Led Zeppelin: Stairway To Heaven Meaning

Stairway To Heaven Lyrics

There's a lady who's sure
All that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to Heaven
When she gets there she knows
If the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for
Ooh ooh and she's buying a stairway to...

1. anonymous

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   Jun 28th 2007 !⃝

   This song, and its meaning is sealed. We will never be able to pick out its infused meaning because unfortunately either, we are too neurotic, or the writer was writing this on some heavvvvy shit. But this is why it was made so popular, the sheer mystery.
   
   But, because the big picture and details or disoriented, that leaves us with the plain message, and what that leaves us is our imagination.
2. anonymous

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   Jun 7th 2007 !⃝

   I've heard way too many interpretations of this song. They are so contradictory (ranging from prophecy, to drugs, to PMS, to religion, to a woman who wants to buy a stairway to heaven) that I have come to one conclusion:
   
   This song isn't about anything. The lyrics are produced solely to sound good. And hey, they *do* sound good, so the lyrics did their job. Maybe in fragments there is some meaning, but they are meant, not with some specific plot in mind, but to work along with the tune to convey something more abstract, like an emotion. What emotion, you ask? What do *you* feel when you hear it?
   "This song is overplayed" doesn't count.
3. anonymous

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   Jun 7th 2007 !⃝

   (Continued-) the may queen is the ancient pagan version of the virgin, who assumed her role in folk-christianity. According to scripture one can "always change the road your on", ie. That its never too late to repent, or to choose damnation...and who's the piper? Of course the devil. That is, the greek god pan with his pipes, The ALL, a personification of Nature, upon whom medieval depictions of the devil, who fell by his pride in music like Melkor (Tolkein-Silmarrilion) are modeled. He is the Natural life as opposed to the supernatural, for the flesh constantly wars with the spirit, constantly tempts the believer, making his head keep humming with tempting sounds of carnal delight. The wind, of course, is the Holy Spirit, where the stairway is found, "The whispering wind" (LOTR) who constantly whispers the promises of God to us when we are tempted by the scream of the flesh.
   The lady walks because she is certain of the triumph of her Church, which seeks to change everything into what is pleasing to God, ie. gold,because in medieval symbolism gold is the metal/color of heavan. Turning to gold represents sanctification of souls, which is the will of Almighty God.
   This interpretation makes the most sense, not only because the language of the song is the language of Tolkien, but also because the writing of Tolkein is repleat with medieval symbolism and medieval Catholic theology.
4. anonymous

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   Jun 7th 2007 !⃝

   First off, it would be ridiculous, even for a powerful angelic intellect like the devil, to mask lyrics backwards in music. In what way would this effect the human soul? According to theology, sin is only possible if one knowingly sins. Now if it were ostensibly a hymn to the devil, in the lyrics played forward, then that would be a problem. Or if you say that the supposed backwards messages, which are mumbled, entered the soul via the subconscious, still, what mechanism in the subconscious is accustomed to reverse sounds and interpret them? The whole notion is absurd.
   
   The song is meant to be interpreted by the listener for his own use. I could say, for example, that the stairway is a medievalism, often depicted in medieval art, where the christian must climb to Heavan by degrees of sanctity, meanwhile the devil tries to dislodge him. Lady refers to the blessed mother, who constantly intercedes for the saints. She knows that the stores (ie the storehouses of grace) are closed or not, because she is the purveyor of all graces. With a word she can get what she came for because she is powerful with God. The tree by the brook is the tree planted by flowing waters in the psalms, which represents the just soul, and the song bird is the devil, who sometimes enters within the mind and sings of our misgivings (lack of faith). Rings of smoke through the trees is the smoke of satan that has entered the sacred grove (ie. The Church) in these end times. The voices of those who stand looking are the looking because they are lost and cannot see the light. The forests will echo with laughter only after the return of justice to the earth. Our shadows are taller than our souls, in this life, because, as in LOTR, the powers of darkness seem larger than they really are, from human perspective. One listens very hard, to the God-spell, To be a rock and not to roll means to learn to become like the saints, like saint Peter, the Rock, who had to learn to become solid in his faith and not run away like he did when the savior was in his passion.
5. anonymous

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   May 29th 2007 !⃝

   I live in the same town in California where Robert Plant has a house. If I see him in Pappy and Harriets again, I'll just go ask him! (Jeeze, I turn 50 June 3rd, and I've been wondering what this song means since I was 14! ) And I still love it.
   Some songs remain immortal.
6. anonymous

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   May 27th 2007 !⃝

   This song is about whatever you want it to be about. People shouldn't argue about what a song is about. No one except Robert Plant, knows why this song was written. Songs have many different meanings depending on your perspective, whether you're religious, or a drug user. No one is really wrong when they say what a song is about because it's all about opinion.
7. anonymous

