Led Zeppelin: Stairway To Heaven Meaning
Stairway To Heaven Lyrics
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...
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Jimi page is god!!!!!!!
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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I am pretty sure that this song is about a lady who sells her body for sex, and attains money that way. She tithes, thinking she can get into heaven, but she realizes that money isn't everything, and that her life is not a life that can get her into heaven.
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I've been to a few sites and have done quite a bit of reading on this and I'm still perplexed. Many say the backmasked messages on most reported cases(other songs) to be unintentional . How can they be unintentional and be so clear ? I find most of the time the backward recordings to have sound groups that don't exist in the forward recordings so how could they be unintentional? I could see it if were a case of a random collection of clearly enunciated words but these are complete sentences , or thoughts . In regards to LZ's STH there are several stanzas with backmasking however the one I find the most interesting is the 'bustle in your headgerow' stanza which includes the word 'toolshed' . If it were not for that one word I might be able to entertain that it is unintentional however fans who are familiar with the bands backround will recognize the significance of this word being used and the context within which it is used .
who makes the determination if one songs backmasking is intentional or not and how do they come to that determination . I should mention that I'm agnostic and am not making any judgements or statements , just sincere curiosity . It is a controvercial topic worthy of intelligent debate .IMHO
http://www.wimp.com/satanic
jeffmilner.com/backmasking.htm
I'll explain the 'toolshed' reference for those who aren't familiar: as most people know Jimmy Page once owned the Boleskin house in Scotland which had once been owned and used by aliester crowley for the purpose of his Magick rituals , he performed these rituals in an oratory he built and reffered to as the 'toolshed' he said during these occasions he and others witnessed shadowy figures coming from the 'toolshed and entering into the east side of the house . It is commonly believed the song STH was written there but it was actually written at another country mannor also owned by Page I believe that was in Wales . Even though Plant wrote the lyrics they both were interested in Crowley and magick , Page was quite a bit more involved than Plant and Page freely admits his interest . In all the years he owned Boleskin he never spent more than 6 weeks there says Page himself . The baskmask sounds decidedly to warn against satan so I do not consider it satanic unintentional or not
feel free to email me regarding a dialogue on this topic
badjuju10@yahoo.com -
When I first heard it, it sounded alright. long but alright. The voice is hauntingly beautiful and full of symbolism.
Piper refers to Pan a greek God who played this pipe thing that I just forgot. Pan is again an Arcadian god of lust and magic who seduces men and women with his pipes and wantonness.
This was a turn off, but I liked it so I kepted the song. Then someone said to check it out backwards. The first time I listened to it, I thought I was cool but I did recognize words.
I would have thought it an accident, if it was shorter by like 3 mins! It's like 8 mins long and enough to write any hidden message. That's why, to me it was intentional and although I practically memorized the first part after listening to it twice, its too odd and confusing to learn to play. Its never been interpreted correctly and is so controversial that it seems to be incomplete and thus, finished when played backwards...thats what I think. -
This is not a song about drugs... If you knew any better you would know that some of their songs were based on the hobbit book also known as lord of the rings. when he says spring clean for the may queen the may queen is believed to be a spring fairy and when they say spring clean for the may queen that means to clean for the fairy of spring also that part about the stairway to heaven isn't all of the song so before you start to jugde the song. listen to it first!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Quite simply, a song about itself....think about it, lady trying to find a stairway to heaven? when the stores are all closed? with a word she can get what she came for? its a song about how the lady wants to buy a led zeppelin song, a "stairway to heaven", and that even though all the stores are closed, she can get what she's looking for with just a word. This shows that Led Zeppelin knew of their massive musical talent and popularity, and well, made a song out of it.
But, this only speaks for one verse. Every verse is so completely different, and this leads me to believe that every verse probably has its own meaning, and maybe sometimes every line has its own meaning. everyone seems to be debating their point, but each of them only talks about a small portion of the lyrical content of the song. Its a great song, with so many different meanings, that everyone could be right. -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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It's about the story of beren and luthien in tolkein's the silmarillion
Buying a stairway to heaven refers to luthien traveling back to the western continent to convince mandos/manwe to allow beren to live another lifetime with her
all that glitters with gold might refer to the silmaril jewel she has in her possession.
stairway to heaven refers to either how she made herself mortal(thus allowing her to go to heaven with the rest of humans), or how she retrieved beren from this heaven
with a word she can get what she came for refers to the song of sorrow she sang to convince manwe to let beren come back
manwe offered to erase her of the pain of losing beren, or allow her to become mortal and die with him(two paths)
and two paths also refers to the two paths that the children of illuvatar can choose, and how luthien chose the mortal path of men rather than her natural elven path of immortality
the songbird in the song refers to luthien's translation in the elven language, "nightengale", and beren first met luthien because of her singing and dancing in the forest
the 3rd verse looks like it's about how beren stayed in Mandos's halls when he was supposed to depart for heaven, and how he remembers his trip to morgoth's keep
the 4th verse refers to luthien singing her song at mandos(which was sung there for the rest of eternity) and how mandos (the piper of spirits) allowed beren's spirit to be released because of lluthiens sorrow in the song. after they come back, they live in the forests of ossiriand
the may queen thing might be referring to yavanna, but I'm not sure what that would have to do with the story
and I've already explained the two path thing in the verse after that
the verse after that explains again how she sang the song, and how manwe (the wind) allowed her to change her fate
There walks a lady we all know refers to the fact that she was widely known to be the most beautiful being to ever live, and the silmaril shone white light, and the last part of this verse is admiration at the fact that luthien didn't just give up and say this is my fate -
OK, there are way to many crazy ideas about this song. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but holy crap guys. Page wrote a majority of this song in about 20-30 min. If you guys are pulling out bible verses and shit there is no way that much thinking went into this song. Same thing with the OMG its a work of SATAN. Not true. Also if you think it's about drugs you're wrong. I'll give you my opinion. It's quite simple. Who would've thought something could be simple and you wouldn't have to do hours of research. Just listen to this song a million times and don't read books just think what you feel from it.
