Minor Key Monday 18: Led Zeppelin – Immigrant Song

I always have to stop myself when I say I like “all kinds of music”.  Because, honestly, that just isn’t true, there is really only one kind of music I like.  No, not [just] Black Metal, I’m talking about music in a minor key.  I mean, I’m a pretty happy guy, but there is something about sad, sad songs that just does it for me.  I don’t dislike Vivaldi’s “Spring” and “Fall”, but I far prefer “Summer” and “Winter” (guess which seasons he writes in a minor key).  “Satisfaction” is a fine song, but I’d rather listen to “Paint it Black” any day…you get the idea.  Basically, it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that sting [of soul crushing sorrow and sadness]

This month on Minor Key Monday I discuss the best Led Zeppelin song of all time (ok, fine, along with Since I’ve Been Loving You):

I try to keep the metal off of Minor Key Monday, after all, any metal worth its salt will be in a Minor Key anyway, seems redundant with Mid-month Metal Masterpiece in the monthly mix over here.  Of course any metalhead worth their salt also knows that Led Zeppelin isn’t really metal.  However, today’s song is about as close as they get and the more you listen to it, the more you hear the roots for what came later.

First you have the main chugging riff.  It’s not a so different from the metal standard of playing a palm muted E string interspersed with the other notes of your riff.  And, like the power metal that would come later, the song is helped immeasurably by Robert Plant’s brilliant vocals (including the eerily awesome opening wail that may in fact be the single best part of any song ever).  Finally, let’s not forget those lyrics.  Are they really any different than some of the shit Manowar comes up with:

We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!

On we sweep with threshing oar, Our only goal will be the western shore.

We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
How soft your fields so green, can whisper tales of gore,
Of how we calmed the tides of war. We are your overlords.

On we sweep with threshing oar, Our only goal will be the western shore.

So now you’d better stop and rebuild all your ruins,
For peace and trust can win the day despite of all your losing.

Though I suspect even Manowar could have come up with a better rhyme for “ruins” than “losing.”  Also, let’s be honest, no metal band worth their salt would ever extol the virtues of peace and trust.

Still, it doesn’t matter if it’s metal or not, “being metal” is by no means the ultimate goal of music.  As we all know, the ultimate goal of music is to be “fucking epic” and on that count, I don’t think any of us can deny the success of Immigrant Song.