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   May 25th 2007 !⃝

   This song is influenced by the Lord of the Rings...It tells the story of the elven maiden from years past who gave up her immortal life for man and by doing so she bought her stairway to heaven. Its a little known fact that Led Zeppelin was influenced by JRR Tolkien...
8. HollyHeartsGuitar

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   May 16th 2007 !⃝

   I was just sitting around, pondering the meaning of the figure 'she' and I realized, she is deception. Deception and lies are finding their way into parts of our lives that are supposed to be sacred, these parts of our lives are 'heaven'. oh man brain overload. I'll explain more in depth later.
9. anonymous

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   May 10th 2007 !⃝

   I think that it's about a woamn who tries to buy her own salvation. It's stated in the first line of the song " There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold, and she's buying a stairway to heaven."

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
10. anonymous

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    May 6th 2007 !⃝

    I wish I could shoot all of the stupid bible thumpers that ruin Stairway to Heaven with their sick fundamentalist interpretations. Or the other people that claim that Led Zeppelin is a servant of the devil. Although, congratulations, you make me want to be an atheist.
11. anonymous

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    May 5th 2007 !⃝

    I personally believe, in a quick analysis, that this song is about cheating ones way through life. There are some people who go through life through instinct and hard work. And then there are some who just get other people to do their work for them, and use money to sway others. They pay people to lead them in the 'right direction', they don't think for themselves, their money does the thinking for them. The people who cheat through life still see themselves as great people even though they have done nothing of significance, simply bought their way to success. This song is reflecting upon that matter.
12. anonymous

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    Apr 25th 2007 !⃝

    Dude, it's about druuuuuugs man!
13. anonymous

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    Mar 23rd 2007 !⃝

    I want to start off by denouncing all claims about drugs and satanism. Those were QUITE probably fuelled by association and self-projection.
    
    Also, I support the opinion that the interpretation is indeed subjective. There is no MESSAGE in this song, but there IS a meaning. It was about Erma Rees Gwyn. Reference:
    
    http://www.michaelklassen.com/understanding-stairway-to-heaven/
    
    Although some of the religious interpretations have been insightful, I'm gonna go with this interpretation. It makes perfect sense. I want to remind you all that this song was written in a style called "stream-consciousness" and those familiar with that type of literature will recognize the pattern. The technique itself denounces any "deeper meaning" as it is like a dream - random thoughts and memories of a particular event evoking SUBJECTIVE emotions and experiences.
    
    Artists usually write things people can connect with even if they have no clue about what inspired the song. That's probably why Page/Plant refused to discuss the inspiration - it's what it means to US that matters. Because we have nothing to do with Erma nor do we care - this is why it was written while deliberately not referencing the inspiration directly. It would ruin the value of the song.
    
    This way, "And a new day will dawn for those who stand long, and the forests will echo with laughter" means something completely different - to me. It reminds me of a particular memory. It is simply an expression of hope, nothing more. Interpretation aside, the experience of those same lyrics is what makes it really stand out. You have no idea what runs through my head while I listen to those words, nor how it makes me feel. This is the sole PURPOSE and MEANING of the song. To make us feel that way, with the calming beautiful music, and the powerful words.
    
    At least that's my point of view. Just as life itself simply has no meaning on its own - we search for it.
14. anonymous

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    Mar 18th 2007 !⃝

    Hello to all,
    
    I think its incredibly amusing that we're all still arguing about the meaning of a song that's 30+ years old. Sure, there must be thousands of derived meanings, but in short, this song truly means whatever the hell you want it to.
    
    People have questioned, analyzed, and over-analyzed countless pieces of literature over the centuries. Take into account Skaespeare. In his world famous tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, there are many ambiguous scenarios and verses. For example: "...cut off the heads of the maidens; Or their maidenheads. Take it in what sense thou wilt..." The forementioned line states that the 'maidens' (women of the house of capulet) will either be killed (beheaded), or raped (a 'maidenhead' was a word used at the time of Shakespeare to illustrate a woman's virginity.)
    
    Stairway to Heaven is a piece of literature as well. If you take away the music behind it, and look just at the lyrics, it is quite simply a poem. Poems (much like those written by Shakespeare) have multiple meanings. It's even said in the song itself that "...words have two meanings."
    
    Therefore, when you look at anything in art, ambiguity is inevitable. In short, all of you are both wrong and right. So shut up and stop arguing.
15. anonymous

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    Mar 11th 2007 !⃝

    I think this song is how a rich person just gets it all too good and kills herself and I think all you losers who wrote this 5 page shit on the whole song r nerds so bye

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