Jimmy Page: How Stairway to Heaven was written - BBC News
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Stairway to Heaven was one of the biggest rock songs of the 1970s - loved, imitated and sometimes parodied. Now Led Zeppelin's classic track is back on the turntable, on a re-mastered version of the band's fourth album. 43 years after its release, the song continues to hold a place in many music fans' hearts.
Guitarist Jimmy Page gives a personal account of how a rock anthem came together.
Camera: Dave O'Neill, Richard Kenny. Editing: Dave O'Neill. Producer: Amanda Bruckshaw
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That's how we used to listen to music back in the 70s. Get the album, bring it home, put it on the turntable, sit down in a comfy chair, open up the album cover, take out the lyrics and credits and read along as you listen to the entire album. It was an experience. And it was awesome.
GooglelyTube different times now. I try to do it similarly tho, especially with great albums, sit down and bring up the lyrics on my phone and follow along. I need a record player and records.
a lot of weed was involved too
usually get the album, get home, put it on, lay the cover on your knees, skin up . . . . .
Rick Simpson can you adopt me please?
right. the cover art was a whole experience in itself. you just cant get that with cds.
I don't think any of us that grew up in the 70's understood we were witness to the some of the greatest music ever written. This music was truly epic.
Straight up man
Wow
Music now is very bad
The best music is the real Rock n roll
We lived the best moments of music till this day..
I remember interviewing my dad about the 1970’s for a school project. He was still very young when it was released but remembers it very distinctly because was so impactful.
Yes…I had to save my pennies to buy the album which we shared with our friends at school so we could all enjoy it!
Wow…I really have great memories of those days!
Oh yeah…we had to be very careful no to break that turn table needle or scratch the record!
It makes me sad that we don’t have bands like this anymore. It’s sad that music isn’t like this anymore.
Couldn’t agree more lad. Music truly is in the dump, and the only lifeline that keep us alive are the bands like Zeppelin.
Go listen to Greta Van Fleet. Honestly. Yes, they do sound a bit similar, especially vocally in their earlier stuff. If you like this song, promise me you check out "The Weight of Dreams" from their last album😊 you won’t regret it. Come back to me when you’ve listened to it. I’d love to hear your thoughts
It's out there, it's just hard to find.
@@glenncronise7775 You have to look to see, listen to hear, reach out to feel.
New Avenged Sevenfold came out recently. "Cosmic" is the best track, bar none, but that whole album is very experimental and fun. Title track is the closer, and it's genuinely just a piano solo that sounds like something from Beethoven or Mozart.
The first time I heard this song was August 16, 1997, my Mother had just passed away. About an hour before….I was going to a close friend’s to tell her. I got in the car and “Stairway to Heaven” started to play on the radio. I drove the entire length of that song, down the highway and back to my friend’s. Every year, I listen to it again. I love this song. It captures for me a moment of pure sorrow but it raises me up at the same time. ❤️🩹
❤
Sorry about your loss 🥲
God's Blessings
Jimmy Page needs to walk into a guitar store and start playing stairway to heaven
No! Denied!
Lmao, maybe the owner gonna recognise before he even play
He’s not that kind of man. This guy plays that shit up on a stage with thousands and thousands of people watching him.
Too funny!
And David Gilmour has to do the same to play "Wish you were here"... lol
Mind blown = Jimmy Page playing the original album on a record player while giving us his personal thoughts about the creation of this eternal masterpiece.
I do not recall actually hearing Jimmy Page's voice before, just talking and sharing his thoughts. I had thought his voice was deeper, like since the 80's when I first heard Led Zeppelin. My mind is totally tripping hearing his real voice narrating Stairway to Heaven. 💖
No mention of the song copied.
@@HavendaleBlvd80 Please. Three notes at the beginning sound similar. What he did after that is light years ahead of whatever song it kind of sounds like…for a second.
Does anyone hear a blues player do a standard blues shuffle and go “they copied this!!”?
@@HavendaleBlvd80 Im a little shocked, I came here for this and you are the only one, like this should open with well we played this gig with this other band...
@@HavendaleBlvd80 bruh..
As long as I live and probably beyond I will never forget the expression on their faces when Ann Wilson from Heart sang Stairway to Heaven at The Kennedy Center Honors. In my mind these grown men were hearing and embracing how brilliant it was and how it impacted a whole generation of music. I fell in love with all of them that night.
That was a very special moment. The Wilson sisters really did a great job on the song, and John Bonham's son Jason played drums. That was probably the greatest performance of the song since it was recorded back in the early 70's. A full choir was revealed at the peak of the song. It really was a magnificent performance.Truly a great tribute to a legendary band.
Yes, I agree, I love Heart's version just as much as I love Led Zepplin's. I first heard Led Zepplin's stairway when I was 10, now I'm 64 and never tire of listening to it.
The humbleness, while describing the greatest song ever written, gets me. Elder page is a treasure
On contrast Robert plant is so pretentious, it's incredible how different they are
@@Pepespizzeria1yeah, Jimmy Page has been my favorite member, he wasn’t the best as a person, and did drugs with Robert quite frequently, he even appeared high on stage one time, but he was still a great guitarist and he has gotten much better as a person.
Yes, love hearing his reflection❤
Robert is beautiful!! Original and real! They all are master musicians who loved and supported each other and had a chemistry that will never come again or can be duplicated.
@@Pepespizzeria1there’s nothing worse than a humble rock frontman tho
When he says “Robert was magnificent” almost, lovingly. He spoke well of everyone.
Yes..Very good point.
