It was formed in 1932 by Thomas Beecham, and played its first concert on October 7 of that year. In 1939 it became self-governing, with members of the orchestra themselves taking decisions on the organisation's affairs. During the Second World War the Orchestra was particularly active in touring the country and bringing orchestral music to places where it was not usually available.
Other principal conductors of the orchestra have included Adrian Boult (1951-57), Bernard Haitink (1967-79) and Georg Solti (1979-83). In 2000, Kurt Masur was appointed to the post, succeeded in 2007 by Vladimir Jurowski.
As well as its London concerts the orchestra frequently tours internationally.
As well as giving many classical concerts, the LPO has made several film soundtracks, including Lawrence of Arabia, Philadelphia, The Mission and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, as well as some CD albums of the music from the video game series Dragon Quest, and the soundtrack for Xenosaga Episode I. They also occasionally play on popular music records, like Chick Corea's album Corea Concerto or Nightwish's Once for example. In the mid-90s the LPO even released a tribute album to English rock band Led Zeppelin with covers of the bands songs, including an infamous rendition of “Kashmir”.
Stairway To Heaven
The London Philharmonic Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven.
When she gets there she knows
If the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for.
Ooh ooh and she's buying a stairway to heaven.
There's a sign on the wall
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook
There's a songbird who sings,
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it makes me wonder.
There's a feeling I get
When I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen
Rings of smoke through the trees,
And the voices of those who standing looking.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it really makes me wonder.
And it's whispered that soon, If we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason.
And a new day will dawn
For those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter.
If there's a bustle in your hedgerow,
Don't be alarmed now,
It's just a spring clean for the May queen.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on.
And it makes me wonder.
Your head is humming and it won't go
In case you don't know,
The piper's calling you to join him,
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow,
And did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind.
And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul.
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How ev'rything still turns to gold.
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last.
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll.
And she's buying a stairway to heaven.
The lyrics to The London Philharmonic Orchestra's song Stairway to Heaven are beautifully written and contain many interpretations. The song begins with a story about a lady who believes all that glitters is gold and is buying a stairway to heaven. This line suggests that she believes in material possessions and hope for a better place beyond life. She believes that with a word, she can get everything that she wants. This could signify the power of the spoken word and how it can manifest itself into reality.
The lady is cautious and wants to be sure about what she is doing before she gets to the end of the stairway. She sees a sign on the wall but is unsure if it has two interpretations or if it should be read literally. The song then takes on a more spiritual tone with imagery of smoke rings and voices that suggest a connection to nature and the spiritual world. It then ends with a message of hope, change, and unity. The lyrics suggest that everyone has the power to change their life's journey, but it requires taking the right path.
Overall, the song's lyrics are mysterious and open to interpretation. The lyrics evoke a sense of wonder, fantasy, and the unknown. The inclusion of spiritual and mystical elements in the lyrics suggests that the song may be about the search for enlightenment and a higher sense of being. The song's poetic lyricism also suggests deep metaphors about life, love, and the human journey.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a lady who's sure
There exists a woman who is confident
All that glitters is gold
Everything that shines may not be valuable
And she's buying a stairway to heaven.
The woman is endeavoring to reach heaven by buying a stairway
When she gets there she knows
She is confident that she will achieve her goal
If the stores are all closed
If the shops are shut
With a word she can get what she came for.
She can get everything she is looking for by just saying a word
Ooh ooh and she's buying a stairway to heaven.
The woman is still buying the stairway to heaven and expressing her enthusiasm with singing 'ooh ooh'
There's a sign on the wall
A notice is situated on the wall
But she wants to be sure
However, she needs to confirm it
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
Because words can have more than one meaning
In a tree by the brook
In a tree which is close to the small stream
There's a songbird who sings
A songbird is chirping
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.
Often, what we believe is incorrect
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
This makes me curious
Ooh, it makes me wonder.
It genuinely makes me inquisitive
There's a feeling I get
There is an emotion that I experience
When I look to the west,
Whenever I gaze in the western direction
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
I am heartbroken and desire to leave this place
In my thoughts I have seen
I've seen in my imagination
Rings of smoke through the trees,
Circles of smoke appear among the trees
And the voices of those who standing looking.
The sounds of those observing from afar
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
This raises questions in my mind
Ooh, it really makes me wonder.
It truly sparks my curiosity
And it's whispered that soon, If we all call the tune
It's been suggested, that if we all act together
Then the piper will lead us to reason.
The piper will guide us on the path of wisdom
And a new day will dawn
A brand new day will begin
For those who stand long
For those who wait patiently
And the forests will echo with laughter.
The woods will resonate with joyous chortles
If there's a bustle in your hedgerow,
If there's a commotion in your path
Don't be alarmed now,
Do not be apprehensive
It's just a spring clean for the May queen.
It's merely a spring cleaning for the May queen
Yes, there are two paths you can go by
Indeed, you have two options
But in the long run
However, the ultimate outcome
There's still time to change the road you're on.
There is still time to select a different path
And it makes me wonder.
It makes me contemplate
Your head is humming and it won't go
Your mind is buzzed and the sound is persistent
In case you don't know,
In case you are unaware
The piper's calling you to join him,
The piper is summoning you to connect with him
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow,
Respected lady, can you perceive the wind blowing
And did you know
Furthermore, did you already know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind.
Your route can be found on the soft wind's whispers
And as we wind on down the road
Along as we progress further along the path
Our shadows taller than our soul.
Our shadows seem larger than our being
There walks a lady we all know
Everyone knows the lady walking alongside
Who shines white light and wants to show
She emits bright light and intends to illustrate
How ev'rything still turns to gold.
Everything around us can be precious
And if you listen very hard
If you pay close attention
The tune will come to you at last.
You will finally perceive the melody
When all are one and one is all
When everyone is the same, and everyone is united
To be a rock and not to roll.
To be resilient and not faltering towards other temptations
And she's buying a stairway to heaven.
The woman is still purchasing the stairway to heaven
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JIMMY PAGE, ROBERT PLANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind