Yeah, and now I remember the reason why I went to see Neil Diamond was to take my friend for his birthday. He begged me to take him, so I did.

We're not dissecting it. We're looking for a message behind it. Besides, people do not dissect or try to interpret every song ever written. Has anyone ever asked any member of Led Zeppelin what any of their other songs mean other than Stairway to Heaven? I don't believe so. Stairway to Heaven is a powerful ballad and sounds like a song with a profound message, even if it isn't. I stand behind my essay.

Regarding your post: And in response to the following replies: With a word she can get what she came for What's the word? Dee Dee's Reply: I say it doesn't have to be any particular word. Could be having a word with a shopkeeper. reswati, on 09 December 2012 - 04:15 AM, said: "If you really want to break STH down lyrically it means pretty much the following: When you are inexperienced in life material things are what is important. The world will try to deceive you with materialism, however if you ignore the bullshit around you and focus on the experience of life, accumulating wisdom, and loving your fellow human, you will find the right road to true salvation and liberation, that being freedom from material want." Dee Dee's Reply: My Thoughts: To begin with, it is my understanding Robert Plant has been asked this question (what do the lyrics of Stairway mean), and his reply was that the song can be interpreted any way you want. By giving this statement, he actually avoids answering the question. He doesn't exactly say that there isn't a meaning behind the lyrics, and the fact of the matter is the lyrics may have a meaning to him that he alone knows. If so, he may very well want to keep that to himself and may have his own personal reasons for doing so. And if he doesn't want to reveal his interpretation to the public, he doesn't have to. So when asked what do they mean, he can simply say, "You can interpret it any way you want." This is not an uncommon answer among writers. Having said that, I want to make one thing clear. I have been a fan of Robert Plant for years. Most of my friends were Led Zeppelin fans as well, and when we'd get together and talk about the band, its members, and its music, most of us were in agreement that at least in our opinion, Robert Plant wasn't a great lyricist but we didn't care. We liked him anyway. Still I'd sooner be asked to interpret "Gallows Pole" than "Stairway" because "Gallows Pole" is much more obvious. But "Stairway" has its own brilliance, which leads me to my next point. It had been said that Robert Plant used his voice like a musical instrument. Good examples of this can be found in film, "The Song Remains the Same". Page would play a few notes and Robert would repeat the notes and they would alternate back and forth like that. When they did that, Plant didn't necessarily sing any words. He's just singing. He is using his voice like a musical instrument. Anyone who can sing can do that. You can sing, "fa la la", words which have no meaning behind them but you are still singing. And if you sing fa la la with someone accompanying you on a guitar or a flute or a piano or whatever, your using your voice like a musical instrument as much as they are who accompany you with their guitar or whatever. So what is the point I am making? Well, the point is if a person can use their voice as a musical instrument when singing, "fa la la", then why isn't the voice still a musical instrument when singing actual words. You kind of have to look outside the box as the saying goes. But if you get when I am saying, that you can use your voice as a musical instrument when singing, "fa la la", it really doesn't matter what words you sing or whether or not the words make any sense. Once you understand this concept, you can go back to my first point which was that Plant supposedly said that you can interpret Stairway to Heaven any way you want. Having said this, I come to my final point. My final point is --well, let me tell it to you this way. Music has a very powerful affect on the human mind. I learned this when studying consumer economics, where I learned how music is used a lot in advertising. And the reason for this is that advertising firms had learned to use music in their advertising after learning the results of hundreds of psychological studies performed which showed how the human mind reacts to music. Music has a way of capturing the attention of the human mind and holding the attention of the listener. Have you ever tried to read a book while listening to music? Takes a considerable amount of concentration. I know of a drama teacher who used to have his students take the stage one by one and sit on a chair and try to read a paragraph while loud music was playing, and then he would ask the student to tell what the paragraph was about, and of course, a lot of the students would be stumped because they said they found it hard to concentrate on reading with the music playing. Are you with me so far? On the same point, I once heard over the radio an interview with George Harrison and he started talking about how music is very powerful in that it hits your mind a certain way and that many prayers (and you know George Harrison was into transcendential meditation for a while), but he said that many prayers like the way the Buddhists pray are similar to music. And he'd go, "Oooom", you know like how the Buddhists pray or how the monks chant. Anyway George Harrison went on to say that certain prayers are like music and have an affect on the human mind so as to capture the listener's attention and hold onto it. Think of when someone wants to hypnotize you and they swing an object back and forth like a pendulum and speak to you in a soft monotone voice, "You are getting sleepy . . . very sleepy . . . " so as to put you in a trance like state. This is like what music does. You hear it and it diverts your attention, and then it takes you. Where it takes you depends on the kind of music it is, of course. But it has the power of putting your mind in a different state. In fact, people can recall words they learned in a rhyme better than words they learned that were not in a rhyme. People can remember lessons learned in songs better than lessons learned in plain language. That's how powerful music is. So what does Stairway mean? In my opinion, I agree with most of what reswati says as far as the anti-materialism aspect that appears to be in the song. However, I also believe that the lyrics allude to the power of music on the human mind. This is just my interpretation. It is not Robert Plant's interpretation as far as I know. From what I know, he says Stairway to Heaven can be interpreted any way you want. How do I interpret it? Well, I say it is vague, but like poetry, lyrics are often vague. I don't look for meaning in my life in songs or poetry, not songs and poetry alone anyway. I will say I believe I see in "Stairway" hints towards the power of music ". . . The piper is calling you to join him . . . And if you listen very hard, the tune will come to you at last . . . " the influence of music, words, and feelings over materialism. The song Stairway to Heaven brings to mind the question of the true value of gold (materialism), as well as the question of what is truly heaven? What is heaven? Is heaven made of gold or is heaven just a feeling of happiness? What then is true happiness? It is clear to me that what makes Stairway to Heaven such a powerful ballad is the blend of both voice and melody. Notice I say voice here and not words and recall my point made about using the voice as a musical instrument. What makes music so powerful is that it can bring the listener to happiness, tears, anger, laughter. It brings emotion. Stairway to Heaven is a powerful ballad. So powerful, one would think there would be some profound, prophetic message behind it. The line, "To be a rock and not to roll" seems to be a calling to stand your ground in some way. But for what? Heaven? What is heaven then? Lastly, I believe it is worth mentioning that while gold may be equated with materialism, materialism shouldn't be equated with certain necessities like food and shelter. I also don't believe materialism should be equated with the want of comfort in times of human suffering. It is one thing to interpret a song; it is another to agree or disagree with the message even if I am the only one who interprets it that way. To be fair, no where in "Stairway to Heaven" do the lyrics suggest that greed or materialism should be equated with such needs. If anything, I believe it asks to consider the power of music and feelings over "gold" in the elements of what makes up "heaven" and perhaps to consider making heaven as opposed to just buying it. What say you?

