Zep's main writers reformed on 17 Apr 94, as a part of the Alexis Korner Blues Show at Buxton, England. On 25 & 26 Aug', they taped performances in London, Wales & Morocco, with Egyptian & Moroccan orchestration of several Zep' tunes along with four new songs, backed by Farouk el Safi. The performances aired on October 12, and were so successful commercially and artistically that the two coordinated a tour which kicked off in February, 1995. The Unplugged performance was released as an album in November, 1994 as No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded.
It's rumored that John Paul Jones was excluded due to a feud between him and Plant, dating from the mid-80's.
Their tour took them across the world with a lineup including Charlie Jones playing bass and percussion, Michael Lee on drums, Porl Thompson performing guitar and banjo, Najma Akhtar providing backup vocals, Jim Sutherland on mandolin and bodhrán, Nigel Eaton hurdy gurdy, and Ed Shearmur playing Hammond organ with orchestral arrangements. Afterwards, they entered the studio with legendary engineer Steve Albini to record Walking into Clarksdale, an album of entirely new material. This album was not as commercially successful as Unledded had been, and the Page/Plant reunion slowly dissolved, with both members going on to perform with other side projects.
That's The Way
Page & Plant Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't play with you no more
I don't know how I'm gonna do what mama told me
My friend, the boy next door
I can't believe what people saying
Gonna let your hair hang down
I'm satisfied to sit here working all day lo-o-o-ong
And when I'm out I see you walking
Why don't your eyes see me
Could it be you've found another game to play
What did mama say to me
That's the way
Oh, that's the way it ought to be, ahh-ohh, ohh-ahh, ahh-ahh, ohh-ohh, don't you know
Mama said, ohh, mama said
That's the way it ought to stay, ohh-hoh
And yesterday I saw you standing by the river
And weren't those tears that filled your eyes
And all the fish that lay in dirty water dying
Had they got you hypnotized
And yesterday I saw you kissing tiny flowers
But all that lives is born to die
And so I say to you that nothing really matterrs
And all you do is stand and cry
I don't know what to say about it
When all your ears have turned away
But now's the time to look and look again at what you see, ohhh
Is that the way it ought to stay
That's the way
Ohh, that's the way it oughta be, oh-hoh, oh-hoh, oh-hoh, oh-hoh, oh-hoh, no-no-no
Oh, don't you know now
Mama said, oh, mama said that's the way it's gonna stay, oh-hoh, oh-hoh, ohhh
Ahhh ahhh ahhh ahhhhhh
Ahhh ahhhhh
The lyrics to Page & Plant's song "That's the Way" appear to describe a complicated and potentially fraught relationship between two people. The singer is struggling to find a way to tell the other person that they can't "play" with them anymore, likely due to external pressures (possibly from the singer's mother, as mentioned in the lyrics). The other person is described as being in the "darker side of town," suggesting a class or social divide between the two.
Throughout the song, the singer seems to be observing the other person from a distance and lamenting their inability to connect. The other person appears to be enamored of something or someone else, as evidenced by the line "Could it be you've found another game to play." Meanwhile, the singer is preoccupied with their work and seemingly unable to change their circumstances, singing "I'm satisfied to sit here working all day lo-o-o-ong." The song ends on a somewhat ambiguous note, with the singer questioning whether things are truly as they should be and urging the other person to take a closer look at their situation.
Overall, the lyrics to "That's the Way" suggest a sense of longing and missed connections. The song explores themes of class, societal expectations, and the difficulties of communication and ultimately leaves the listener with a sense of ambiguity and unresolved tension.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know how I'm gonna tell you
I'm unsure how to communicate this to you
I can't play with you no more
I can no longer engage in activities with you
I don't know how I'm gonna do what mama told me
I'm uncertain how to execute the instructions given by my mother
My friend, the boy next door
The person in question is a male friend who lives nearby
I can't believe what people saying
I cannot grasp the statements that others are making
Gonna let your hair hang down
You're going to let loose and enjoy yourself
I'm satisfied to sit here working all day lo-o-o-ong
I'm content with devoting my day to work
You're in the darker side of town
You live in the seedier part of the city
And when I'm out I see you walking
When I'm outside, I often spot you on foot
Why don't your eyes see me
Why aren't you aware of my presence?
Could it be you've found another game to play
Have you moved on to another interest?
What did mama say to me
What were the exact words my mother said to me?
That's the way
This is how things are
Oh, that's the way it ought to be, ahh-ohh, ohh-ahh, ahh-ahh, ohh-ohh, don't you know
This is the ideal state, don't you agree?
Mama said, ohh, mama said
This is a repetition of the advice given by my mother
That's the way it ought to stay, ohh-hoh
This is how things should continue to be
And yesterday I saw you standing by the river
I saw you near the riverbank yesterday
And weren't those tears that filled your eyes
Did I see tears streaming down your face?
And all the fish that lay in dirty water dying
The fish in the polluted water were slowly dying
Had they got you hypnotized
Did the gruesome sight have you entranced?
And yesterday I saw you kissing tiny flowers
Yesterday, you were kissing small blossoms
But all that lives is born to die
Everything that lives is guaranteed to eventually perish
And so I say to you that nothing really matterrs
I believe that nothing truly holds importance
And all you do is stand and cry
You are idle and tearful
I don't know what to say about it
I'm unsure how to address this issue
When all your ears have turned away
When everyone has stopped listening to you
But now's the time to look and look again at what you see, ohhh
It's time to reevaluate your viewpoint
Is that the way it ought to stay
Should things remain as they currently are?
Ahhh ahhh ahhh ahhhhhh
Vocalization without distinct meaning
Ahhh ahhhhh
Vocalization without distinct meaning
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cyber 101
The sound of Jimmy Page's guitar is just magical. Gorgeous song!
Elaine Goliszeski
Amen!
Rob Cross
I love this song - it reminds me of Summer days. One of of Led Zep's best
vertstang123
Cold chills. Jimmy Page on the 12 string is like magic.
Michael Andrew Taylor
Still shocked that John Paul Jones the Glue of Zeppelin wasn’t included on this endeavor rather sad 😢 would have been even more epic ❤
Steve Trivago
My son loved Led Zeppelin and playing guitar 🎸 5/10/95 — 7/21/2018
Rodrigo Silva
Dude..God bless you !!
Jennifer Sales
@Rodrigo Silva 5
Way Word
Man, that is so sad - I feel for You. I'm sure he is OK now. Maybe take solace in how he loved Zep and that you can always listen to his whisper through their music. 👍✌
Adventure and Family
Jeez, first comment, and a punch in the guts😢
God bless you Steve, stay strong man...🙏🏻