10 Instances of Led Zeppelin Using Lyrics from Other Songs

Initially, Led Zeppelin wanted to be called “Lead Zeppelin”, but they were concerned that “thick Americans” would mispronounce the word.

Regarded by many as one of the greatest bands in music history, Led Zeppelin’s fan base continues to grow. They are one of the best-selling bands of all time and have influenced countless musicians with their fusion of folk, blues, rock, and other genres.

Guitarist Jimmy Page formed the band as “The New Yardbirds” to fulfill his contractual obligations after the original Yardbirds disbanded. He later recruited Robert Plant as the vocalist, John Paul Jones as the bassist, and John Bonham as the drummer. The band changed their name to “Led Zeppelin” after The Who’s drummer and bassist, Keith Moon and John Entwistle respectively, rejected Page’s offer to join and commented that a band featuring Page and former Yardbirds guitarist Jeff Beck would go down like a “lead balloon”.

Although Led Zeppelin has influenced many, they too have been influenced by others. In this list, we highlight 10 times Led Zeppelin borrowed, lifted, or stole lyrics from other musical acts.

Boogie with Stu (Lyrics from: “Ooh, My Head”)

The most evident example of Led Zeppelin using previously released song lyrics is “Boogie with Stu” from 1975. Recorded in 1971 in London, the song evolved from a jam session with the road manager and pianist from The Rolling Stones, Ian “Stu” Stewart. Robert Plant relied heavily on the lyrics of Ritchie Valens’ song “Ooh, My Head”, which was released on Valens’ first album in 1959. The band added Valens’ mother, labeled as “Mrs. Valens”, to the credits after being sued for copyright infringement by Ritchie Valens’ music publisher, Kemo Music. Jimmy Page acknowledged that Plant “did lean on that lyric a bit” and they attempted to give credit to the original artist’s mother as she had never received royalties for her son’s music. In 1998, Page expressed surprise that the owner of the copyright would sue despite their efforts to give credit.

Comparative lyrics:

“Ooh, My Head”

Well, well, now, now baby
Let’s just go all night long
Well, on, on, on, on, darlin
I just want you-to-go-on more
There won’t be no tuttie fruiti
No lolly pop, come on baby just
Rock, rock, rock
Well, now, now, now, now, honey
We gonna rock all night
Well babe, babe, babe, babe, baby
We’re just gonna go fine
Well on, on, on, on, darlin’
Ooh, my head!

“Boogie with Stu”

My baby and I have been in town, and we need to rock on. We don’t want any sweet treats, just want to rock all night long. Our heads are spinning, but we just need to keep rolling. Rock on!

Whole Lotta Love (Lyrics from: “You Need Love”/“You Need Loving”)

Willie Dixon may not be a familiar name to casual music fans, but his influence on rock and blues is undeniable. As a Grammy winner and inductee in multiple halls of fame, Dixon’s legacy lives on through his work that has been covered by many artists, including Led Zeppelin.

It’s clear that Dixon’s work had an impact on Page, Plant, Jones, and Bonham from the early days of the band, as evidenced by the use of his lyrics in “Whole Lotta Love”. The song was originally released in 1969 and now credits Dixon on all publications.

Page’s iconic guitar riff was developed in the summer of 1968, while Plant used his signature moaning vocals to convey his lust for the “woman” mentioned in the song. The production of the song included a backwards echo technique, adding to its unique sound.

However, not all of the song was developed by Led Zeppelin in the studio. In fact, the lyrics were paraphrased from Dixon’s blues track “You Need Love”, which Muddy Waters recorded in 1962 with Dixon’s lyrics about the necessity of love. Small Faces also did their own recording of the song in 1968, which Page and Plant had reportedly seen them perform live.

Led Zeppelin was sued by Dixon in 1985 and settled out of court. Plant later commented that he needed lyrics to sing and that “you only get caught when you’re successful”.

Comparative lyrics:

“You Need Love”

You have yearning and I have burning
Baby, you look so sweet and cunning
Inside, woman, you need love
Woman, you need love, you’ve got to have some love
I’m going to give you some love, I know you need love
You just got to have love, you make me feel so good
You make me feel all right, you’re so nice, you’re so nice
You’re fretting, and I’m petting
A lot of good things you ain’t getting
Inside, woman, you need love
You need to be hugged and squeezed real tight,
By the light of the moon on some summer night
You need love and kissing too,
All these things are good for you
I ain’t fooling, you need schooling
Baby, you know you need cooling
Inside, woman, you need love

“Whole Lotta Love”

The lyrics of “The Lemon Song” by Led Zeppelin are very sexual and suggest that the woman needs to be taught a lesson. The song is actually a combination of two previously recorded songs, “Killing Floor” by Howlin’ Wolf and “Traveling Riverside Blues” by Robert Johnson. Robert Plant, the lead singer, often used sexual lyrics in his songs. The band covered “Traveling Riverside Blues” for live performances and BBC recordings. “Killing Floor” was performed live before becoming the basis for “The Lemon Song”. Legal action was brought against the band for this song by Arc Music, owner of Howlin’ Wolf’s rights, with the parties settling out of court and Chester Burnett being listed as a co-writer on all subsequent releases.

The lyrics of the song “The Lemon Song” describe a desire to be squeezed until the juice runs down the leg. The song is about regretting not leaving a toxic relationship sooner and the pain that comes with staying. Led Zeppelin’s album “Led Zeppelin II” features a tribute to Sonny Boy Williamson II’s 1963 recording of “Bring It On Home”. Although the song is credited to Page and Plant, it is based on Williamson’s version with subtle changes. The band settled out of court with Willie Dixon, the writer of the original song, and he is now solely credited for the finished song. Despite Page’s claims of only taking a little bit from Williamson’s version, almost half of the song is a tribute.

“Bring It On Home” (Led Zeppelin version)

The song “Bring It On Home” by Led Zeppelin is about a man who is going to bring himself back to his lover. He has his ticket and is ready to board the train to come back home. He watches the train roll down the track and is excited to be reunited with his lover.

In My Time of Dying (Inspired by: “In My Time of Dying” AKA “Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed”)

“In My Time of Dying” is the longest studio recording by Led Zeppelin and is found on the “Physical Graffiti” album originally released in 1975. However, the earliest released version of the tune was decades earlier, with 1928 being the recording by Blind Willie Johnson and published versions of the lyrics being found even earlier. The song is based on a gospel song and features lyrics referencing a specific Bible passage found in Psalms. Despite this, musicians such as Bob Dylan, The Soul Stirrers, and John Sebastian also recorded the song prior to Led Zeppelin. The credits on the Physical Graffiti album list all four members as the authors despite earlier recordings being known, as the song is often just considered “traditional”.

Nobody’s Fault But Mine (Lyrics and music from: “It’s Nobody’s Fault But Mine”)

“Nobody’s Fault But Mine” was originally released by Blind Willie Johnson and covered by Led Zeppelin. The song tells of the doomed fate of the singer, unless he learns a specific lesson. In the Blind Willie version, the lesson is living according to Biblical teachings, while the Led Zeppelin version gives no indication to the lesson other than using the repeating phrase “monkey on my back”, which often refers to an addiction of some sort. Unlike “In My Time of Dying”, “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” sticks much closer to the original lyrics sung by Blind Willie Johnson released as early as 1928. However, this song also does not have a credited songwriter, therefore, on the “Presence” album, Page and Plant put their own names as authors.

Comparison of Lyrics:

“It’s Nobody’s Fault But Mine” (Johnson Version)

The song talks about how the individual is responsible for their own actions. The lyrics mention that if the individual doesn’t read, then they will lose their soul. The Bible has taught the individual how to read and is essential for their spiritual well-being.

“Nobody’s Fault But Mine” (Led Zeppelin Version)

The song talks about the individual’s struggle to save their own soul. The devil encourages the individual to do wrong, but ultimately, it is their responsibility. The song has a similar title to the Johnson version but has different lyrics.

Custard Pie (Lyrics and Music from: “Drop Down Mama”/Shake ‘Em On Down”/“I Want Some of Your Pie”)

The song “Custard Pie” from Led Zeppelin’s album “Physical Graffiti” has sexually charged lyrics inspired by several blues songs. The opening track of the album sets the stage for the recurring motif of sexual innuendos. The band credited themselves on the released recording despite similarities to at least three different songs. The song is inspired by “Drop Down Mama” by Sleepy John Estes, “Shake ‘Em On Down” by Bukka White, and “I Want Some of Your Pie” by Blind Boy Fuller. The lyrics of the song are full of double entendres, and the title is inspired by the line “I want to eat your custard pie” from the Blind Boy Fuller track.

It is interesting to note that despite the release of three previous songs, there is no record of Led Zeppelin being sued for their song “Custard Pie”. As a result, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page are still the only credited authors, although it is now known that the lyrics have similarities to other songs.

The comparative lyrics include “Drop Down Mama”, “Shake ‘Em On Down”, and “I Want Some of Your Pie”. “Custard Pie” contains similar lyrics to these songs, but is still credited only to Plant and Page.

“Bron-Y-Aur Stomp” is a country-sounding song from “Led Zeppelin III”. The song was named after a cottage in Wales, but was misspelled on the album cover. The band stayed in the cottage while writing the album, and the lack of electricity and running water helped them focus on a more acoustic sound. The lyrics reference Robert Plant’s dog, Strider, who was named after a character in “The Lord of the Rings”. The song also features John Bonham playing various percussion instruments.

The song “Bron-Y-Aur Stomp” by Led Zeppelin has a striking similarity to “The Waggoner’s Lad”, an instrumental song played by Bert Jansch on banjo and John Renbourn on guitar. Both songs have a similar musical structure and country flavor. “The Waggoner’s Lad” is a traditional song, so Led Zeppelin faced no legal action for their song.

Moving on to another song by Led Zeppelin, “Since I’ve Been Loving You” from their third LP features Jones on organ and Bonham’s bass pedal drum squeak. This song is a departure from the acoustic approach of their previous entry. Although it is a personal favorite of the author, it is not without controversy as the opening and closing lyrics bear a resemblance to the song “Never” by Moby Grape. Both songs have a similar mood and blues rock feeling, with the singer acknowledging the failure of their relationship and their desire to work things out. The comparative lyrics of both songs show their similarities.

The narrator in the first paragraph laments their daily routine of working from seven to eleven every night, which they feel is dragging their life down. Despite this, they continue to work hard because they love someone deeply. They recall a time when they were rejected by someone they loved and wonder if that person remembers turning them away. The paragraph ends with a reference to a “back-door man”, suggesting that the narrator is not the only person in this situation.

The second section of the text is titled “Stairway to Heaven” and discusses Led Zeppelin’s famous song. The writer notes that the song is controversial because it bears similarities to “Taurus” by the band Spirit, which was released two years prior. The writer explains that Led Zeppelin had previously covered another Spirit song and had even opened for Spirit on tour. The song’s writing process is described, with guitarist Jimmy Page recording different musical bits and bassist John Paul Jones hearing the song in a country manor house. The lyrics were largely written in one sitting, with inspiration from a British antiquarian. The song was not released as a single, but Atlantic Records did release a single version in the US in 1972. The song is the subject of controversy and a lawsuit by Spirit.

According to reports, the band did not file a lawsuit against Atlantic Records earlier because they lacked the financial stability to do so. If a lawsuit had been successful, future earnings would have been affected, but past earnings would not have been included in the settlement. Two years after the initial filing, a judge ruled that there were enough similarities between the songs for the case to be heard by a jury. However, in June 2016, the jury ruled that there was not enough similarity to be considered copyright infringement. The verdict was appealed in March 2017 on the basis that the jury should have heard the recording of “Taurus.” As of now, the case is still in court. While Led Zeppelin has been accused of stealing from other musical acts, some argue that they transformed the pieces and made them special in their own way. Robert Plant once said, “You only get caught when you’re successful.”

FAQ

1. Did Led Zeppelin plagiarize their lyrics?

There have been numerous accusations over the years that Led Zeppelin plagiarized or stole lyrics from other artists. While some of their songs do contain similar phrases or themes to other songs, the band has always maintained that they were simply influenced by other artists and that their lyrics were original. However, they have been sued multiple times for copyright infringement, and some cases have been settled out of court.

2. What are some examples of Led Zeppelin borrowing lyrics?

One of the most well-known examples is the song “Whole Lotta Love,” which features lyrics that were taken from Willie Dixon’s “You Need Love.” Led Zeppelin also borrowed lyrics from Robert Johnson’s “Traveling Riverside Blues” for their song “The Lemon Song.” Other songs that contain borrowed lyrics include “Dazed and Confused” (inspired by Jake Holmes’ song of the same name) and “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” (originally written by Anne Bredon).

3. How did Led Zeppelin respond to accusations of plagiarism?

Led Zeppelin has always denied that they intentionally plagiarized any lyrics. They have argued that they were simply inspired by other artists and that their songs were original works. However, they have also settled several lawsuits out of court, which suggests that they may have borrowed more heavily than they have admitted.

4. Does borrowing lyrics make Led Zeppelin’s music less valuable?

Opinions on this vary. Some people argue that Led Zeppelin’s music is still valuable and important, even if they did borrow lyrics from other artists. They argue that the band still put their own unique spin on the borrowed lyrics and that their music had a significant impact on the rock genre. Others argue that borrowing lyrics is a form of theft and that it detracts from the value of Led Zeppelin’s music.

Zayn Anderson

Zayn Anderson is a prolific writer with a passion for uncovering the world’s intriguing facts. Armed with an insatiable curiosity, he delves into various subjects, from history and science to nature and technology.