They really did love each other, they were truly family. They spent most of their time together living in the cottage where they wrote and consistently touring. They spent more time with each other then they did apart and with their own families. That's why when Bonham passed they couldn't carry on without him. In their minds they truly did lose a family member. Such an amazing group that wrote such beautiful music. the music was different than anything else that was out at the time because it was heavily influenced by old blues music from the 30s, some of their songs are even Rewritten old 1920s and 30s blues songs. Although they stopped in the early 1980s, they would go on to influence generations of groups to follow. I feel they are the best group of their era if not all time. Just the way they worked with each other and worked off of each other, everything just clicked perfectly.
But we probably all agree, that's probably what brought us to this video in the first place LOL 😉
Marcus Merisier well he was.
They have that vibe. It's pure, pours over us even more now if that's possible. They're really special in my mind. Robert Plant in big log video has a white feather that floats down and rests on his arm. Rock and Roll angels I call them. Hehe make my spirit soar!
Yeah, shame he's off his trolley in real life. Spying on Robbie Williams when he's not down stairs trying to contact the devil with his Crowley stuff
It so amazing seeing him just calmly stare at the album cover and you can see the memories flooding over his face
@@Shadow-gm9ct, thanks!
Finlay Kusik yes! My thoughts exactly. When music was music. Where has the time gone.🙏❤️
@@benitasteffan7404 I agree! Life is just so dull for me now that I can't experience hat music live. I'm afraid I never did either, seeing as I'm just a teen.
Joseph Boyat same
Finlay Kusik I know, you can feel his melancholy, it’s beautiful 🖤
Absolute masterpiece. To hear how thoughtfully Jimmy and the band designed this song to be a constantly unfolding and evolving journey is just so inspirational. Legends.
Quando fala em Led Zeppelin é tudo.
Their plagiarism knew no bounds
@@t.d6379I don’t think Satan minded
That's exactly what I was going to come here and say what a masterpiece this was and to hear Jimmy talk about it!
@@hansenhardscape8309 satan?
Strange seeing him here as a 70 year old gentleman. My mental picture of him is from 1975, and at the time I never thought any of us would get that old ... Glad he's still around.
+Marcellis Robinson Yes, here we are!
+Marcellis Robinson It's funny how Spinal Tap made fun of the 'aging rocker' phenomenon in 1984 because those guys were...40 years old! Now they're all 70, lol. But teenagers are still listening to their music, it hasn't aged a day.
+valinor100
I'm 58, and I see a lot of youtube comments by teenagers that marvel at how good the music scene was when we were kids.
Marcellis Robinson
You're of my father's generation, which is how I got into all of this music. He saw a lot of these acts live in the late 60s - 70s, including Led Zeppelin twice. I've been fortunate to see several of them live. In 1969, two guys from our hometown asked him if he wanted to go to this concert in upstate New York...he was like, nahhh...well, that was Woodstock XD
+Marcellis Robinson I'm 55 and it was the best of times back in the day
Make a movie about Zeppelin already before it's too late.
It's called the Song Remains the Same, it's a concert movie released in 1976.
@@chetmcgovern9985 as in a cinematic film like BR.
Steve Rogers there’s already enough no more for now.
@@cameronharris955 why not let these rapheads get a taste of the rock gods sent from heaven
Avan Roy Official I agree wirh that I’m tired of mumble rap we need more people and bands like Greta van fleet to bring it back
Jimmy Page smiling at the end while pulling off the record from the turntable is a great ending to this small documentary. Very heartearming indeed.
A great ending to one of the most famous pieces of music ever written.
Yes that was the moment of this clip. Glad he’s as proud as he should be.
Like Grandpa smirking after telling you a story, yes endearing with no indication of the wild man he once was (the stories of debauchery in their prime are unbelievable!)
If only the tone arm hadn't been in all sorts of irregular positions on the LP instead of a continuous movement...
John Bohnams intro fill coming out of the solo and into the "And as we wind on down the road" part is so simple yet powerful. He always knew when to NOT overplay. Amazing.
Only person who can play stairway to heaven in a guitar store.
Yup
I'd be more interested to see how he played Candy Store Rock. Actually got to see him play Tangerine live which was pretty amazing.
Yup yup yup!😂✊🤟✌️
NOT DENIED!
That started with Wayne’s world
He's like Gandalf sitting in Bilbo's parlour reminiscing about days when forests echoed with laughter.
Beautiful comment
Does anyone remember laughter?
As Bilbo said.. Bring back any old stories or songs you hear
@@brianaspden7000 great live version of this song. Guitar solo goes to another level
That's a poetic comment
Eternal, like a Beethoven's Symphony, or a Bach's Cantata, or Mozart's Requiem, etc, etc.
Page's solo is a masterpiece in itself. Absolute control of phrasing and expressivity. Transcendental in all levels.
You forgot Pantera's Cowboys From Hell! 🔥
I just turned 20 and have a deep love for classic rock and roll like this. Bands like Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, AC/DC, and Pink Floyd truly have a deep place in my heart even though I wasn't able to experience them in their primes. I wish more people my age were enlightened by the music who paved the way for artists today. Revive Rock.
Rory Gallagher - '74 Irish Tour...Check that out!
Check out bb king. He was most of their inspiration . Best guitarist ever. Lynard skinard. Yardbirds. All the best come from these
"STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN' CONSISTENTLY VOTED FOR OVER 40 YEARS AS THE GREATEST ROCK N' ROLL SONG EVER.
Philip Matsikoudis wasn't it Bohemian Rhapsody?
@@terryplew3333 No it wasn't.
