Summary
- The Lord of the Rings series gained popularity among political activists in the 1960s due to its anti-war and pro-environmental themes that resonated with the counterculture of the time.
- Led Zeppelin's songs reference The Lord of the Rings, influenced by Robert Plant's love for the series.
- Led Zeppelin's songs like "Ramble On," "Misty Mountain Hop," and "The Battle of Evermore" directly reference The Lord of the Rings, drawing inspiration from key moments and iconic characters.
The Lord of the Rings is one of the most influential pieces of writing to date. Thanks to J.R.R. Tolkien's meticulous world crafting and storytelling, LOTR has gone on to reshape the fantasy genre and inspire authors today. However, the influence of Tolkien's work has a history of extending beyond the literary world.
At the height of the 1960s, The Lord of the Rings series experienced a revival in popularity as the time's political activists picked it up. The struggle of the fellowship, Frodo's mission, plus the pro-environmental and anti-war messages resonated with the era's counterculture. In the late 60s, Tolkien's work would inspire one of the greatest rock bands in history to create songs with direct references to the lands of Middle-earth and its colorful cast of characters.
Led Zeppelin's Singer Was A Big LOTR Fan
Led Zeppelin was formed in 1968 with Robert Plant as the lead singer and lyricist. Plant was also a known Lord of the Rings fan. Thanks to his influence as a songwriter, many of Led Zeppelin's songs had themes of mythology and mysticism, which are prominent within The Lord of the Rings series. Over time, the band's songs began to reflect more of Plant's life and experiences, such as lost romance and political protests. In a few select songs, Plant weaves his interest in Lord of the Rings with details of his life as a treat for the series' fans among the Led Zeppelin audience. Some of LOTR's key moments and iconic characters lend themselves well to Led Zeppelin's unique and otherworldly storytelling.
Gollum Was the First LOTR Character to Appear in a Led Zeppelin Song
The song Ramble On was released in 1969 on the album Led Zeppelin II. The song mentions Gollum and Sauron hiding in Mordor and stealing Plant's girl.
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
Ultimately, this song is about a man finding his perfect girl and traveling the world to find her. However, some fans have theorized that this song is actually about Aragorn having to choose between staying with Arwen or searching for Gollum before Sauron finds him. Others theorize the song references Frodo's journey to destroy the One Ring; the girl in the song is the Ring. Plant was quoted in an interview as embarrassed by the LOTR reference since Mordor has no beautiful women, and Gollum wouldn't even be interested in them if they were.
The Misty Mountains Held Deep Significance to Led Zeppelin
The song Misty Mountain Hop was released in 1971 on Led Zeppelin's untitled fourth album, most commonly referred to as Led Zeppelin IV. The song is about the arrest of protestors at the 1968 July 7th "Legalize Pot Rally" in Hyde Park, London. Plant happened to be among the protesters when the arrests occurred. Plant references the Misty Mountains at the end of the song.
So I've decided what I'm going to do now
So I'm packing my bags for the Misty Mountains
Where the spirits go now
Over the hills where the spirits fly
This refers to the Misty Mountains, where Bilbo found the One Ring, and where the Fellowship of the Ring attempted to cross Middle Earth's unforgiving topography on their journey. It also references the "Misty Mountains" in Wales that Plant was fond of. Some fans also theorize that the "spirits" could reference the Eagles who live in the Mountains.
Like Tolkien, Led Zeppelin Was Inspired By History and Myth To Write Their Songs
Led Zeppelin's final definitive song to have confirmed Lord of the Rings references is The Battle of Evermore, released on the same album as Misty Mountain Hop. Plant was inspired to write the song after reading about the fifteenth and 16th-century Scottish wars. Seeing as LOTR is a story about defeating the forces of darkness, The Battle of Evermore draws on imagery from LOTR to depict this folk tale about the battle between light and dark. Plant makes direct references to The Dark Lord Sauron riding into battle.
The dark Lord rides in force tonight
There is also a reference to the Ringwraiths riding in black during the battle.
The drums will shake the castle wall
The ring wraiths ride in black, ride on
Some fans theorize that this song could also reference the Battle of Pelennor fields with imagery such as "the drums will shake the castle wall" and the sun shining onto the field after the battle, similar to how the sun rose to break the dark clouds from Mordor. Fans also theorize that the Queen of Light at the song's beginning could be Galadriel, and the Prince of Peace alludes to Frodo in Mordor.
Other moments in the song, such as "Side by side we wait the might of the darkest of them all," could reference the people of Gondor waiting for Sauron's forces to invade from Mordor. "I hear the horses thunder in the valley below" could be a reference to when Gandalf helped Faramir retreat to Minas Tirith as he was being chased by the Nazgûl.
Other Rock Bands Wrote Songs Inspired by LOTR
Led Zeppelin is one of the most famous bands with LOTR references in their works. However, the references are only confirmed for three of their songs. Others, like Stairway to Heaven and Over The Hills and Far Away, give way to fans having alternative interpretations of the songs' meanings because of the band's past LOTR references. Although, the title of Over The Hills and Far Away is a direct reference to The Hobbit.
Tolkien has inspired other bands. The band Blind Guardian has an entire album dedicated to The Lord of the Rings titled Nightfall in Middle Earth; Black Sabbath's song The Wizard was inspired by Gandalf; The band Rush has two songs inspired by LOTR: "Rivendell" and "The Necromancer." It's apparent that the world of Middle Earth transcends beyond the pages of Tolkien's works and influences creative works in other mediums.