My Thoughts: To begin with, it is my understanding Robert Plant has been asked this question (what do the lyrics of Stairway mean), and his reply was that the song can be interpreted any way you want. By giving this statement, he actually avoids answering the question. He doesn't exactly say that there isn't a meaning behind the lyrics, and the fact of the matter is the lyrics may have a meaning to him that he alone knows. If so, he may very well want to keep that to himself and may have his own personal reasons for doing so. And if he doesn't want to reveal his interpretation to the public, he doesn't have to. So when asked what do they mean, he can simply say, "You can interpret it any way you want." This is not an uncommon answer among writers. Having said that, I want to make one thing clear. I have been a fan of Robert Plant for years. Most of my friends were Led Zeppelin fans as well, and when we'd get together and talk about the band, its members, and its music, most of us were in agreement that at least in our opinion, Robert Plant wasn't a great lyricist but we didn't care. We liked him anyway. Still I'd sooner be asked to interpret "Gallows Pole" than "Stairway" because "Gallows Pole" is much more obvious. But "Stairway" has its own brilliance, which leads me to my next point. It had been said that Robert Plant used his voice like a musical instrument. Good examples of this can be found in film, "The Song Remains the Same". Page would play a few notes and Robert would repeat the notes and they would alternate back and forth like that. When they did that, Plant didn't necessarily sing any words. He's just singing. He is using his voice like a musical instrument. Anyone who can sing can do that. You can sing, "fa la la", words which have no meaning behind them but you are still singing. And if you sing fa la la with someone accompanying you on a guitar or a flute or a piano or whatever, your using your voice like a musical instrument as much as they are who accompany you with their guitar or whatever. So what is the point I am making? Well, the point is if a person can use their voice as a musical instrument when singing, "fa la la", then why isn't the voice still a musical instrument when singing actual words. You kind of have to look outside the box as the saying goes. But if you get when I am saying, that you can use your voice as a musical instrument when singing, "fa la la", it really doesn't matter what words you sing or whether or not the words make any sense. Once you understand this concept, you can go back to my first point which was that Plant supposedly said that you can interpret Stairway to Heaven any way you want. Having said this, I come to my final point. My final point is --well, let me tell it to you this way. Music has a very powerful affect on the human mind. I learned this when studying consumer economics, where I learned how music is used a lot in advertising. And the reason for this is that advertising firms had learned to use music in their advertising after learning the results of hundreds of psychological studies performed which showed how the human mind reacts to music. Music has a way of capturing the attention of the human mind and holding the attention of the listener. Have you ever tried to read a book while listening to music? Takes a considerable amount of concentration. I know of a drama teacher who used to have his students take the stage one by one and sit on a chair and try to read a paragraph while loud music was playing, and then he would ask the student to tell what the paragraph was about, and of course, a lot of the students would be stumped because they said they found it hard to concentrate on reading with the music playing. Are you with me so far? On the same point, I once heard over the radio an interview with George Harrison and he started talking about how music is very powerful in that it hits your mind a certain way and that many prayers (and you know George Harrison was into transcendential meditation for a while), but he said that many prayers like the way the Buddhists pray are similar to music. And he'd go, "Oooom", you know like how the Buddhists pray or how the monks chant. Anyway George Harrison went on to say that certain prayers are like music and have an affect on the human mind so as to capture the listener's attention and hold onto it. Think of when someone wants to hypnotize you and they swing an object back and forth like a pendulum and speak to you in a soft monotone voice, "You are getting sleepy . . . very sleepy . . . " so as to put you in a trance like state. This is like what music does. You hear it and it diverts your attention, and then it takes you. Where it takes you depends on the kind of music it is, of course. But it has the power of putting your mind in a different state. In fact, people can recall words they learned in a rhyme better than words they learned that were not in a rhyme. People can remember lessons learned in songs better than lessons learned in plain language. That's how powerful music is. So what does Stairway mean? In my opinion, I agree with most of what reswati says as far as the anti-materialism aspect that appears to be in the song. However, I also believe that the lyrics allude to the power of music on the human mind. This is just my interpretation. It is not Robert Plant's interpretation as far as I know. From what I know, he says Stairway to Heaven can be interpreted any way you want. How do I interpret it? Well, I say it is vague, but like poetry, lyrics are often vague. I don't look for meaning in my life in songs or poetry, not songs and poetry alone anyway. I will say I believe I see in "Stairway" hints towards the power of music ". . . The piper is calling you to join him . . . And if you listen very hard, the tune will come to you at last . . . " the influence of music, words, and feelings over materialism. The song Stairway to Heaven brings to mind the question of the true value of gold (materialism), as well as the question of what is truly heaven? What is heaven? Is heaven made of gold or is heaven just a feeling of happiness? What then is true happiness? It is clear to me that what makes Stairway to Heaven such a powerful ballad is the blend of both voice and melody. Notice I say voice here and not words and recall my point made about using the voice as a musical instrument. What makes music so powerful is that it can bring the listener to happiness, tears, anger, laughter. It brings emotion. Stairway to Heaven is a powerful ballad. So powerful, one would think there would be some profound, prophetic message behind it. The line, "To be a rock and not to roll" seems to be a calling to stand your ground in some way. But for what? Heaven? What is heaven then? Lastly, I believe it is worth mentioning that while gold may be equated with materialism, materialism shouldn't be equated with certain necessities like food and shelter. I also don't believe materialism should be equated with the want of comfort in times of human suffering. It is one thing to interpret a song; it is another to agree or disagree with the message even if I am the only one who interprets it that way. To be fair, no where in "Stairway to Heaven" do the lyrics suggest that greed or materialism should be equated with such needs. If anything, I believe it asks to consider the power of music and feelings over "gold" in the elements of what makes up "heaven" and perhaps to consider making heaven as opposed to just buying it. What say you?

Hey Blue Eyed Merle! I honestly do not recall which night. It was either the last night or next to the last. It may have been one of the added shows.

I saw Neil Diamond at The Great Western Forum in his later years. My friend and I weren't that much into his music and agreed to go just as kind of a nostalgic thing. Yet watching him and his audience interact made it worthwhile for me. I was amazed he was still drawing enormous crowds and that night was no exception. He had reportedly sold out a record number of shows for this venue. In fact, I think he still holds the record. And he is one of only two performing artists I have seen perform an arena of that size on a round revolving stage right in the center instead of on a big stage at the front. His audience loves him! They all get up and dance when he does "Cherry Cherry", and they all stand up and sing along to "Sweet Caroline", and they all hold up their lighters as a tribute to him when he sings, "I Am . . . I Said" and we didn't know why they did that so we asked around and the people we asked told us it was because that's supposed to be the best song he's ever written. His concert didn't really have much of a light show except when he does "America" and then they shine the flag and shoot some fireworks, and then the whole audience cheers. I will admit his show did exceed my expectations but then again, I didn't have high expectations when I went.

I believe it was Michael MacDonald. My sister and I took my mother for her birthday.

I saw Guns n' Roses at The Coliseum when they opened for The Rolling Stones. Actually, it was Rolling Stones, Guns n' Roses, and Living Color. (By the way, whatever happened to Living Color?) I noticed Axl used a lot of facial expression when he performed. Overall, I'd say it was a good performance. However, it is my understanding that their Live at Budokan show is considered their best. Axl is a very controversial character. I make a point of not getting caught up in all the hype surrounding him. I believe Slash is very talented. I'd like to see him stretch a little more as an artist because I believe he has the potential to do that. Gn'R have written some good numbers, and in my opinion, Welcome to the Jungle is probably the best. I say this because of its guitar solo where the drums and base have that jungle rhythm feel. Sharp! Demonstrates what can be done with music. I have enjoyed some of their other numbers. I get a kick out Nice Boys, and One in a Million has that edge to it. There are, of course, other songs they do that I like but I don't need to mention them.