@@NewarkBay357 Nice anwser
@@NewarkBay357 it was bohemian rhapsody Google it
@@dannycrennell1487 Google is fake News ! )))
His little smile right to the camera at the end.. He is saying "yep, the song we created is legendary".... No other words required.
Truth!
Exactly my thoughts too
I couldn't help but smile back.
@@Icza haha me too
What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul in hell. a quote from Jesus in Matthew 10:28
There’s no party in the hell it is canceled due to the fire!
His smile at the end expressed all the feelings! Such an incredible masterpiece
Never, Ever will there be a band like this again! Every song was a masterpiece
This will forever be known as the greatest rock song ever made. The talent of each artist excel at their craft in this song. Simply magnificent
@@foxmccloud6438 lmao shows how dumb you are. Zeppelin won the lawsuit against the band called spirit. It's a perfect example of somebody wanting to get some money because of jealousy. On top of that that chord progression by spirit had been used for centuries in a number of songs. Sit down 🤡
so agreed
I second that!@@workathomestoners9154
I am 59 years old and was fortunate enough to be growing up when this music was popular. But my favorite memory was my Daddy saying "Do you think people are going to be listening to that mess 20 years from now?" It's 40 years later and people are still listening so it has to be good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
+Marsha Smith That's funny, but true. My kids listen to Rock from the late 60's, 70's and early 80's more than today's music. Many of their friends are the same way. It was definitely a great era for music.
+J Cribbs I agree, just do not conclude - like many do - tat there is no such music today. It is there. It only is not that popular anymore.
yes I can remember my parents saying the same thing when my mother was playing harpist for the bso. At 59 years of age I understand.
+Marsha Smith Funny, I'm the same age as you and this was the one and only song I had that my parents liked.
I didn't start playing this particular song until I moved away so my Daddy didn't get the particular pleasure of hearing this one. My brother was the one that played most of the music and it was the Beatles and other more pop oriented music. Oh, and what a day it was when my Mama decided she liked the Fifth Dimension. Because before then, we were not allowed to buy records by, I'll say, Motown artists. (I live in the South so that explains that issue.)
you can tell he's satisfied with that part of his life and has no regrets even with how Led ended. They made their mark and stopped on their terms. Legendary
And to think of the 13 year old James on that 1957 show after performing the skiffle when he says he wants to get into biological research as a career. I'm certain he had absolutely no idea he was on course to write arguably the greatest rock song of all time, metamorphosing into a veritable rock deity.
Well, I'm not sure Led Zep ended the way they wanted to.
Stopping because bonzo died wouldn't exactly be their terms imo
Yeah they made their mark molesting under age female groupies. That's not anything to be proud of.
@@stuie382 do you understand that so many bands would have replaced bonham and continued on? Hell, there are bands that continue to write and play shows with no remaining original members. Bonhams death did not mean they had to stop, but they chose not to force it. Thats on their terms.
This song and bohemian rhapsody are masterpiece of an era! Best songs ever written
Don't forget American Pie! The Holy Trinity of Classic Rock!
The greatest song of any decade..well written, superbly performed..never gets old hearing.
My older brother gave me the album. He told me to listen to his favorite song Stairway to heaven. He said it was great. He was right. That was in the early 80's. I still have the album. It was the last time I saw him until his funeral. I think of him every time I hear it. RIP Scott.
I’m sorry for ur loss.
JOEKER 916 He most certainly gave you a fine gift...a gift that has arried you through!
Sorry for your loss man.
I'm so sorry for your lose
My condolences
Imagine coming up with a idea, making it a song, releasing it and 50 years later it is still being played a few thousand times every day somewhere in the world.
Imagine writing the original guitar riff, and having Jimmy Page rip you off and refuse to pay royalties. RIP Randy California
@@KCNYC Imagine being real a musician and know that similarities in music is something that cannot be avoided. Should everyone sued each other for G, C, EM & D as well? Moron
@@guitarfrozenintime When it's this bloody close, I say: YES!
@@KCNYC Eh who cares.
@@KCNYC And yet here you are anyway. Even the fools. . .
To compose something so timeless that will be enjoyed for generations to come must be the greatest feeling for a musician.
Page's face shows serenity, nostalgia, instrospection, and seriousness. At the very last second, he flashes the greatest smile! Instantly approachable. This is a great video: the whole length of it is the length of the song, with narration and explanation insterspersed.
I love that Jimmy still listens to his vinyl and reads his album cover and inserts. So sad that most listeners don't experience that anymore.
That's what I miss most about albums, reading the cover & inner sleeve. That's how I learned to recognize musicians work.
Exactly my thoughts
I MISS THE GOOD OLE DAYS AND THE GOOD OLE MUSIC..🎸🎶🥰
Boomer ritual 😊
I wish I could
Jimmy Page grew into a proper British gentleman, humble and well-spoken. That’s comforting. 👌🏼
"Always been this way"?? Perhaps except the years of alcohol and drug abuse?
@@kf8575 And so?
Dave auf dem BMW. Lol ya all gentlemen date underage girls and study black magic
@@imilf2003 that's a broad generalisation. Idiot.
He’s a Satanist!
czcams.com/video/F80RzK4jWUA/video.html
czcams.com/video/JMR9DdYiA-w/video.html
Absolutely amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have never heard it described that way
You can tell Jimmy page is the biggest Led Zeppelin fan of us all. You can just feel the pride he has in every word he speaks explaining this song.
This is absolutely brilliant!!!!!!!!!!
