Led Zeppelin “MISTY MOUNTAIN HOP”
I’ve always loved, loved, loved Led Zeppelin’s “Misty Mountain Hop,” on their 1971 smash untitled album also known as Led IV. To me, it represents an escape to a more spiritual state of mind. The never-ending repetitive beat lasts nearly from beginning to end. It’s catchy for sure, but it also kind of stultifies the human sense of wonder that the lyrics try to take you to. Eventually, you realize that it’s not so much about the people “With flowers in their hair” who “Sit and stare like a book on a shelf, rusting” as singer Robert Plant alludes to. The real zest of the message is to, despite chaos seemingly everywhere, ask “Open your eyes” because “Folk down there really don’t care which way the pressure lies.” And then, if you head the advice, you can find the ultimate prize: “So I’m packing my bags for the misty mountain, where the spirits go now, over the hills where the spirits fly.” Crank it up and listen to this spiritually enlightening tune by clicking the album cover.
— Nick Abramo, Bedrock Sports Hawaii