Discussion: "Stairway to Heaven" Meaning?

Thor

Ok, "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin has become one of my fave songs of all time. I discovered it only last year.

But there is one problem. I can't seem to understand what the song is about?

Like I've listened to it alot of times and tried to figure out what it's about but I feel like, I'm wrong. I kind of have an idea of what it's actually about, but I don't think its right.

Does anyone know what's the meaning behind that song?

I've looked online but couldn't find anything legit.

Help!

Thor

Anyone?

6 Apple St

Quote:

I discovered only last year.

disappointed.

I thought the song was about the lead singers son who died

Kings.

Quote:

A minstrel’s ballad composed after a jaunt in the Welsh mountains

Robert Plant explained the song was a “cynical aside about a woman getting everything she wanted all the time without giving back any thought or consideration”

Robert Plant and Jimmy Page were loath to dissect their own lyrics, or have them analyzed. This seems to have been a kind of wall they constructed to protect themselves from critics, who might bash their lyrics, or criticize their beliefs, or invade their personal space in some way. They’re still reserved in that way.

However, the success of this song, begs a closer look at why it was a phenomenon.

It spoke to young people, and resonated, opening up a door to a different realm of spirituality, one that transported the listener into a more mystical view of life, from a perspective of the culture(s) which influenced Plant.

In his fashion, he went on to demystify the song, smash it to smithereens, with his dismissive misogynist slurs on women. It was part of his image, and personality, to obfuscate his own work with a veil, with self-deprecation, and a twinkle in his eye.

After all, he’d already written plenty of songs about greedy women. This one is different, and deserves to be viewed in light of its success. He did say: “You know sometimes words have two meanings.”

In the end, the magic of this song is that it speaks to each listener’s heart and soul personally, taking the imagination to the heights.

To the Christian, it speaks of the hope of the Second Advent. To people of other faiths, it allows them to see their vision for the future open the same doors, where all will be explained, where tears will be vanquished, where hope will be restored, and all will be new, where brotherhood will prevail, where all will be one and one for all.

In the heart, imagination, and the ear of every listener, there is an archetypal spiritual narrative, that enables them to visualize a magnificent journey.

Remember hearing it for the first time, when images played in your head like a rock video, and there was a bubble of inspiration that lingered? Wasn’t the piper calling you to join him?

Source

6 Apple St

Quote:

Originally posted by KingsOfLeon1994

Source

nvm

Thor

Quote:

Originally posted by KingsOfLeon1994

Source

Not this confusing me even more

Penny.

this song is amazing
& find ur own meaning in it tbh
thats what i did
some people write lyrics that arent meant to be explained

Gazing Ball

"Stairway To Heaven" is just a nicer way of saying "road to death", right?

Rihinvention

Quote:

Originally posted by Gazing Ball

"Stairway To Heaven" is just a nicer way of saying "road to death", right?

That's what I would have thought. For the longest time, Christians have conceptualised "heaven" as a city in the clouds, with pearly gates. So logically the only way to get up there would be stairs. I would think the "stairway to heaven" would mean the act of dying.

Migrate

I think it's about suicide. 'Stairway to Heaven' sounds like a sweet image but it's actually scary when you visualize it. A flight of empty stair that leads you to 'heaven', you walk up the stair yourself to face your own death. You're taking your own life, walking the 'stair' to 'heaven.'

rbautz

Lyrics

Quote:

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-hoo, hoo-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
And she's buying a stairway to Heaven

There's a sign on the wall, but she wants to be sure
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings
In a tree by the brook there's a songbird who sings sometimes
All of our thoughts are misgiven

Ooh, it makes me wonder
Ooh, it makes me wonder

There's a feeling I get when I look to the west
And my spirit is crying for leaving
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees
And the voices of those who stand looking

Ooh, it makes me wonder
Ooh, really makes me wonder

And it's whispered that soon, if we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter

Oh-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-ho-oh

If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now
It's just a spring clean for the May Queen
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

And it makes me wonder
Oh-oh-ho

Your head is humming and it won't go - in case you don't know
The piper's calling you to join him
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow
And did you know your stairway lies on the whispering wind, oh

And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last
When all are one and one is all, yeah
To be a rock and not to roll

And she's buying a stairway to Heaven

Yes, it seems one of these groupies, who was on the road to death. Like Edie Sedgwick who Dylan has writen Like A Rolling Stone (and we have the reference in the song (to be a rock and not to roll)

Also Led Zeppelin are the Pied Pipers, and the girls follow them to give up their own life and personality.

Also the reference, there is a sign on the wall comes most likely from the Bible

Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin - measured but the weight is too light

So they used girls in the late 60's and beginning 70's who seemed to have it all but in the end they had nothing.

To make it clear, Led Zeppelin was one of the most notorious bands who were using underaged groupies, in every time other than the 60's the members of the band were jailed for many years.

So it's understandable that Rober Plant not wanted to have explained the lyrics!

More astonishing, in the most important live album in the history of music - The Song Remains The Same .- Robert titles, before singing it, the song as "This is a song about hope"