My God, do I love Jimmy page
He should, it’s been his baby since it was just a thought. Gathering Plant Bonham & JPJ, using his money to record etc. the first album, producing editing etc. Not to mention his creative writing music & often lyrics, & playing guitar better then anyone else.
I got so tired of this song growing up. Now, revisiting this master piece, I've come full circle. All of the sudden I can't get enough of stairway. Legendary master piece!!
I was the same way, though beautiful, it was played so often it kind of made you not like it as much. I’ve more recently have started loving it again, I can’t say it’s my favorite of their songs, because so many are absolutely amazing too. It’s sad really, how critics did them dirty throughout their Led Zeppelin career, thankfully the fans have shown them the love. Greatest band to ever ROCK the world.
8:06 - that smile. That's a proud man.
And so he should be. Stairway gets singled out, but almost all of zeppelin’s music is finely crafted. My folks always condemned ‘pop’ as rubbish, but as a 67 year old man, I look back on how these songs are perfectly timed, and composed. It’s a gift they all had, each member as important as the next. A combo that can never quite be matched in the past or in the future. Good times they were, when I was a teen. Respect.🙏🏻
Such an awesome 😎 song and an amazing band!!
Nostalgic...to say the least.
One of the most brilliant songs ever written.
And has generated about ONE BILLION DOLLARS of revenue for the band.
Really do you think. Great ain't the word
THE best
@@happymonday550 not best but close
Kathy Lebro,
The opening part that Page stole from the group Spirit is nice .. the rest of this song is not anything special.
Jimmy still has that smile that heals.❤ Brilliant
That little smile at us at the end is just everything. Like our favorite uncle who just finished telling us a forbidden story about our dad from when they were kids❤
That little smile at the end says, " I created the greatest rock song of all time", and he sure did.
There are songs that, once you’ve listened to them, fade away without having any impact. Then, there are others that transcend music, achieving poetic status and enduring for eternity. Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin’s immortal masterpiece, is the latter. Its lyrics are rich with cryptic references to allegories and mysticism, offering far more than the simplistic satanism that many detractors argue is its main theme. Robert Plant wrote the lyrics of course, and he has repeatedly said that he drew inspiration from the works of the Scottish writer Lewis Spence, notably from his book Magic Arts in Celtic Britain. And it is that Celtic esotericism and spirituality that truly comes through in the lyrics - no more, no less.
The narrative begins with one of the most famous arpeggios in the history of music:
There’s a lady who’s sure
All that glitters is gold
And she’s buying a stairway to heaven
Who is this ambiguous female figure? Fans of occultist theories have argued that this is a metaphor for an initiation into a new type of Pagan religion; an obscure, unknown belief. But this notion has an easy counter in the many references to Christianity in the song as a whole. According to some, the lady is the Virgin Mary, and Led Zeppelin seem to tacitly confirm this, mentioning the May Queen later in the song, May being traditionally the month dedicated to Mary.
But let’s avoid entering into this kind of debate and evaluate the lyrics for what they really represent. When you take the lyrics at face value, you can see that the woman is nothing more than an allegory of a greedy, materialistic, arrogant society that believes that everything, including a path to heaven, can be acquired with money alone.
Moving on, Jimmy Page’s guitar and John Paul Jones’ keyboards embrace us with their ethereal melodies.
There’s a feeling I get
When I look to the West
And my spirit is crying for leaving
The West is a clear reference to the idea of purity in the Wild West, which was no longer wild in those days by any means, but is still a representation of adventure, mystery and charm. In essence, it is the place where we can remove ourselves from the materialism of contemporary society and turn our attention to the unknown, to the stranger. Robert Plant wanted to guide us on a sort of spiritual journey, to help improve ourselves and the people around us. And those who hesitate and are watchful (“Those who stand looking”), could be those with a conservative outlook, who disapprove of this kind of spiritual journey because they are imprisoned in societal materialism, unable to look forward. But, just when we least expect it, we will be called to live in peace and harmony, at one with nature and each other (“And it’s whispered that soon, If we all call the tune / Then the piper will lead us to reason”).
It is now that we arrive at the famous verse which, if listened in to reverse, supposedly contains a disturbing invocation of Satan. Instead of giving this notion any more airtime though, let’s leave the rebuttal to Plant himself: “To me it’s very sad, because ‘Stairway to Heaven’ was written with every best intention, and as far as reversing tapes and putting messages on the end, that’s not my idea of making music.” This really should be enough to put the idea to bed once and for all.
If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow
Don’t be alarmed now
It’s just a spring-clean for the May Queen
This is the reference to May Queen that we mentioned earlier. The bustle in the hedgerow represents our mind, confused by the possibility of this spiritual path, or perhaps simply unprepared for it. But if it’s true that you can find many ways to change yourself, then it is also true that you always have the opportunity to hange your mind and take another path. There are no destinies that have already been written; we are all free to make our decisions with full autonomy.
Moving forward with the lyrics, we arrive at the last verse before the iconic Jimmy Page solo:
Your head is humming and it won’t go
In case you don’t know
The piper’s calling you to join him
It is here when we finally get the call. Our minds are still confused, but the sweet melody of the piper is resounding in our heads, leading us towards spiritual perfection. The message is then addressed to the lady mentioned at the beginning of the song: the winds are changing and it’s time that everyone realises that humanity can really aspire to something better. At the bottom, the rough stairway to heaven, made of something tangible, is nevertheless floating in the air (“your stairway lies on the whispering wind”). It’s a path, but it’s fragile like any other - perhaps even more so, because it represents the spiritual, not the physical.
