Founding fathers of heavy metal, innovators and exceptional musicians, Led Zeppelin were many things, but one word not necessarily connected to their orbit is political. Inextricable from esoteric and expansive rock, with lyrics heavily steeped in various mythologies and fiction, fans would be forgiven for thinking that the band were concerned with topics far removed from earthly power.
After all, other staples by the British quartet involved pilgrimaging to California, the spiritual home of the counterculture, partially inspired by folk heroine Joni Mitchell, to discussing J.R.R. Tolkien’s fictional Battle of Evermore in the song of the same name. There was always a distinctly fantastical, almost dream-like strand coursing throughout the work of Led Zeppelin, with frontman Robert Plant conjuring many memorable moments that stand out for their metaphysical properties.
Plant’s work with Led Zeppelin is so closely tied to fantasy that he referenced the work of The Lord of the Rings creator J.R.R. Tolkien’s fictional world of Middle-Earth on four separate occasions. Despite being make-believe, the late author’s legendarium went a great way in helping Zeppelin establish their mystical sound. It was perfect for their moments of elemental majesty and stripped-back folk melodies.
Interestingly, Led Zeppelin could be political when desired. According to Robert Plant, ‘Misty Mountain Hop’, one of the songs from their 1971 masterpiece, Led Zeppelin IV, is more steeped in reality than the mention of Tolkien’s storied mountain range in the title would have us first believe.
The frontman once said that a countercultural love-in near London – a peaceful public gathering focused on meditation, love, music, sex and the use of recreational drugs – was broken up by the police, and this inspired him to write the song. In a reflection of the era in which the track was written and the cultural background from which Led Zeppelin emerged, Plant maintained that after the love-in was stopped, he realised that Big Brother – authoritarian oppression à la George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 – was never far behind. While it might seem like a very hippie, almost paranoid assertion, it’s not hard to understand where he was coming from; the counterculture and the powers that be were always antithetical.
He said: “It’s about a bunch of hippies getting busted, about the problems you can come across when you have a simple walk in the park on a nice sunny afternoon. In England it’s understandable, because wherever you go to enjoy yourself, ‘Big Brother’ is not far behind.”
While the song’s title might suggest a fantastical element, the lyrics, combined with the band’s raw and vibrant musical performance, convey a sense of rebellion and a desire for freedom from societal constraints. ‘Misty Mountain Hop’ remains a testament to Led Zeppelin’s ability to infuse depth and meaning into their music, even when drawing inspiration from seemingly fantastical sources.
