Led Zeps Robert Plant, writer of "Stairway to Heaven" on NPR Fresh Air

[DemoTex]

Best rock song ever. Period. And that is not my humble opinion. It is absolute, metaphysical certitude. Terri Gross even played Tiny Tim singing STH. Hot damn, what a great interview!


There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven
And when she gets there she knows if the stores are closed
With a word she can get what she came for


Woe oh oh oh oh oh
And she's buying a stairway to heaven

There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure
And you know sometimes words have two meanings
In the tree by the brook there's a songbird who sings
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven

Woe oh oh oh oh oh
And she's buying a stairway to heaven

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 stand looking

Woe oh oh oh oh oh
And she's buying a stairway to heaven

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 forest will echo with laughter



And it makes me wonder

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

Your head is humming and it won't go because you don't know
The piper's calling you to join him
Dear lady can't 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 souls
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything 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
Woe oh oh oh oh oh
And she's buying a stairway to heaven

There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven
And when she gets there she knows if the stores are closed
With a word she can get what she came for


And she's buying a stairway to heaven, uh uh uh.

[DemoTex]

1. The revelation for me:

If there's a bustle in your hedgerow
Don't be alarmed now
It's just a spring clean for the May Queen

I always thought it was a "sprinkling" for the May Queen.

[Pobeka]

2. Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings

I thought it was:

Cause you know sometimes words have true meanings.

Thanks for the lyrics!

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

8. wow. me too... but I usually listened to that part backwards

[greatauntoftriplets]

3. I heard the interview this morning.

The Tiny Tim version wasn't half bad. Surprised the hell out of me.

[nostamj]

4. it's not too late to edit your subj line!

there is no "a" in LED

and yes STH is a classic among classics but give Jimmy Page credit too. he's listed as co-author!

[DemoTex]

5. Thanks nostamj!

Good points. Hail Jimmy Page too!

[nostamj]

6. oh, you're welcome

ya know, I always thought this verse:

There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure
And you know sometimes words have two meanings
In the tree by the brook there's a songbird who sings
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven

really ended with:
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misleading

i mean, the rhyme works that way! (well, no, but MUCH closer!)

[DemoTex]

7. I still trip on "Stairway to Heaven"

And I don't do drugs. But I have fed many a quarter in juke boxes, over and over, to hear this fine tune. It still moves me.