The lyrics then give way to Jimmy Page’s magnificent guitar, which unleashes a riff, powerful yet dreamy at the same time. It is considered by many the most beautiful solo of all time, but it isn’t the last word; the song still has something to say in the form of one last appeal to listeners:
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
The last verse is a synthesis of the message contained in the lyrics as a whole: no matter how great our faults or our dark sides are, we will always have the chance to listen to and understand both those around us and ourselves. Materialism and individualism will be always present, ready to tempt us, presenting their way as the simplest and easiest one to follow, but the choice relies on us andour intentions to unite mankind. This is the only way to find harmony, to be united and “not to roll”, overwhelmed by a life imposed by stereotypes.
Here it is, therefore; our stairway to heaven: our goal in life, according to Led Zeppelin, must be to discover the power of the community, the need to live together, in harmony with our souls and with nature. Only in this way can we we really improve ourselves and others, escaping the real evil of society, framed in its materialism, selfishness and disinterest towards others (“When all are one and one is all / To be a rock and not to roll”).
Stairway to Heaven, in conclusion, is everything but a perverse ode to evil and darkness. In fact, it’s quite the opposite, a splendid message of solidarity, brotherhood and equality. Together, we can really change the world around us. To be a rock and not to roll. Maybe it’s just an illusion. Perhaps we will never be able to really get together and do something concrete to make our lives better. But the message is there, and that’s what Led Zeppelin wanted from us.
That was beautiful.
@@FIshfood500 i believe you're spot on! Well said.
@@FIshfood500 Brilliant. Wonderful. Majestic.
@@FIshfood500 Well said!
One of the few songs that sound ancient and futuristic and modern all at the same time.
A timeless masterpiece
YES!!!!!!!
IT TRANSCENDS TIME...
JUST LIKE VAN GOGH'S
STARRY NIGHT!!!!!!!
you could not be more correct, you are spot on and thank you for this
Whole album feels so Celtic influenced like im witnessing an occult ritual in the middle of scotland
My personal pick as the greatest rock song of all time! Absolute Pure Genius!! When I was about 14 I went to sleep one night listening to the radio. I awoke to this song and even now, 50 years later, it seems mystical and other worldly.
Jimmy Page talking about his art. What a treat. Thank you.🙏
How he explains the song is masterful no wonder it's been voted the best as song ever written
it is.
One of the more beautiful music compilations, ever written in the history of recorded music, this one is for you. “Tiny Dancer, by Elton John is a very close second. “Smile”, by Micheal Jackson. Third and runner up “Roxanne” by the Police.
@@SouthernArtist77 nah Right down the line gerry rafferty is
@@sonofamillionaire7897 seriously? Elton John and The Police? Closely behind stairway to heaven? No Pink Floyd, The Beatles, King Crimson, Bob Dylan? Or is this sarcasm?
@@Gino565 nah, the close followers are Bohemian Rhapsody and Hey Jude and (joke) Highway to Hell.
For my money, the most poetic, most sophisticated and most powerful rock and roll song ever written. Ever.
Absolutely! I totally agree. Well-stated.
Now that is the epitome of a "class act". Complete humility while he describes the contributions provided by the other members of the band, and how all of them came together to make such a beautiful piece of music. There isn't a single point during his delivery that you get a sense of ego or grandeur. A true artist, musician, and above all, a good person. Cheers Jimmy. You and your mates created something very special for us all to enjoy.
Indeed, Wesley - eloquently put :)
Big call dude ... i disagree but i love that you love it so much. And i love that it's 2021 and we're still listening to Zep.
@@jayc1676 what do u think the best ever is
This is one of the greatest songs ever written, iconic, monumental. I have played it in guitar stores, and I have heard others do the same. But I don't understand why some people don't want it played in guitar stores and other public places. I can imagine thousands of people playing it together, around the world, conquering hatred, stopping wars, saving the planet! Sorry, got a little carried away there. The song is awesome.
Guitar stores are tired of hearing 500 people a week play it.
I cant get anybody at Guitar Center or Sam Ash to help me anyway. So I play away. Who's listening? Who's counting? Tired of hearing it? That b.s. from a movie. @@werewolfsaves2179
This song takes me back to the summer I was 15. Sitting by a bin fire, late in the summer evening. We were all lost in the music and the night. Absolutely beautiful song and beautiful memories of days long gone!
The song will be officially 50 years old next year- 2021.
Regarded by many as the greatest song of all time.
And you'll get no argument here.
IT IZME plenty would argue that A Day in the Life by The Beatles holds that title 🤷♂️
rimraf led zeppelin amd queen are better
I know you better 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
STH IS the greatest rock song of all time. Period
rimraf the beatles may have started it all but
i love
queen and led zeppelin
Stairway to Heaven is one of the greatest pieces of musical art, I've ever heard.
Randy California would say that, too, as he wrote the opening right down to the effects.
@@justafanintexas7913 I've been looking for these comments... maybe they get deleted?
@@Beargrim - Sometimes but if you look up Randy California lawsuit vs Led Zeppelin, you'll get plenty.
@Nicholas Lopez 😊
@Nicholas Lopez Someone doesn't listen to much music 😆
So blessed to have seen these men in concert.
I'm so fortunate because Led Zeppelin is THE BEST Band ever!! 🎵🎶
I’ve listen to that album so many times that, after the song finished, I expected Misty Mountain Hop to start playing.
Same
Haha same here .. I wish he would have spoke of the album art work... If you open the album and place mountain flush with a mirror it makes Anubis it's kinda cool
Ian Campbell probably my favourite track on the album
Ive done so much acid to every album
Me too! 😂
This is one guy who will make me cry when he passes.