There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven.
This explains how a materialistic woman (someone who only puts value on money and objects) thinks only gold can glitter meaning only tangible things are worth anything.( It's also a reference to Tolkein's quote not all that glitters is gold Zeppelin especially Page were Lord of the Rings fans) The lady thinks she can just buy her way to heaven.
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for.
Again she thinks she can just buy whatever she wants even if the stores are closed cause she's rich as hell. In my opinion I believe the word is money.
There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
This just tells people when you see something don't make up your mind right away because there could be more to it or less. BE OPENED MINDED.
In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings,
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiving.
The first line just saying some bird is singing but the second line states that remember sometimes our thoughts are wrong don't stay set on one thought you may find out something completely different.
There's a feeling I get when I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
The looking to the west is meaning that the sun sets in the west. It's a beautiful thing but the person here wants to be rid of the world and its bullshit. He wants to be in higher beautiful place. He may be having suicidal thoughts
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees
And the voices of those who standing looking
Rings of smoke in the trees, again in my opinion, is saying there is a fire (which is bad) and he sees the people talking about him who know him after he kills himself.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it really makes me wonder.
This basically states he's just thinking deeply about life
And it's whispered that soon if we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason.
Something inside us is telling us that the tune (referring to the songbird about our thoughts being misgiven) then we will understand life and the piper (something intangible, just our thoughts) will make us realize that life rocks HARD
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter.
We will see things in a new light for those who stick things out and life will be good.
The forest isn't significant just a place of beauty where people are at but the laughter means we realize that life is fun and there is happiness and pleasure in it.
If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now,
It's just a spring clean for the May queen.
This just states if some messed up shit happens in your life don't panic or lose your sanity deal with it it will pass because may is the end of spring so the may queen cleaning in spring just means it will pass.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by
but in the long run,
There's still time to change the road you're on.
This just states you can make the wrong or right choices but you can always change your ways. DON'T LOSE HOPE
And it makes me wonder.
Again just thinking about life
Your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know, The piper's calling you to join him,
You're always thinking about life and you can't stop thinking about things in it. The piper is playin that tune about saying don't be too confident with your beliefs because they could be wrong(the piper could be jesus)
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind.
This is stating about how this lady should listen to the wind because the wind is an intangible force something more that will be her ticket to heaven.
And as we wind on down the road
The farther we go down our path
Our shadows taller than our soul.
Meaning if we went the wrong way our shadows overwhelm us and its hard to change (on a path to hell)
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
The lady that is on her way to hell because of her false hope in money. She has realized her wrongs and has white light(white symbolizes purity)
How everything still turns to gold.
I think the still means not moving there, but anyways how eveything still turns to gold means how everything has beauty and money isn't the only thing worth a dollar in our life figuratively speaking.
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last
If you really think hard and realize how life is a great thing and how good times are always better than money then you will understand life really has no meaning but to improve it for others and just have a good time.
When all are one and one is all
When everyone gets along and can live in harmony and peace
To be a rock and not to roll.
To be rock means to be solid and stand by what you think is right and don't falter in life. Don't follow others and do evil (roll around) BE YOU.
And she's buying a stairway to heaven
She realizes what it takes in my thoughts
Again my own opinion
May not be right to you because there is no correct meaning.
Remember "Sometimes words have to meanings"
Just thought I would post a logical meaning rather than some fucked up devil bullshit or break down the whole bible to this. You can put almost anything to this if you stretch it enough. -
Honestly, I don't care too much about what this song is about. It's an incredible work of music, and thinking too hard about it, at least for me, spoils it. Though I do applaud a lot of you for your thoughts and feelings about it.
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I love this song.
I think for me, it's about a lady who finds a way to salvation and goes to heaven, but then again the other parts of the song don't fit in with that.
I seriously doubt this song has anything to do with Satanism, although Jimmy Paige was fascinated with black magic. -
I have no real interpretation, but I enjoyed reading all these. The song can be about whatever you think it is. Don't be swayed by others opinions or thoughts if you don't see it that way. I can see how you see drugs in this song clearly.It's a bitchin' song, let's leave it at that.
Thanks -
I think this song is supposed to have no meaning...or each listener should think of their own personal meaning behind the words. It's not religion..or drugs.. or anything really
also I have a live version - before they perform the song he says "this is a song of hope"
just saying.
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