# Songs and their lyrics inspired by LoTR **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 28, 2002, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-and-their-lyrics-inspired-by-lotr/145387 "2002-12-28T18:39:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Homer\_J](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c37758/32.png) [@Homer\_J](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer_J)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-and-their-lyrics-inspired-by-lotr/145387/1 "2002-12-28T18:39:59Z")
I have been wondering this for a long time and if the SDMB can’t help me knowhere can. In the song ‘All Along the Watchtower’ by Bob Dylan (and Hendrix) the final verse is as follows All along the watchtower The princess kept the view While all the women came And went bare feet servants too Outside in the cold distance A wild cat did growl Two riders were aproaching And the wind began to howl This verse is very similar to the chapters of RoTK; The Watchtower - Gondor castle walls etc Princess - pippen or his guard friend whose name escapes me Women came and went - houses of healing women Cold distance - mordor wild cat - nazgul two riders - faramir and gandalf wind began to howl - typical tolkein-esque description I know that LoTR was quite a big influence in the 60’s to a lot of people and i find it quite believeable that Dylan would be inspired by the book. Another song which contains lyrics lending themselves to LoTR is ‘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, Look to the west, Grey Havens etc Spirit is crying for leaving - elves so forth Smoke rings - obvious, through the trees - any of the eleven forests AND 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. call the tune - not sure, possibly the many songs, piper - gandalf? those who stand long - those who stand up to mordor etc, forests will echo with laughter - basic idea of peace being restored and the forests becoming light and free, unlike fangorn during end of the third age. Thats just my thoughts, but they just seem to have so many parellels, i’d be interested to hear what everyone else thinks, or if they know of any songs with similar lyrics. ---
**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:** [December 28, 2002, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-and-their-lyrics-inspired-by-lotr/145387/2 "2002-12-28T20:29:10Z")
“All Along the Watchtower” was inspired by verses from the Bible, and any resemblance to Tolkien is, I believe, coincidental. P.S. It may be widely-held misconception that Hendrix wrote “AAtW.” He did not. It was entirely Dylan’s composition. Hendrix only covered it. Donald Swann was an English music-hall composer of yesteryear. You’ve probably never heard of him. I would never have heard of him either, except that he set seven Tolkien poems to music. _The Road Goes Ever On: A Song Cycle_ was published in, IIRC, 1967. Swann also recorded the songs with vocalist William Elvin (some name, huh?). The style of music and singing would not appeal much to rock-‘n’-roll headbangers. It would sound very corny to our ears. But you can hear the songs, re-released as part of _The J.R.R. Tolkien Audio Collection_. Tolkien himself consulted with Swann in the composition of “Namárië.” The book also was important in Middle-Earth publication history because it contained lengthy annotations by Tolkien to the text of “Namárië” giving valuable information about Valinor, the Valar, and the Elvish languages. Information that was otherwise unavailable before the publication of _The Silmarillion_ a decade later, so to Middle-Earth geeks the _Road_ book came as a descent of manna from Heaven, as it were, drops of water to the thirsty fans in the desert. Robert Foster drew upon this _Road_ information in writing his _Guide to Middle-Earth_. In the first edition, Foster also revealed the astonishing tidbit that the original Elves first awoke in the vicinity of Lake Baikal!!! Foster claimed that Tolkien had revealed this in a private communication. The official version of Elf origins published in the _Silmarillion_ had them “awakening” in Cuiviénen, far to the east of the area shown in the maps, far east beyond Rhûn. ---
**Author:** ![Vanyel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@Vanyel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vanyel)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-and-their-lyrics-inspired-by-lotr/145387/3 "2002-12-28T21:20:23Z")
‘Ramble On’, by Led Zeppelin: … I ain’t tellin’ no lie. Mine’s a tale that can’t be told, My freedom I hold dear; How years ago in days of old When magic filled the air, T’was in the darkest depths of Mordor I met a girl so fair, But Gollum, and the evil one crept up And slipped away with her. Her, her…yea. Ain’t nothing I can do, no. … ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-and-their-lyrics-inspired-by-lotr/145387/4 "2002-12-28T21:23:36Z")
Led Zep’s “Ramble On” is a much better example: > [@](#): > > Twas in the Darkest depths of Mordor > I met a girl so fair, > But Gollum and the Evil One > Crept up and slipped away with her. Can’t get more obvious than that. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-and-their-lyrics-inspired-by-lotr/145387/5 "2002-12-28T21:58:33Z")
I submit for consideration Meij’s first symphony. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-and-their-lyrics-inspired-by-lotr/145387/6 "2002-12-28T22:31:27Z")
> [@](#): > > The dark Lord rides in force tonight > And time will tell us all. > > … > > The ring wraiths ride in black, Ride on. > Sing as you raise your bow, > Shoot straighter than before. > No comfort has the fire at night > That lights the face so cold. -The Battle of Evermore by 'Zep They really loved Tolkien. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-and-their-lyrics-inspired-by-lotr/145387/7 "2002-12-28T22:47:31Z")
I always thought Bob Dylan’s [Shelter from the Storm](http://bobdylanbiography.8k.com/bob_dylan_albums/Blood_On_The_Tracks/shelter_from_the_storm.htm) was about Gimli’s love for Galadriel. But apparently I was wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Orange\_Skinner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3be4f8/32.png) [@Orange\_Skinner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orange_Skinner)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-and-their-lyrics-inspired-by-lotr/145387/8 "2002-12-28T23:29:24Z")
Pink Floyd’s _The Gnome,_ (written by Syd Barrett) always struck me as either being about _The Hobbit_ or LOTR. \*…I want to tell you a story About a little man If I can A gnome named Grimble Grumble And little gnomes stay in their homes Eating, sleeping, drinking their wine He wore a scarlet tunic, A blue green hood, It looked quite good He had a big adventure Amidst the grass Fresh air at last Look at the sky, look at the river Isn’t it good?..\* ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-and-their-lyrics-inspired-by-lotr/145387/9 "2002-12-29T00:47:55Z")
**Blind Guardian** has an album called _Nightfall in Middle Earth_, which is a concept album based on _The Silmarillon_. Many Tolkien themes show up in their other works, including the songs “Lord of the Rings”, “By the Gates of Moria”, etc. ---
**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:** [December 29, 2002, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-and-their-lyrics-inspired-by-lotr/145387/10 "2002-12-29T01:20:41Z")
There is are [whole Web pages](http://www.mi.uib.no/~respl/tolkien/Botr/music.html) out there somewhere that catalogs an astonishing number of songs and albums inspired by Middle-earth. The aforementioned Led Zepplin songs are there, of course, but sorry, no Bob Dylan. Now, Hob Dylan is another story. Author of great Middle-Earth songs like “The Third Age It Is A-Changin’,” “Stuck on Top of Orthanc with the Minas Blues Again,” and “Like a Seeing-Stone”… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-and-their-lyrics-inspired-by-lotr/145387/11 "2002-12-29T05:10:34Z")
Zeppelin made frequent references to the Misty Mountains – there’s “Misty Mountain Hop,” of course, and they mention them again in the song “Houses of the Holy.” ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-and-their-lyrics-inspired-by-lotr/145387/12 "2002-12-29T07:22:25Z")
Rush wrote songs called “Rivendell” and “The Necromancer”. ---
**Author:** ![Kaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/fbc32d/32.png) [@Kaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaf)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-and-their-lyrics-inspired-by-lotr/145387/13 "2002-12-29T11:20:14Z")
Let’s not forget that modern-day masterpiece by Leonard Nimoy - [The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins](http://www.fantasy-scifi.net/jrr_tolkien/hudba/hudba.php?cl=134). \*In the middle of the earth in the land of the Shire lives a brave little hobbit whom we all admire. With his long wooden pipe, fuzzy, wolly toes, he lives in a hobbit-hole and everybody knows him. \* Theres a video of the song, that I’ve seen on the net somewhere, I can’t remember where though. I’m sure Google would turn it up. ObGeek: Yes, I know it’s about _The Hobbit_, but Bilbo is in _LotR:FotR_ also. Truely one of Spock’s finest moments. ---
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-and-their-lyrics-inspired-by-lotr/145387/14 "2002-12-29T17:09:58Z")
Didn’t Matthew in NewsRadio make up a song kinda like that? You know, the episode where Ted died on the copier machine? It had thirty verses. ---
**Author:** ![Homer\_J](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c37758/32.png) [@Homer\_J](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer_J)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-and-their-lyrics-inspired-by-lotr/145387/15 "2002-12-29T20:01:18Z")
hmm ive never heard those led zep ones, i’ll have to check them out though, cheers, i certainly think the ones i posted could be, but the ones you lot posted definatly are. thanks, any more? ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-and-their-lyrics-inspired-by-lotr/145387/16 "2002-12-29T20:26:52Z")
This is a fairly obscure reference, but Jefferson Airplane recorded a song called “the Farm” that is an ode to west coast back-to-nature communal living. One of the verses goes something like this: Here comes my next door neighbor/ Comin’ down the road ridin’ on his toad called ‘Lightning’/ Yeah the toad’s name is Lightning/ And if you give him sugar, you know he’ll whinny like a bullhorn / Yes he will Later on, the main character of the song (Grace Slick) mentions “saddling up her frog” and riding back to her farm. Thus implying that every one is a tiny hobbit-sized person. It’s a pretty subtle reference, but it is a nod to the fact that most of the communal hippies of the time were inspired by Tolkien’s books. Basically, every one was indulging a fantasy about being hobbits and living the good life in Middle Earth’s Shire far away from “the War.” ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-and-their-lyrics-inspired-by-lotr/145387/17 "2002-12-30T14:26:45Z")
> [@](#): > > **Kaf** : Theres a video of the song, that I’ve seen on the net somewhere, I can’t remember where though. I can’t belive I actually had this URL recorded… [http://www.game-revolution.com/download/trickyl/goodies/Video/baggins.mov](http://www.game-revolution.com/download/trickyl/goodies/Video/baggins.mov) ---
**Author:** ![Elenfair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cc9497/32.png) [@Elenfair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elenfair)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-and-their-lyrics-inspired-by-lotr/145387/18 "2002-12-30T14:56:51Z")
I’m surprised no one has made mention of Enya’s Lothlórien (Shepherd Moons). It contains no lyrics, but the title is obviously from LoTR. E. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-and-their-lyrics-inspired-by-lotr/145387/19 "2002-12-30T15:06:15Z")
Another instrumental is **Nickel Creek** ’s _[House of Tom Bombadil](http://www.nickelcreek.com/listen.htm)_ ---
**Author:** ![BuckleberryFerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@BuckleberryFerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckleberryFerry)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-and-their-lyrics-inspired-by-lotr/145387/20 "2002-12-30T15:55:53Z")
**tanstaafl** , that has to be the most hilarious and pathetic thing I’ve seen in all my life…thank you for that! ~Ferry [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-and-their-lyrics-inspired-by-lotr/145387.md?page=2)