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.
Upon a Golden Horse
Page & Plant Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
After came the sea
Crawling through the rain and storm
For you, for me
Slowly walks the sacred fool
Countenance sublime
Shining in the light of love
Shining, shining
Oh, shine for me now
Oh, shine for me now
High upon a golden horse
Out upon the sea
Moves a man with simple words
Some for you now, some for me
Burn for me, burn for me ah
Oh, burn for me now
Oh, burn for me, burn for me ah
Oh oh hoh hoh hoh
Out there where the wild wind blows
Oh, where the soul is free
You will be my brightest star
Shining, shining
Oh! Shine for me now
Oh! Shine for me now, oh
Ooh burn for me burn for me
Yeah oh burn for me, burn for me
Oh oh
Shine for me now
Oh oh oh oh
Shine for me now
Hey hey hey
The song "Upon A Golden House" is filled with vivid imagery and metaphors that can be interpreted in many ways. At its core, the song seems to be about the power of love and how it can overcome even the most destructive forces. The first verse sets the stage for the song, with a fire burning and then the sea coming in to extinguish it. This could be seen as a metaphor for the destructive nature of passion and how it can sometimes consume us, but then the soothing waters of love come in to cool things down.
The second verse introduces the concept of a "sacred fool" who walks slowly and has a sublime countenance. This could be a reference to a spiritual or religious leader who is spreading a message of love and compassion. The chorus then repeats the idea of shining in the light of love and asking for that love to shine for us now. The third verse introduces the image of a man on a golden horse out on the sea, who has simple words for everyone. This could be a metaphor for a wise teacher who guides us through life's uncertainties.
The song then ends with a plea for someone to burn for us, which could mean that we need someone's passion and energy to light the way for us. Finally, we return to the idea of shining and being someone's brightest star in the wild winds of life. The song is open to interpretation, but it seems to be a meditation on the power of love, wisdom, and the human spirit to overcome adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
First there was a fire that burned
It all started with a blazing fire
After came the sea
Then came the vast ocean
Crawling through the rain and storm
Enduring hardships and difficulties, pushing forward
For you, for me
Working towards a common goal or benefitting each other
Slowly walks the sacred fool
A visionary individual who may seem foolish to others, moving with purpose and conviction
Countenance sublime
With a remarkable or awe-inspiring facial expression
Shining in the light of love
Radiating with passion and affection
Shining, shining
Continuing to glow or radiate
Oh, shine for me now
Let your light shine for me at this moment
High upon a golden horse
Rising above others with a sense of superiority or grandeur
Out upon the sea
Venturing far and wide on the open waters
Moves a man with simple words
A man who speaks clearly and plainly, but with great impact
Some for you now, some for me
Sharing ideas, concepts or emotions between two or more individuals for mutual benefit
Burn for me, burn for me ah
Be consumed with passion or desire for me
Oh, burn for me now
Let your passion or desire be ignited for me now
Oh, burn for me, burn for me ah
Let your passion or desire be sustained and intense for me
Oh oh hoh hoh hoh
A joyful, upbeat expression of emotions
Out there where the wild wind blows
In a place of freedom, adventure or unpredictability
Oh, where the soul is free
A place where one can be free, creative and expressive
You will be my brightest star
You will shine the brightest in my life, bringing me joy and inspiration
Oh! Shine for me now
Radiate your light for me now
Oh! Shine for me now, oh
Radiate your light for me now, a plea or request to continue shining
Ooh burn for me burn for me
Be intensely passionate or desirous for me
Yeah oh burn for me, burn for me
An affirmation or reinforcement of the desire for passion
Oh oh
An expression of excitement or anticipation
Shine for me now
Radiate your light for me at this moment
Oh oh oh oh
A continuation of a joyful expression
Shine for me now
Radiate your light for me at this moment
Hey hey hey
An exclamation of happiness or contentment
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES PATRICK PAGE, MICHAEL PEARSON, ROBERT PLANT, STEPHEN CHARLES JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@leelitif7187
a transparent great song jimmy and robert match perfectly on this and still a very good underated cd
@gniewomircioek6845
Fucking brillant!
@peteraustinnoto142
Great
@mleightle9289
production on this album sucked ass, have no idea wtf Steve Albini was thinking and I wanted to toss this CD in the trash once i heard the sound of it....
Upon a Golden Horse is a standout track musically, especially with those string arrangements ..The song "exists" and the potential is there. I'd go so far as saying it's probably as good as anything Zeppelin could have put out after Physical Graffiti Would a little reverb hurt? Sounds like Page's majestic riffs were recorded inside the kick drum with a pillow and his amp was stationed inside the bathroom down the hall, the mix is all over the place and it sounded like they dubbed plant in over a intercom. After some great touring and middle east arranging of some zep tunes and having the late great Michael Lee to accompany them, this was as shambolic as it gets for the once masters of their domain
@sirkayda7205
The production on this album is stellar. The guitars are rich and warm. The drums are very roomy but so were Bonham's. I was blown away by this album's production the first time I heard it.
Edit: Plant's voice benefits from that compression and warmth.
@SopranoPizzaJMFNJ
@Sir Kayda It’s muddy. Deep & Warm? Possibly but it lacks clarity at times and until the final string parts it’s completely lacking in sparkle.
@saleconomos473
Great song with lots of majestic power.
But Plant's reduced vocals cant match that power.
Disappointing effort from him.
IMHO
@kingjesus872
Ugh I've heard kids that can barely play their instruments produce better music D:
@moreblack
LOL, Nah. There aren't any.
@xvola6888
That's because you just don't get it, i truly feel sorry for you.