Misty Mountain Hop

"Misty Mountain Hop"
"Misty Mountain Hop"
	French single sleeve
Single by Led Zeppelin
from the album Led Zeppelin IV
A-side	"Black Dog"
Released	2 December 1971 (US)
Recorded	1971
Studio	Headley Grange, Hampshire, England
Genre	Hard rock
Length	4:39
Label	Atlantic
Songwriter(s)	John Paul Jones; Jimmy Page; Robert Plant;
Producer(s)	Jimmy Page
Led Zeppelin singles chronology

"Misty Mountain Hop" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin that was released in 1971 by Atlantic Records.^[2] The song appears on the band's untitled fourth album, and was released as the B-side to the single "Black Dog" and performed in most of the band's 1972 and 1973 concert tours. In 2019, Rolling Stone ranked the song number 10 on its list of the 40 greatest Led Zeppelin songs.^[3]

Lyrics and recording

The most common interpretation of the song's title involves a reference to the Misty Mountains in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. The lyrics refer to the events of the 7 July 1968 "Legalise Pot Rally" in Hyde Park, London, in which police made arrests for marijuana possession.^[4] The lyrics reflect Plant's quest for a better society, a place and time when hangups are replaced with individual freedom and a life of mutual support and rapport.^[5]

The song was recorded at Headley Grange, a mansion where the band sometimes lived in Hampshire, England.^[6]

Personnel

According to Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin:^[7]

Robert Plant – vocals
Jimmy Page – electric guitars
John Paul Jones – bass, electric piano
John Bonham – drums

Releases and versions

The song was released as the B-side to the single "Black Dog",^[8] which was released in the United States on 2 December 1971,^[9] continental Europe (the United Kingdom did not receive the single release), and Australia.

A different version of this song is featured on the second disc of the remastered two CD deluxe edition of Led Zeppelin IV.^[10]

Live performances

The band performed the song at the 3 May 1971 Copenhagen concert (song's first concert performance) and then at the 1972 and 1973 concert tours. Band member Robert Plant performed it for most of his own solo concerts since the 1980 band breakup. Plant also performed it with the surviving members of the band at the 10 December 2007 tribute concert for Ahmet Ertegun.^[11]

References

^ Schuman, Michael A. (2009). Led Zeppelin: Legendary Rock Band. Enslow Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7660-3026-8. The fourth album also has its share of hard rock tracks. Three that received a lot of radio airplay are "Black Dog," "Misty Mountain Hop," and the appropriately named "Rock and Roll."
^ Tannenbaum, Rob (8 November 2016). "'Led Zeppelin IV': How Band Struck Back at Critics With 1971 Masterpiece". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
^ "The 40 Greatest Led Zeppelin Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. 13 January 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
^ Williamson, Nigel (2007). The Rough Guide to Led Zeppelin. London: Rough Guides. p. 230. ISBN 978-1-8435-3841-7.
^ Fyfe, Andy (2003). When the Levee Breaks: The Making of Led Zeppelin IV. London: Unanimous. p. 128. ISBN 978-1-903318-56-0.
^ Lewis, Dave (1994). The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.
^ Guesdon & Margotin 2018, p. 274.
^ Guesdon & Margotin 2018, p. 246.
^ Bream, Jon (2008). "Discography". Whole Lotta Led Zeppelin (1st ed.). MBI Publishing. p. 273. ISBN 978-0-7603-3507-9. LCCN 2008023139.
^ "Led Zeppelin Releases Remastered Sets for "IV" and "Houses of the Holy"". No Treble. 28 October 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
^ Guesdon & Margotin 2018, pp. 275–276.

Bibliography

Guesdon, Jean-Michel; Margotin, Philippe (2018). Led Zeppelin All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. Running Press. ISBN 978-0-316-448-67-3.

[1] Schuman, Michael A. (2009). Led Zeppelin: Legendary Rock Band. Enslow Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7660-3026-8. The fourth album also has its share of hard rock tracks. Three that received a lot of radio airplay are "Black Dog," "Misty Mountain Hop," and the appropriately named "Rock and Roll."

[2] Tannenbaum, Rob (8 November 2016). "'Led Zeppelin IV': How Band Struck Back at Critics With 1971 Masterpiece". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 8 February 2022.

[3] "The 40 Greatest Led Zeppelin Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. 13 January 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2022.

[4] Williamson, Nigel (2007). The Rough Guide to Led Zeppelin. London: Rough Guides. p. 230. ISBN 978-1-8435-3841-7.

[5] Fyfe, Andy (2003). When the Levee Breaks: The Making of Led Zeppelin IV. London: Unanimous. p. 128. ISBN 978-1-903318-56-0.

[6] Lewis, Dave (1994). The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.

[FOOTNOTEGuesdonMargotin2018274-7] Guesdon & Margotin 2018, p. 274.

[FOOTNOTEGuesdonMargotin2018246-8] Guesdon & Margotin 2018, p. 246.

[9] Bream, Jon (2008). "Discography". Whole Lotta Led Zeppelin (1st ed.). MBI Publishing. p. 273. ISBN 978-0-7603-3507-9. LCCN 2008023139.

[10] "Led Zeppelin Releases Remastered Sets for "IV" and "Houses of the Holy"". No Treble. 28 October 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2015.

[FOOTNOTEGuesdonMargotin2018275–276-11] Guesdon & Margotin 2018, pp. 275–276.

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v t e Led Zeppelin songs
Discography
Led Zeppelin	"Good Times Bad Times" "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" "You Shook Me" "Dazed and Confused" "Black Mountain Side" "Communication Breakdown" "I Can't Quit You Baby" "How Many More Times"
Led Zeppelin II	"Whole Lotta Love" "What Is and What Should Never Be" "The Lemon Song" "Thank You" "Heartbreaker" "Living Loving Maid (She's Just a Woman)" "Ramble On" "Moby Dick" "Bring It on Home"
Led Zeppelin III	"Immigrant Song" "Celebration Day" "Since I've Been Loving You" "Gallows Pole" "Tangerine" "That's the Way" "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp"
Untitled (Led Zeppelin IV)	"Black Dog" "Rock and Roll" "The Battle of Evermore" "Stairway to Heaven" "Misty Mountain Hop" "Four Sticks" "Going to California" "When the Levee Breaks"
Houses of the Holy	"The Song Remains the Same" "The Rain Song" "Over the Hills and Far Away" "The Crunge" "Dancing Days" "D'yer Mak'er" "No Quarter" "The Ocean"
Physical Graffiti	"The Rover" "In My Time of Dying" "Houses of the Holy" "Trampled Under Foot" "Kashmir" "In the Light" "Ten Years Gone" "The Wanton Song" "Sick Again"
Presence	"Achilles Last Stand" "For Your Life" "Nobody's Fault but Mine" "Candy Store Rock"
In Through the Out Door	"In the Evening" "Fool in the Rain" "Carouselambra" "All My Love"
Coda	"We're Gonna Groove" "I Can't Quit You Baby" "Bonzo's Montreux" "Wearing and Tearing"
Other songs	"Baby Come On Home" "Hey, Hey, What Can I Do" "Travelling Riverside Blues" "White Summer" "The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair" "Somethin' Else"