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Led Zeppelin needs little introduction. Most will recognize the lyrics of their anthemic song, “Stairway to Heaven.” There are few things that can help me slow my mind – I suffer from a chronic inability to shut down my brain. Interestingly, classic rock is the controlled chaos that somehow permeates my mind and creates something harmonious. In other words, classic rock (real classic rock from the 60s, 70s, and 80s) is one of the few magical items that helps me slow my mind enough so I can look at the big picture, allow my mind to explore new ideas, and occasionally write something of significance. STOP. If you have the ability, I encourage you to play the song softly in the background while you continue to read. CONTINUE. For those of you who know me outside of work, you’ve probably heard bits and pieces of my playlist. Music isn’t made like it used to be. Zeppelin’s, “Stairway to Heaven” is a masterpiece – objectively. Their lyrics are often the subject of scrutiny, pundits and commonfolk alike have long struggled to derive if there is relevance or true meaning behind them.
This is partially why classic rock has captured my liking. I enjoy riddles, solving the highly complex, drawing parallels from perpendicular – and I don’t mind if it takes years for this to unfold. I also enjoy listening to stories – few possess the skill required to tell a story with an instrument. Those in Led Zeppelin have this skill and I can (and have) listen(ed) all day long. Pardon my jargon, I’ll organize my thoughts more appropriately.
The lady (society) described in the lyrics hasn’t changed much since this song was produced in 1971. She is still enticed, distracted by, and often fooled by glitter. Let me promise my readers something, all that glitters is not gold. Allow me to make another promise. You cannot buy a stairway to heaven. Rest assured, that isn’t how it works. Don’t be like the lady described in this song. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by the glitter and glamour of a fleeting world. This is a horrible way to live. In fact, it’s no way to live at all.
Zeppelin’s song goes on to explain the lady’s stairway lies on the whispering wind. They’re right! A whispering wind is something that can’t be bottled, boxed, bagged, canned, or stored for later. The whispering wind is elusive… it wasn’t under our tree this year, and I’d wager none of you found it under yours either. You’ll never find a stairway to heaven under a tree, in a store, or secretly kept in a box or bag. I firmly believe the best place to look, should you find yourself searching for a stairway to heaven, is in a book. Yes, the Bible.
This song offers a message of hope, “Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run, there’s still time to change the road you’re on.” The lady we all know comes to terms with the fact that she is on the wrong path. She was able to change her path, show others the way to “gold,” and ultimately arrive in heaven. In a chaotic world, sometimes it takes a bit of rock and roll to drive home a message. This song has been part of my playlist for years but hearing it on my drive home for Christmas, it was clear that that I had only been hearing the song and really understanding. That’s the difference between listening and listening.
As we conclude this Christmas season and enter a new year, I encourage all of you to listen. If it means anything, I have learned a lot from it.
“And if you listen very hard, the tune will come to you at last.”
- Led Zeppelin
Be well,
Spell Carr
