Darkest Depths of Mordor — Led Zeppelin
Categories: LifeListening to the radio yesterday while puttering around my office, I discovered something surprising. “Ramble On” by Led Zeppelin was playing — a song I’ve heard a dozen times over the decades — and I noticed a line that sounded like, “in the depths of Mordor.”
“Mordor,” I thought, “like in Lord of the Rings? In a Led Zeppelin song?”
So I looked up the lyrics online. What I found surprised me. I even checked three different lyrics sites to be sure.
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…
Well, color me impressed. I don’t know what surprises me more, that Led Zeppelin so obviously referenced LotR in one of their songs, or that I never noticed it or knew it despite how many times I’ve heard the song.
Bullgrit
only you could connect the greatest rock band ever to a fictional scfi book and movie….is nothing sacred….oh, before i forget, you do know that jimmy page(you know who that is right) was interested in and somewhat invovled with the occult….right? i mean he used to own alestair crowley’s castle…so maybe a little of that came out in the music…and he could be saying mortor….you know, like with bricks and stone laying….
Ramble On is squarely about Lord of the Rings. Back in the 60s and early 70s, LotR was “discovered” by the counter culture of the time, its fantasy elements playing well to the psychedelic zeitgeist… to the point where JRR Tolkien (LotR author) would be disturbed day and night by stoned-out LotR fans with apparently no grasp of privacy and time zones.
Well it does sound like that what Robert Plant is singing.
Well it does sound like that is what Robert Plant is singing.
Led Zep has several songs about LotR actually: the Battle of Evermore and Misty Mountain Hop qualify as well as Ramble On.
wow…all of you are trying to connect zep to that book…you guys do know that they did A LOT of drugs…do you think misty mt hop might just possibly be about that…and not lotr. i think so…ill be back to this, going to check it out….
Why can’t it be about both?
i think they are reading in to the lyrics…hes looking for a girl…golem is anything evil…not just the thing in the movie…think about the name guys…ramble on, he is traveling, looking for a girl….or at least thats what i heard today….or he couldve just been rambling on…and the song means nothing…
How can someone who thinks Zep is the greatest rock band ever not know about the references contained in their lyrics? If “Ramble On” is too subtle for you, “Battle of Evermore” is pretty tough to dispute. What? They weren’t saying “ring-wraiths”, they were saying “Ving Rhames”? :)
Do your research Brogrit Zepplin was Fans of the Book I remember a intervue and they asked Jimmy directly. I he said they where big fans of the books. Think what supprizes me is that Bull took this long to notice LOL.
I checked wiki and it says this song is about lord of the rings.
i honestly dont care if the song is or isnt about lotr…if you guys havent noticed, i like to rib on my brother sometimes…as he does to me….jimmy page was into some strange stuff…so maybe the song is about the book…one day ill look into it, or maybe not…i know led zep is the greatest rock band ever…thats what matters.
oh, and if wiki says it, it must be true…
oh it must be it must. And don’t get wrong me Bro i also agree Zep is next best thing to Floyd.
floyd is next best to zep….
nice post. thanks.
Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed browsing your blog posts. In any case I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again soon!
Nice post I’ve bookmarked it on Digg under “Darkest Depths of Mordor — Led Zeppelin Total Bullgrit”. Keep up with the good stuff.