Misty Mountain Hop – Another brilliant song from #LedZeppelin and some ‘heart’ felt cover versions it inspired. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #Heart #4NonBlondes

This song never gets old. This album never gets old. An absolute timeless classic. ‘Misty Mountain Hop’ is a hippie anthem from Led Zeppelin’s 1971 untitled fourth album that became known simply as IV. It was released as the B side of ‘Black Dog’, but due to its positioning as the opening track on side 2 of the iconic album it received a ton of airplay on album oriented radio stations.

The song speaks to Led Zeppelin’s connection to their audience. The lyrics reflect an interesting juxtaposition between events of the day and their heavy J.R.R. Tolkien influence. On July 7, 1968 a ‘Legalize Pot Rally’ took place in Hyde Park in London. Robert Plant manages to reflect on this experience through his personal observations. He then ties everything together in the closing line by stating.

Now I’m packing my bags for the misty mountains where the spirits go now…”

Robert Plant

The rally in London was a disappointing scene. Evidently, conservative London was not quite ready for such a movement. Several arrests were made for marijuana possession. Robert Plant’s lyrics reflect a more Utopian vision:

A quest for a better society, a place and time when hang ups are replaced with individual freedom and life of mutual support and rapport.”

Robert Plant

What better place than the ‘Misty Mountains’?

Here are the complete lyrics:

Walkin’ in the park just the other day, baby
What do you what do you think I saw?
Crowds of people sittin’ on the grass with flowers in their hair said
Hey Boy do you want to score?
And you know how it is
I really don’t know what time it was oh, oh
So I asked them if I could stay awhile

I didn’t notice but it had got very dark and I was really
Really out of my mind.
Just then a policeman stepped up to me and asked us said
Please, hey, would we care to all get in line
Get in line
Well you know
They asked us to stay for tea and have some fun
Oh, oh, he said that his friends would all drop by, oh
Why don’t you take a good look at yourself and describe what you see
And baby, baby, baby, do you like it?
There you sit, sitting spare like a book on a shelf rustin’
Ah, not trying to fight it

You really don’t care if they’re coming oh, oh
I know that it’s all a state of mind, oh.
If you go down in the streets today, Baby, you better
You better open your eyes
Folk down there really don’t care, really don’t care
Don’t care, really don’t
Which, which way the pressure lies
So I’ve decided what I’m gonna do now
So I’m packing my bags for the Misty Mountains
Where the spirits go now
Over the hills where the spirits fly, oh, I really don’t know

Robert Plant/Jimmy Page

Today’s feature is clearly a nod to Led Zeppelin and their songwriting brilliance, but it was actually inspired by the birthday of one of their biggest fans. Prolific songwriter Ann Wilson who formed the rock band Heart along with her sister, Nancy. Among the many compositions that helped them sell nearly 40 million albums worldwide over the past five decades, exists a clear reverence to Led Zeppelin. One of their best Zeppelin covers is ‘Misty Mountain Hop’. Here you go.

As much as Led Zeppelin was a major influence on Heart, I suspect Heart had a profound influence on a California band called 4 Non Blondes. This act was very big for a few years in the early ‘90s before dissolving. Here is their strong version of ‘Misty Mountain Hop’. Just one more example of the lineage of inspiration that keeps the music world rockin’.

Since Robert Plant’s observations over 50 years ago the world has come a long way in terms of marijuana’s legalization and overall acceptance, but in no way have we made it to the ‘Misty Mountains’.