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.
The Battle of Evermore
Page & Plant Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And then she turned to go
The prince of peace embraced the gloom
And walked the night alone
Oh, dance in the dark of night
The dark lord rides in force tonight
And time will tell us all
Side by side we wait the night
The darkest of them all
Ah
Oh
I hear the horses' thunder
Down in the valley below
I'm waiting for the angels of Avalon
Waiting for the eastern glow
The apples of the valley hold
The seas of happiness
The ground is rich from tender care
Repay, do not forget
The apples turn to brown and black
The tyrant's face is red, ohhhh
Oh, war is the common cry
The sky is filled with good and bad
That mortals never know, ohhh
Ohh
Oh, well, the night is long
The beads of time pass slow
Tired eyes on the sunrise
Waiting for the eastern glow
The pain of war cannot exceed
The woe of aftermath
The drums will shake the castle wall
The ring wraiths ride in black
Sing as you raise your bow
No comfort has the fire at night
That lights the face so cold
Oh, dance in the dark of night
The magic runes are writ in gold
To bring the balance back
Bring it back
Oh
At last the sun is shining
The clouds of blue roll by
With flames from the dragon of darkness
The sunlight blinds his eyes
Oh oh Oh, ah ah ah ah
Bring it back,
Bring it back,
Bring it back,
Bring it back,
Bring it back,
Bring it back,
Bring it back,
Bring it back,
Oh
Bring it back,
Bring it back,
Bring it back,
Bring it back,
Oh
Oh now,
Oh now,
Oh now,
Oh now,
Oh now,
Oh now,
Oh now,
Oh now,
Bring it,
Bring it,
Bring it,
Bring it,
Bring it,
Bring it,
Oh
Huh huh huh [Repeat: x 28]
The lyrics to "Battle Of Evermore" by Page & Plant describe a mythical battle between good and evil. The queen of light and the prince of peace are on the side of good, and they are preparing for battle against the dark lord, who rides with his army below. The lyrics tell the story of the night before the battle, with the two sides standing opposite each other, waiting for the dawn when the battle will commence. The lyrics suggest that there is an uneasy tension in the air, with the darkness and the impending war weighing heavy on everyone's minds.
The lyrics also describe the aftermath of the battle, where the apples of the valley have turned brown and black, and the tyrant's face is red. This implies that the battle was bloody and violent, with no clear victor. Despite this, the magic runes will bring balance back to the world, restoring peace and harmony to the land.
Overall, the lyrics of "Battle Of Evermore" are full of vivid imagery and mythical storytelling. The song describes a battle of epic proportions, with themes of light and dark, good and evil, and peace and war. It is a powerful tribute to the human spirit and the struggle for survival in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
The queen of light took her bow
The symbol of purity and enlightenment, represented as the queen of light, bid farewell and stepped down from the stage of life.
And then she turned to go
She finally turned her back on this world and moved on to what lies beyond.
The prince of peace embraced the gloom
A heavenly being, the embodiment of peace, willingly embraced the darkness and sorrow that plagues the world.
And walked the night alone
Despite the his loneliness and isolation, the symbol of peace continued to walk the earth at night.
Oh, dance in the dark of night
In the darkest of hours, give in to the temptation to dance and forget the worries of the world.
The dark lord rides in force tonight
The personification of evil and darkness, the Dark Lord, rides with power and destruction tonight.
And time will tell us all
Only time can reveal the truth and the consequences of the events that take place in this battle.
Oh, throw down your plow and hoe
Abandon the mundane duties of a farmer and instead pick up arms to join the fight.
Side by side we wait the night
Together, we wait for the onset of the night and the events that will unfold.
The darkest of them all
This night is the darkest and most ominous of all.
Ah
An expression of feeling or realization.
I hear the horses' thunder
In the valley below, the sounds of the advancing army's horses can be heard.
Down in the valley below
The army is approaching from the valley below.
I'm waiting for the angels of Avalon
Waiting for divine intervention from the mythical land of Avalon to aid in the battle.
Waiting for the eastern glow
Anticipating the sunrise, which might bring hope or destruction to the battlefield.
The apples of the valley hold
The valley's orchards are a symbol of the beauty and joy of life.
The seas of happiness
The happiness and contentment of life is akin to an endless sea.
The ground is rich from tender care
The fertile ground, with its bountiful produce, is the result of careful cultivation and nurturing.
Repay, do not forget
We must remember to give back to the earth and the life it sustains.
The apples turn to brown and black
The apples, symbolic of life and happiness, eventually wither and die.
The tyrant's face is red, ohhhh
The face of the oppressor, filled with bloodlust and thirst for power, is red with anger and aggression.
Oh, war is the common cry
The universal outcry of the human condition is that of war and conflict.
The sky is filled with good and bad
The heavens are filled with both blessings and curses from above, showering humanity with fortune and misfortune.
That mortals never know, ohhh
The outcome of these heavens' influences are unknown, uncontrollable by mortal beings.
Ohh
An expression of emotion ranging from awe to sorrow.
Oh, well, the night is long
The hours of darkness and danger seem never-ending.
The beads of time pass slow
The time ticks by slowly, just like the pace of a rosary or mala.
Tired eyes on the sunrise
The eyes of the combatants, weary from the sleepless night, gaze upon the rising sun.
Waiting for the eastern glow
Hoping for the rising sun to bring clarity and hope.
The pain of war cannot exceed
The suffering of war cannot be surpassed or imagined.
The woe of aftermath
The devastation that remains in the war's wake brings its own type of suffering.
The drums will shake the castle wall
The booming sounds of warfare and fear will echo through the canyons and mountains, shaking the foundations of all structures.
The ring wraiths ride in black
The ominous, dark silhouette of the entity known as the 'ring wraith' join the battle, riding into war dressed in black.
Sing as you raise your bow
As warriors stand poised to aim and release their arrows, they will also sing, combining the power of music and weapon.
No comfort has the fire at night
Even as the warriors try to stay warm by the fire on these cold, dark nights, they find little comfort or solace from the harsh battlefield.
That lights the face so cold
The fire reflects on the faces of the soldiers, highlighting their fatigue and coldness to the bone.
The magic runes are writ in gold
In the golden light of dawn, magical runes appear, signaling some potential transformation or miracle for the battle.
To bring the balance back
Written in the runes is the promise of restoring equilibrium amid the chaos and instability of opposing forces at war.
Bring it back
A call to restore the world back to its rightful state of balance.
At last the sun is shining
As morning arrives, the sun rises and shines its light on the battlefield.
The clouds of blue roll by
The clouds in the blue sky move past, with the potential for storms to arrive any moment.
With flames from the dragon of darkness
The devil himself, represented as a dragon, sends flames of destruction and despair onto the battlefield.
The sunlight blinds his eyes
As the light shines on the darkness, it blinds the eyes of the dragon of darkness, causing temporary loss of sight and potential confusion.
Bring it back,
Again, the call to restore balance and order.
Huh huh huh [Repeat: x 28]
A repeated sound or chuckle, left up to interpretation.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: James Patrick Page, Robert Anthony Plant
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind