){kind=link}
The tune for this was written by guitarist Jimmy Page at Headley Grange while he was experimenting on the mandolin owned by bassist John Paul Jones. As Page explained in 1977:
“Battle of Evermore” was made up on the spot by Robert [Plant] and myself. I just picked up John Paul Jones’s mandolin, never having played a mandolin before, and just wrote up the chords and the whole thing in one sitting.
Vocalist Robert Plant had recently been reading about Scottish folklore and this inspired him to compose the lyrics to this song. The song, like some others by the group, makes references to The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. Plant felt he needed another voice to tell the story and for the recording of this song folk singer Sandy Denny was invited to duet with Plant. Denny was a former member of British folk group Fairport Convention, with whom Led Zeppelin had shared a bill in 1970 at the Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music. Plant played the role of the narrator and Denny represented the town crier. Page elaborated:
[The song] sounded like an old English instrumental first off. Then it became a vocal and Robert did his bit. Finally we figured we’d bring Sandy by and do a question-and-answer-type thing.
To thank her for her involvement, Denny was given the symbol on the album sleeve of three pyramids (the four members of Led Zeppelin each chose their own symbols for the album). This is the only song Led Zeppelin ever recorded with a guest vocalist. In an interview he gave in 1995 to Uncut magazine, Plant stated:
For me to sing with Sandy Denny was great. We were always good friends with that period of Fairport Convention. Richard Thompson is a superlative guitarist. Sandy and I were friends and it was the most obvious thing to ask her to sing on “The Battle of Evermore”. If it suffered from naivete and tweeness – I was only 23 – it makes up for it in the cohesion of the voices and the playing.
Adoro o vocal dessa música!
Jimmy Page turned 70 today.
the pain of war cannot exceed , the woe of aftermath
Classic Tolkien … Led Zeppelin IV – LED ZEPPELIN – The Battle Of
Evermore
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnYQkGeTAOU
“…. bring it back, bring it back, bring it back…”
Sandy Denny sings w/Robert plant in this song her voice is amazing!
Dragons will protect Avalon, always
I’m only 3 1/2…But it’s important for me to show my disassociation from
my generation, as well as my feeling of uniqueness by mentioning that I
like Led Zeppelin.
Can I receive my positive affirmations, from absolute strangers, now???
Just convinced the village idiot that Led Zep were back together with Phil
Collins on drum. She totally believed it till I told her. I am a very evil
person.
Thanks. It is English , from Tolkien…. Thank you for sharing.the song
anyways :)
#musicvideo
We are here.
Interesting comments. Also, in the early days they were influenced by a
trad folk/fusion band called Pentangle. ‘Hangman’ for instance is a trad
folk song.
Is this song about the anti-Christ?
It seems to be an old Norwegian song!
Thanks so much for the story behind the song. Much appreciated!
no one has ever written and sung songs the way led zep has favorite band of
all time hands down, its one thing to listen to a song its another to read
or actually no the lyrics
A prophesy.
Robert Plant’s voice is great in this masterpiece, this is my favourite Led
Zeppelin song. But I’d love to listen to an instrumental version of this.
I’ve already found one but it stops at a certain point (when Plant says
“the sunlight blinds his eyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees…..).They’ve cut the
best part (the end)…
Bring it back!!
*bring it back*
The Battle of Evermore Lyrics: http://youtu.be/lnYQkGeTAOU
I don’t care for Robert’s last bit of behavior but boy he is one talented
somebody his singing is beyond, beyond here. Thanks for posting
this song is a timeless classic. So many open interpretations: ancient,
recent past and modern mythology, folklore, religion, faith, humanity, the
endless battle between good vs evil…. so much more i can add, but ill stop
there
Cool song
The fact that Led Zeppelin constantly makes reference to Tolkien in their
songs always makes me scream with joy on the inside.
I think this song doesn’t only refer to The Lord of the Rings, but also to
Tolkien’s Silmarillion :
“I’m waiting for the angels of Avalon, waiting for the eastern glow” The
narrator is probably a mortal from Numenor. The angels referred to are
probably the Valar who lives to the east on Valinor, and Avalon is the
Elvish port closest to the Sacred Mountain Taniquetil. Mortal men of
Numenor soon became jealous that they were denied immortal life while the
Valar and the Elves were immortals. They went to war for that and were
destroyed.
“The sky is filled with good and bad that mortals never know” This could
refer to Morgoth being thrown into the void beyond the sky forever.
Earendil, the only mortal who has reached Valinor and posessor of the last
of the Silmarils, with his wife Elwing, mother of Elrond, are guarding
Morgoth in a ship in the sky while the Valar guards the ramparts. Even
though Earendil reached the Immortal Lands, his fate remained unknown to
mortal men because he would never set foot on Middle-Earth again. The Elves
that were close to the Valar knew of his fate though because Elwing was a
noble Elf.
Who in the hell would down this song?? C’mon I don’t care what decade u
were born in.. Great music is great music.
Tiered eyes on the sunrise, waiting for the eastern glow
What did my dumb ass miss? No comment on Sandy Denny??
That’s deep, I feel like I need to drop some acid
Better than Stairway to Heaven!
I hate this recent trend where a new video just automatically counts down
to play….what, I’m too fucking stupid to pick what I want to listen to
next? Between that and the endless ads I am starting to fucking hate
Youtube.
Don’t disturb the balance
Once it’s even
Love The Lord of the Rings references. Not getting some obvious references
though so maybe Tolkien’s other work too? Either way I love it.
Thank you! I’ve been trying to suss out these lyrics since I bought the
vinyl. The history lesson made it more special. Please, tell me where you
got your information.
This song is magic. It never gets old even after listening to it for the
umpteenth time.
Great fucking song!
Great ‘liner notes’, O Steve O’Video!
Amazing story behind in addition to rhythm !
I’ve never really left it but, in the 70’s, I was very into LOTR and sword
and sorcery in general. Robert E. Howard. Micheal Mororcock. Fritz Leiber.
I always appreciated those references in L.Z. songs. It’s one of the
reasons I liked them so much. And still do. Nice to hear the story behind
this song.
I love this song. I also love the version which Anne and Nancy Wilson of
Heart have done. I think their original version is on the soundtrack of
the movie :Singles” and their band is listed as The Love Mongers.