![]() ![]() When discussing (or dismissing) the band and their appeal, one factor I don’t see acknowledged that much, especially with all of the critics who love to disparage them, is that Led Zeppelin were quintessentially British. Over the Hills and Far Away may have been based on the traditional English song of the same name that dates back to the 17th century and, depending on the version, tells the tale of young lovers, travel to lands far away, and soldiers who…leave their lovers and journey to lands far away. How many people got married to? Buried to? Toasted and roasted? Honored and carried away to Stairway to Heaven, the most popular song on rock radio for most of the 70s and 80s? Older people didn’t understand (and many of those people still don’t), but “the kids” who came of age in the 70s and cruised along with the band on their epic ride absorbed, accepted, and cheered every deviation from well-trod musical paths as an affirmation of the band’s role as musical icons and, in some cases, spiritual leaders. To many of Led Zeppelin’s fans this was and is part of what made the community the band engendered a full-on secret society. Naming a song that seemed to have nothing to do with the lyrics or naming an album that didn’t have a song of the same name and other methods of expanding the boundaries and the borders of songs and structure fascinated me when I was a teenager. The musical changes throughout the song echo the “journey” theme of the lyrics and dynamically it merges the band’s acoustic sound with their famous electric crunch and punch. For example, the title itself Over the Hills and Far Away doesn’t appear in the song’s lyric at all and the lyric structure doesn’t contain the familiar verse/chorus/bridge of most pop and rock songs, yet it flows effortlessly along with the music. The song serves as a great illustration of how the band’s unique approach to composing, recording and producing music differed from others of the 70s rock era or any era and how this, combined with all of the mysterious forces that seemed to always surround them, resulted in an often otherworldly aura. Over the Hills and Far Away is one of Led Zeppelin’s most iconic songs and is a window into what made the band special, a musical universe unto themselves. ![]()
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