Don't you even talk like that.
@@randubious You're right. My apologies.
@@davidjohnson1494......cheer up, you might pass before him😉
@@aisaxonawiat6484 I know for sure I'll die before Keef Richards.
Plant, Jones, Page, and Paul and Ringo are gonna make me tear up when they pass. Sadly, I’m only 15 currently, so I’ll probably see all of them pass.
Genius. I feel so fortunate to have seen Led Zeppelin in 1972-in San Diego. When they played Stairway to Heaven it was absolutely incredible. What a band.
Truly a song that never fails to amaze me, regardless of how many times I play it. A masterpiece, for sure.
This video is like watching Davinchi explain his inventions and art. So lucky to see the creator talk about his masterpiece
*Da Vinci
@Jesias burrell - Find a bloody dictionary if you cannot spell.
@Jesias burrell If you're implying that this song was plagiarized then you're an idiot.
Jesias burrell you must be tone deaf if you think it is the same as spirits Taurus lol
@@phillthorpe2643 If you're claiming the culprit is tone deafness, you got another thing coming, as they're absolutely in the same key, utilizing the same, er, TONES....
The world needs more of THIS.
Jimmy Page talking us thru Zeppelin songs and their creation.
Agreed!
He's become a musty, dusty old Manor Lord, the Keeper of the Zeppelin Archives... sitting like a spider in his old creepy Tower House 😂 🎸🧙♂️
Don't get me wrong...I love Zep and think Pagey was a genius guitar engineer/arranger...waayy ahead of his time layering multitracked guitars! 🎸🎸🎸🤘👍
like does not do this comment justice .
Exp at this age
The world needs the Gospel of Jesus CHRIST ...we are in dire need of it...I was obsessed with Led Zeppelin for 40 years..I listened to them for 30 years of my Christian life..they were my religion, and my idol...I gave up LZ for JESUS CHRIST....it is so worth it, cuz they cannot save me, only my LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST can...bless everyone who reads this dear LORD...🙏☝️✝️
Love how you see his face transform back to when this piece was written. A masterpiece
The way he smiles at the end! He should be proud. No one has ever done anything quite like it.
Kudos for Page for embracing old age & not dying his hair pitch black
It's always been grey. He dyed it black in the past.
czcams.com/video/-81X3T6CC2U/video.html
Kudos to him for not giving proper credit to the writers of the song that clearly inspired him. ...and by "kudos", I mean "fuck you" for claiming you wrote it all, jackass.
true..same can be said for the other legend who helped revive this song..Rolf harris
no one owns the rights to a chord progression.... it is how one transforms it to make it ones own that really counts.
CooCoo whacko.
I love the way he plays the actual record and not some digitized version.
I agree with using the word «actual». Do I mostly listen to it on Spotify? Yup. Do I own the CD? Yes, that was indeed a phase in my life. But do I have the ACTUAL record? Yes indeed! Meaning the vinyl.
@@baldrbraa it’s more convenient and easy to listen on Spotify, but it feels more special to listen on vinyl
i wish i could hear this song for the first time again
The tone of his voice and composition of his breakdown just really puts you there catching that glimmer of the true creative yoke of this timeless production.
You can tell that Jimmy Page admires Robert Plant in this interview.
Yes I definitely got that feeling as well.
Robert could write the all had different talents that you'll never see again like jpj compositions
Everyone in that band was ridiculously talented and none of it was to be wasted.
Know Robert personally and he’s not even the smartest bloke going but when it comes to music he’s in a world of his own.
Thanks for supporting my music 🎶 I’m so grateful 🥰 and I hope you never stop being a fan, I would like to honor you by giving you my personal information if that’s ok by you.🤍🕊
The smile he gives is knowing this masterpieces is set in stone for all to hear forever, even when he is gone.
I can imagine that 500 years from now when the next civilization that arises from the destruction of our current one, a group of dedicated antiquities researchers come across this song and it ends up being set up as the holiest of songs to be played at rituals to honor Led Zeppelin as by-then-long-ago musical angels sent by the Almighty to save us from ourselves. But the Evil One stopped them from doing so by causing John Bonham to die, thereby spurring on the breakup of that angelic quartet, and the disrupting of their mission here on Earth. And that religion preaches that the Four Angels of Music will return in the future to save mankind from itself if enough people follow and believe! 🤗
I don't care he can't take it to heaven, when he dies.
@One I believe the OP wrote “WHEN he IS gone. Meaning he knows that JP is still alive.
@One I know, it said "when".
For me, possibly the only song ever to not lose the magic of the first time it was heard. Fifty years (or so) on, and it never fails to inspire and thrill. Thank you LZ and especially Bonzo - never forgotten.
Whoever got Jimmy to do this is a genius!! Wow.
My autistic son mostly non verbal calls Robert Plant Gaga. Whenever a Led Zeppelin song comes on the radio. If you ask him the name of the band he says Gaga. He always gets it right. He loves their music. Love to all
❤️
Peace be with you. Peace be with your son.
Amazing.
Gaga is the man, and so is your son! ❤️
My daughter is autistic and adores music, makes a real connection with her. It's a precious thing.
To me, this video is the equivalent of Da Vinci describing the thought behind every brush stroke of the Mona Lisa...
Maybe if just Da Vinci was someone who stole the paint idea from others, have you ever listened the song: Taurus-Spirit?
@@washburnepiphone yes I have
As if DaVinci hadn't also learned and copied technique from previous masters? All human development is built on the achievements of our predecessors. Not there isn't innovation. But nothing we do comes from nothing.
Jimmy didn't invent the electrical guitar just like Da Vinci didn't invent the paint brush --- we all copy and steal from the previous geniuses
@@CoachDoug714 well said
How many times have we heard this song in the past 50 years?
I understand that some are tired of it, but it is an incredible piece of songwriting. I still love hearing it.
A true classic that will still be loved in years to come.
Stairway to Heaven was played at my dad's funeral. His love for Zeppelin passed right down to me. I'll be forever grateful to these gentlemen for the service they did for the world.
Interesting. The same here, my cousin was dieing from cancer... and he said the Stairway to the Heaven should play on his funeral... and we make it. God Bless...
@@user-et8bs4tb6x helping people prepare for their death is nothing short of 💓 breaking. My friend Gail passed away in June of
2001 and to be part of her funeral planning WITH HER was very hard. But we gave her an AMAZING "bon voyage" that had she seen it ... she definitely would have loved it. RIP GAIL...LOVE AND MISS YOU EVERYDAY !!!! 😭😭😭😭😭
it will be at my funeral too.! ... I bought my 1st Led Zeppelin at 16 with my first paycheque and I've still got the original in mint condition with all the others [ 29 CD's & Vynals Picture albums Etc ] of course... love em!
I cried reading your commentary, my musical style was passed on from my parents, just as I want to pass on to my children too. That thrills me.
God bless you 🙏🏻
Wow, just seeing all of the replies now. This is truly beautiful. It warms my heart to know how many have been touched by this song. Thank you for all of your loving words and for sharing your wonderful stories. God bless, and happy trails :)
I think sometimes we forget just how iconic this song actually is. The masterpiece of masterpieces!
Rob Arnold : I agree 100% !
Very few songs reach the level of
”Masterpiece”. This is one of those few. Imo a few others are : Bohemian rhapsody , Comfortably numb , A day in a life and Freebird.
Did you forget they stole the guitar work?
Jack Jammen :
Coming from a blues background , I’m not surprised if they actual did. In blues , there is , was and will always be a lot of borrowing , stealing , copying. If they stole it , they made it a lot better.
Roger Fredriksson The guy took them to court over it.
Jack Jammen :
Hope they did put everything right for everybody.
Just saw this and I feel very melancholy. Are we never going to see this kind of music making again? I hope that young musicians can learn from these amazing musicians and move the music forward. But maybe, we just need to archive and keep Led Zeppelin forever in our heart and souls. Maybe there will never be any substitute or replace, and that's okay. Led Zeppelin- forever a part of my soul and heart. I will die with you.
Ugh well I’m 60 and I hate to admit I was not a huge fan of LZ but I am finding myself studying the guitar playing of Jimmy P more and more. The whole band was just magical and I wish we had more time with them. Thank you Jim for this documentary on this song!!
When I listen to LED Zeppelin, my neighbors listen to Led Zeppelin.
Ha ha. Me too
👍😉
😂😂😂 that's cool !
When I listen to all rock n heavy metal songs, my neighbors think I am NOISY and ridiculous !!!
Of course they didn't expect it was me .... A 50yo woman. Just because I look decent. 😋
This happened almost while reading this comment...i turned off the speaker and my neighbor was listening Stairway !!!
Dennis Goebelt My neighborhood does too!
Listening to this at 63, I have found such a deeper message than I heard when I was 17. Yes, there ARE two paths we can go by, and there is still time to change that road, but time is now running out. ❤. Thank you Mr. Page
I just had to stop and listen to the guitar I knew so well, so long ago. God has blessed you. Thank you for using your talent to its fullest. 🕊
@Jimmy Page it’s not surprising, as I have all of you in my prayers for years now. I am actually blessed.
@Jimmy Page I was raised on classical music; Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky; all of it. When I heard Led Zeppelin for the first time in 1970, I was at the beach on Long Island Sound. “Whole Lotta Love” took me away. I was 10, and knew this band was by far, the most exceptional.
@Jimmy Page i will never stop listening.
@Jimmy Page i was raised on Long Island, but am living in Burlington, Vermont, where I was born, and my mothers family is up here. I miss the sea, and swimming with sharks and jellyfish.
I love this man's genius yet humility
My Brother came home from Vietnam and gave me my Led Zeppelin album when i was 12 and i gave passed it on to all my Grandkids
1000 years later. This song will still be honoured.
Indeed it will
History will show that he stole this song from Taurus
@@derekcraig3617 bullshit
And sadly people will still say “who is Spirit?”
@@derekcraig3617 zeppelin just won. It legit sounds nothing alike!
Overplayed as it may be, this is arguably one of the best songs ever written.
Not played enough
@@cmkrowel definitely overplayed. Almost as overplayed as Hallelujah
@@ferdiaonunain2571 but thank God for the overplay it is beautiful.
@@cmkrowel no it makes everyone hate the song
@@ferdiaonunain2571 But how many of those people have actually thoroughly listened to it and paid attention to all the nuances?
One of the best pieces of music ever written. Goes right to the soul.
In my teenage years in the 1970’s my crew and me were really into Zepplin. In music magazines and rags like People there was a
Ways some disparaging article about Page being weird of whatever ... We didn’t have all the up to the second media like we do now so actual interviews were not that common or you just didn’t have acsess to them. In actuality Page is about as cool, laid back, friendly guy as they come. Keith Nelson, the original lead guitar for Buck Cherry has a hand written note from Mr. Page congratulating him on one of the band’s upcoming releases. Keith has that in a place of honor…
That old grey-haired man watching the turntable spin - what a metaphor for all of our lives.
