus shifts to another setting where a songbird sings

There's a songbird who sings
The songbird represents purity and freedom of thought

Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiving
The songbird's singing hints at doubts and insecurities in the lady's mind

Ooh, it makes me wonder
The singer is unsure what to make of the lady's pursuit of heaven

There's a feeling I get
The focus shifts back to the lady's perspective

When I look to the west
She gazes towards heaven, the west symbolizing the afterlife

And my spirit is crying for leaving
She's experiencing a deep longing to ascend to heaven

In my thoughts I have seen
She has imagined what it would be like to reach heaven

Rings of smoke through the trees
This is a reference to the image of smoke rising from burning incense during religious ceremonies

And the voices of those who standing looking
This is a reference to the idea of spirits and angels watching over the living

Ooh, it makes me wonder
The lady's quest and the imagery she sees generate a sense of wonder and confusion

And it's whispered that soon, If we all call the tune
There is a suggestion that by coming together and uniting in purpose, humans can achieve enlightenment

Then the piper will lead us to reason
The piper, a symbol of a spiritual guide or mentor, will show the way to enlightenment

And a new day will dawn
This is a reference to a new era of enlightenment and progress

For those who stand long
The persistence and patience of those who seek enlightenment will be rewarded

And the forests will echo with laughter
This is a metaphor for the happiness that will come from the achievement of enlightenment

If there's a bustle in your hedgerow
The song warns of possible danger or obstacles on the road to enlightenment

Don't be alarmed now
The listener is reassured that they need not be afraid

It's just a spring clean for the May queen
This is a metaphor for the idea that the difficulties on the path to enlightenment are merely a necessary purging of negativity and harmful ideas

Yes, there are two paths you can go by
There are two ways to approach life: one of materialism and one of spiritualism

But in the long run
Over time, the benefits of the spiritual path will become clear

There's still time to change the road you're on
It's never too late to change one's approach to life

And it makes me wonder
The song continues to inspire questions about the pursuit of enlightenment

Your head is humming and it won't go
The song acknowledges the difficulty of trying to understand the mysteries of life

In case you don't know
The singer is trying to help the listener understand these mysteries

The piper's calling you to join him
The spiritual guide is calling the listener to seek enlightenment

Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow
The wind represents spirituality and the question is asked of the lady whether she can feel it

And did you know
The song is once again encouraging the lady to seek enlightenment

Your stairway lies on the whispering wind
The path to enlightenment is not material and not something that can be bought, rather it is found on the wind's whispers

And as we wind on down the road
The final part of the journey to enlightenment

Our shadows taller than our soul
This metaphor acknowledges the doubts and uncertainties on the path to enlightenment

There walks a lady we all know
The lady from the beginning of the song

Who shines white light and wants to show
She has finally found the enlightenment she was seeking and now wants to share it with others

How everything still turns to gold
Even in the spiritual world, everything is still valuable and meaningful

And if you listen very hard
The song encourages the listener to seek enlightenment and pay close attention

The tune will come to you at last
The enlightenment will eventually become clear and understood

When all are one and one is all
This is the idea of collective unity and understanding, as well as the oneness of all things

To be a rock and not to roll
Being a rock instead of rolling represents the stability and steadfastness of the spiritual path

And she's buying the stairway to heaven
The lady's quest for enlightenment, once materialistic, is now focused on the spiritual path