Ramble On

"Ramble On"
Song

"Ramble On" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin from their 1969 album Led Zeppelin II. It was co-written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, and was recorded in 1969 at Juggy Sound Studio, New York, during the band's second concert tour of the United States. In 2010, the song was ranked #440 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Influences

The song's lyrics were influenced by The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. The opening line ("Leaves are falling all around") could be a paraphrase of the opening line of Tolkien's poem "Namárië".

Tolkien references appear later in the song's lyrics, including Mordor and Gollum.

Mine's a tale that can't be told,
My freedom I hold dear;
How years ago in days of old
When magic filled the air,
'Twas in the darkest depths of Mordor
I met a girl so fair.
But Gollum, and the evil one crept up
And slipped away with her.

References to Tolkien's work also exist in other Led Zeppelin songs, such as "Misty Mountain Hop" and "The Battle of Evermore".

Composition

The guitar's jangly introduction employs a classic Jimmy Page technique: using regular open chords superimposed higher on the fretboard.

There has been much doubt around Bonham's percussions in the background throughout the song, having regard to the particular resonance that it captures. There are no versions consistent in this respect: often mistaken for bongos, some said of a small plastic bin for waste played with the hands from the side of the bottom, others about the sticks on his drum kit vinyl seat pad, or even the soles of the shoes he wore during the recording session and so rhythmically beaten with his drum sticks; the book John Bonham: A Thunder of Drums reports instead of a hard case for guitar on which Bonham improvised percussion background with bare hands.

The song also serves as an illustration of the tight interplay between bassist John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham.

Jones' light, melodic bass phrases give way to an ascending motif which follows Bonham's soft percussions.

Live performances

Until 2007 "Ramble On" was never performed live in its entirety at Led Zeppelin concerts. However, part of the song was performed by the band in the middle of "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" at a concert at Toronto on 2 November 1969, as can be heard on the Led Zeppelin bootleg Listen to my Bluebird. In addition, a couple of lines were sung by Robert Plant during "Communication Breakdown" at the show on March 21, 1970 Vancouver, BC CA Pacific Coliseum. The full version of the song was played at the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert on 10 December 2007, at the O2 Arena in London.

In June 2008 Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones joined the Foo Fighters on stage at Wembley Stadium and performed "Ramble On" with vocals performed by Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins on drums. Page and Jones also performed "[[Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin song)|Rock and Roll" with the band, this time with Grohl playing drums and Hawkins singing.

Chart positions

Single (digital download)

Chart (2007)	Peak position
Canadian Billboard Hot Digital Singles Chart	66

Personnel

• Robert Plant - vocals
• Jimmy Page - guitars
• John Paul Jones - bass guitar
• John Bonham - drums

Cover versions

Main article: List of cover versions of Led Zeppelin songs

"Ramble On"
Song

Train version

Train recorded a cover that was released as a single in early 2001.

Uses in popular culture

The song was heard at the start of the second half of Fox's coverage of Super Bowl XLVIII on February 2, 2014.

"Ramble On" is heard multiple times in the 2013 science fiction film Oblivion, as listened to by Tom Cruise's character.

In the Supernatural episode "The Monster at the End of This Book," Dean Winchester says that his two favorite songs are "Ramble On" and Led Zeppelin's version of "Traveling Riverside Blues."

Sources

• Lewis, Dave (2004) The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9
• Welch, Chris (1998) Led Zeppelin: Dazed and Confused: The Stories Behind Every Song, ISBN 1-56025-818-7