'The memories of a man in his old age, are the deeds of a man in his prime.' Pink Floyd . . . 'Those were inspired times.' Jimmy Page
And yet 6:23 he drops a high rising terminal - no problem keeping ahead of Generation Snowflake!
Now i'm sad lol
Shit, that's deep!
Jimmy Page is a servant of Satan, where do you believe he got the songs from? sad old man he knows, he is going to the lake of fire!
Stairway To Heaven is a transcendent piece of music. The impact that song had on generations of listeners is incalculable.
I’m 47 and it still brings tears to my eyes. It’s never lost its greatness.
@@MrDeengels Have you seen the performance of Stairway by Heart at the Kennedy Center Honors? Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones were in attendance. You can see the tears welling up in Plant's eyes. Fantastic stuff.
I’m 33 and wish so bad I could have grew up in the 70s. Love all the music, style, everything. Led Zeppelin is my favorite band.
This Song was played At a Friends Funeral in 1975.😢😢😢🙏🙏
Stairway to heaven is like the Shakespeare of rock n roll.
You mean Shakespeare is Stairway to Heaven in literature?
Dont think you ll win Robert Plants respect with this comment.
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
doesnt make much sense there dude
The best verdicts and great way to express......
This song wasn’t written, it was composed. A true piece of art that moves around in your mind as you experience its majestic wonder. A true classic indeed.
TryNsurviveN i mean.. every song is written before being composed right¿
@@lionelmax2953 the lyrics are written
Antony Muttungal music is also written. How do you think jimmy made the solo
this music in specific was first ripped from Spirit's "Taurus", and then was composed
Francisco Queiroz The court recently declared that the music in Stairway to Heaven was in fact original Led Zeppelin material and the case dismissed.
i saw in portland oregon 1972... will never forget...
Not just a milestone for Led Zeppelin but a milestone for Rock & Roll... and Music.... ❤️♾️❤️
This man has aged wonderfully and still has that unique voice.
He’s the guitarist not the singer
@@alesstysanchez1614 what? jimmy's voice is unique
And that is amazing considering all the drugs and alcohol he consumed! Good genes.
The look on his face as he reminisces about his life and his friends, are as intereting as his words.
Was the peak of a legendary life only one man can describe. The pain of memories can only be equaled by the height of the flight.
Absolutely!!! Sir James remains as passionate about his music creations as from day one it would appear. It's a joy to see any musician not only recount their process but to visually see the emotions that their music brings back even after many decades.
"Priceless" .....
6:05, I had always find the solo so fascinating, but listening closer to how the drums were played together with the guitar strumming (combining that with the bass underneath it), made me even more satisfied with this song.
Johm Bonham was just so... so good. The sound of his drums, his "snare" mostly, sounds so uncopyable (if that word exists - English is not my first language).
Genius. But we knew that already.🔥
Reading liner notes and lyrics -- especially in that font! -- that was an experience of the 60s and 70s that cannot be replaced by any technology. It was part of how we experienced an album, somewhat like cracking open a new book that you'd been anxiously awaiting.
I'll bet it's hard for him to believe he was part of something that will go on for eternity.
That's what humility looks like.
Thanks for supporting my music 🎶 I’m so grateful 🥰 and I hope you never stop being a fan, I would like to honor you by giving you my personal information if that’s ok by you.❤️🕊
It's like Van Gogh explaining one of his pieces
van Gogh*
@@stefan512 Thank you
It’s more like Van Gogh explaining one of Monet’s pieces and passing it off as his own
@@darudesandstrom1067 I think it's more like Mozart walked by a painting done by Monet, an took inspiration from it
@@myless.5493 good comparison expect that the "original" song isn't all that great
literally the only thing that is the same of the song they supposedly took it from is the guitar line at the beginning
it's not a complicated melody, simply descending
and even the ending of it is different in stairway
and the flute/recorder is only in stairway
and then it changes up completely the rest of the song
to claim the song is stolen/copied is the most ridicioulus thing i've ever heard
Ive heard this song sooo many times and it never gets old for me. Love this. Thank you Jimmy Page for this creation.
My favourite song since my eldest brother bought the album in the 1970s
I can remember the first time I heard this, thinking, ‘This is the greatest song ever written’ I was 11 years old, the song was 10 years old - but even then I knew it was timeless - and 40 years later I stand by that naive comment. It’s still the greatest song ever written, for me at least, and always will be.
Seriously....same here! I was 11 too and fell in love with it!!!
Stairway to Heaven is the greatest rock n roll song on the greatest rock n roll record of all time. Don't @ me, I said what I said.
Same.
My dad and brother were into rock so I grew up listening to classic rock. I remember I was 8-9 y.o when I properly paid attention to it and loved it.
You are not wrong. I vow that
This is one of those band that’s just had everything. Pushed boundaries, played superbly, had creative and interesting music, lyrics that actually meant something... and yet still just rocked.
#legends
Absolutely! Quite true. Let me ask you this then. What was Plant trying to communicate in the lyrics of this masterpiece?
What’s your thoughts on people saying they plagiarised?
To add to the "who gives a fuck?" folder. Zep was the 1st physical example that enlightened me regarding the phrase "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts".
Individually, remarkably talented musicians, as LED ZEPPELIN, they were a universal force....actually.
Truly truly magical.
I think they'll go far....if they stop ripping off Greta Van Fleet
Songs like "Ten Years Gone" & "The Rain Song" are songs that take you back to a moments in your life when that song ment something good or maybe even bad. But it envokes a memory of time long ago, and that's a powerful thing.