# Led Zeplin IV **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 17, 2005, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-zeplin-iv/294955 "2005-03-17T06:41:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jbowles1972](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@jbowles1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jbowles1972)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-zeplin-iv/294955/1 "2005-03-17T06:41:00Z")
Does the lyrics in Led Zeplin IV apply to the Lord of the Rings books, an also the silmarilion by J.R. Tolkien?..John B. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-zeplin-iv/294955/2 "2005-03-17T06:47:23Z")
There’s a good article about Tolkien references in Led Zeppelin songs [here](http://www.louisville.edu/~rlhamm03/LOTRzeppelin.html). ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-zeplin-iv/294955/3 "2005-03-17T11:02:36Z")
I assume that you’re referring to the Battle of Evermore - in which case yes. If you mean Stairway To heaven - no. ---
**Author:** ![hyjyljyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/0ea827/32.png) [@hyjyljyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hyjyljyj)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-zeplin-iv/294955/4 "2005-03-17T13:10:44Z")
Not to mention (though I’m mentioning it) the line in Ramble On from Led Zep II: “'Twas in the darkest depths of Mordor/I met a girl so fair/But Gollum the evil one/Crept up and slipped away with her” I’ve always wondered how the really ugly stumpy bald guys with bad teeth get the hot babes ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-zeplin-iv/294955/5 "2005-03-17T13:30:02Z")
> [@hyjyljyj](#): > > Not to mention (though I’m mentioning it) the line in Ramble On from Led Zep II: > > “'Twas in the darkest depths of Mordor/I met a girl so fair/But Gollum the evil one/Crept up and slipped away with her” > > I’ve always wondered how the really ugly stumpy bald guys with bad teeth get the hot babes That’s from Led Zep **II** , but you have to wonder what a “girl so fair” was doing in the “darkest depths of Mordor” in the first place… ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-zeplin-iv/294955/6 "2005-03-17T13:32:11Z")
I apologize for missing the fact that Led Zep II was referenced in the post I responded to. Also, I don’t think the lyrics “Been a long time since I rock and rolled” (from Led Zeppelin IV) refer any of the works of JRRT. ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-zeplin-iv/294955/7 "2005-03-17T13:43:32Z")
> [@Rufus Xavier](#): > > That’s from Led Zep **II** , but you have to wonder what a “girl so fair” was doing in the “darkest depths of Mordor” in the first place… That part of the song is taken from Frodo’s point of view, and the “girl so fair” is Death, who is usually a little skinny for a hobbit. By the end of his tour in Mordor, though, she was looking pretty good. Gollum wasn’t necessarily evil, but he definitely stole Frodo’s death from him. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-zeplin-iv/294955/8 "2005-03-17T14:18:01Z")
> [@Rufus Xavier](#): > > I apologize for missing the fact that Led Zep II was referenced in the post I responded to. Also, I don’t think the lyrics “Been a long time since I rock and rolled” (from Led Zeppelin IV) refer any of the works of JRRT. You’re right, it’s a reference to the _Silmarillion_: Fëanor crafted the three special jewels, the Silmarils (the “rock” referred to in the title “Rock and Roll”; the “roll” part refers to the seas of Arda becoming “bent” into a curve so that Elven travelers going over the sea sort of roll over the world instead of going straight.) It’s “been a long time” because this story was back in the Elder Days of the First Age. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-zeplin-iv/294955/9 "2005-03-17T14:31:46Z")
Let us not forget the many times Frodo and Samwise fondly remembered then succulent custard pie served at the Green Dragon Inn. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-zeplin-iv/294955/10 "2005-03-17T18:38:04Z")
> [@Rufus Xavier](#): > > I apologize for missing the fact that Led Zep II was referenced in the post I responded to. Also, I don’t think the lyrics “Been a long time since I rock and rolled” (from Led Zeppelin IV) refer any of the works of JRRT. Sure it does. It’s from Bilbo’s point of view while he’s writing his memoirs. “Been a long time since I **did the stroll** ” - you know - there and back again. “LEMME GET IT BACK!! LEMME GET IT BACK!! LEMME GET IT BACK!!” - Isn’t that what he’s always saying to Frodo? “Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time.” - Yes, it’s not easy being a hero. ---
**Author:** ![mattmorgan64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@mattmorgan64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mattmorgan64)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-zeplin-iv/294955/11 "2005-03-17T19:09:05Z")
Hold on here folks, lets just slow this down a tad bit, if you don’t mind, thank you. First off, a warning: If you are a Tolkien fan (and I know - who isn’t), stop now, and skip over my post. This way you see, we won’t become mortal enemies. Thanks. Now I’ve been 2 things since my first pubes appeared: 1. A die hard Zep fan. 2. A die hard Tolkien hater. Now, keep in mind I’ve never actually _read_ any Tolkien; it’s just that I could never stand to converse with the kinds of people who did. I mean, they were all just too fucking goofy, and 10 out of 10 times couldn’t be bothered to talk anyway, as they were too busy playing dungeons and dragons or smoking banana peels. And yes, I will freely admit that a stoner (actually, we were called freaks at the time) is no better than a D&D geek. This still does nothing to change my perspective. And so, by way of association with these people - Tolkien has always been banned from my brain. I can’t even begin to tell you how painful life has become since these goddamn lord of the rings movies have been streaming out of hollywoods ass like crap through a goose. And now you tell me that the lyrics from some of my favorite songs are riddled with this crap? And these statements are obviously correct? And I claim to be a die hard fan and I never knew this? HOLY FUCK. St. Pattys day 2005. The day the music died for Matt Morgan. I suppose I can be happy in the knowledge that I’ll never find any references to any of the FUCKING STAR WARS CRAP in any Zep though. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-zeplin-iv/294955/12 "2005-03-17T20:13:44Z")
Since this is about lyrics and literature, I’ll move this thread to our arts forum, Cafe Society. bibliophage moderator GQ ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-zeplin-iv/294955/13 "2005-03-17T21:04:40Z")
> [@mattmorgan64](#): > > I suppose I can be happy in the knowledge that I’ll never find any references to any of the FUCKING STAR WARS CRAP in any Zep though. Don’t be so sure…I seem to remember a reference to “the force” in one of the songs on _In Through the Out Door_ 😛 ---
**Author:** ![mattmorgan64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@mattmorgan64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mattmorgan64)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-zeplin-iv/294955/14 "2005-03-18T00:40:42Z")
> [@Rufus Xavier](#): > > Don’t be so sure…I seem to remember a reference to “the force” in one of the songs on _In Through the Out Door_ > 😛 Taunt me no more, demons!