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Humour in Zeppelin Music...


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Hey guys,

I always considered Houses of the Holy as the best or at least funniest album Zeppelin has ever done. I guess you already found out that especially dyer'maker and the crunge are the songs I'm talking about...

Now I would like to know if there are certain songs ('originals') that Zeppelin alludes to. The crunge could be some James Brown stuff while dyer'maker to me sounds like a parody of The Polices 'Every breath you take' before that song even existed :D (any reggae artist zeppelin alludes to?)

I hope this is worth a discussion and perhaps you have found 'comic elements' in other Zeppelin songs. Personally I'm interested in it because I'll have an exam about humour in music at the beginning of next year and anyway as a Zeppelin fan :D

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Good topic....and good luck with your exam. I'd have to think about this a little more. The only song that springs to mind at this moment is "Down by the Seaside" and don't know if one can find humour in it but it is sure darn cute! :P

If you include the album cover artwork, then the Presence album is good for some chuckles.

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I always have to smile about Bron-yr-aur stomp, the text and the music match perfectly the funny and friendly mood of a walk with your dog.

And I think, there are several self-ironic aspects in these "bigballs"-songs, like custard pie or whole lotta love, sort of cock rock caricature.

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D'yer Mak'er:

"The name of the song is derived from a play on the words "Jamaica" and "Did you make her", based on an old joke ("My wife's gone to the West Indies." "Jamaica?" "No, she went of her own accord.") On July 21, 2005, Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant discussed the song during an interview with Mike Halloran, a DJ on radio station FM94/9 in San Diego. During the interview, he talked about the different interpretations and pronunciations of the name of the song [3]). The title, which appears nowhere in the lyrics, was chosen because it reflects the reggae flavour of the song. Plant has said that he finds it amusing when American fans completely ignore the apostrophes and pronounce it as "Dire Maker". The common mispronunciation is alluded to in the song "Joke About Jamaica" by The Hold Steady in the lines: "They used to think it was so cute when she said 'Dire Maker'/All the boys knew it was a joke about Jamaica".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D'yer_Mak'er

R B)

Edited by reids
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I always have to smile about Bron-yr-aur stomp, the text and the music match perfectly the funny and friendly mood of a walk with your dog.

And I think, there are several self-ironic aspects in these "bigballs"-songs, like custard pie or whole lotta love, sort of cock rock caricature.

I think so too. I did a class report in college, way back in 1974, about Zeppelin and of course had to write about the lyrics to The Lemon Song. The teacher put a notation and gasping smiley face in the margin next to that paragraph......and gave me an A for the paper! :D

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D'yer Mak'er:

"The name of the song is derived from a play on the words "Jamaica" and "Did you make her", based on an old joke ("My wife's gone to the West Indies." "Jamaica?" "No, she went of her own accord.") On July 21, 2005, Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant discussed the song during an interview with Mike Halloran, a DJ on radio station FM94/9 in San Diego. During the interview, he talked about the different interpretations and pronunciations of the name of the song [3]). The title, which appears nowhere in the lyrics, was chosen because it reflects the reggae flavour of the song. Plant has said that he finds it amusing when American fans completely ignore the apostrophes and pronounce it as "Dire Maker". The common mispronunciation is alluded to in the song "Joke About Jamaica" by The Hold Steady in the lines: "They used to think it was so cute when she said 'Dire Maker'/All the boys knew it was a joke about Jamaica".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D'yer_Mak'er

R B)

Thank you, that is some great piece of information!

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Good topic....and good luck with your exam. I'd have to think about this a little more. The only song that springs to mind at this moment is "Down by the Seaside" and don't know if one can find humour in it but it is sure darn cute! :P

If you include the album cover artwork, then the Presence album is good for some chuckles.

Thank you!

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I think the obvious song is Hot Dog. It's such a spoof of a county song, right down to the dungarees and pick-up truck. A playful jab at Americana maybe, and then the sly punchline of "all the talk about rockin' bands", like Robert's saying "you know who we're talking about!"

It's near the bottom of my list of Zep songs, but I can't help but laugh every time I hear it.

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Now I think Candy Store Rock from Presence has got some pretty funny lyrics. Judge for yourself.

(Page/Plant)

Well... Oh baby baby. Don't you want a man like me?

Oh baby baby, I'm just as sweet as anybody could be

Oh baby baby, I want to look to your eyes, of blue

Oh baby baby, It's more than anybody else could do

Well... Oh baby baby. You know when I see you walkin down the street

Oh baby baby, Well you lookin good enough to eat

Oh baby baby, I dont believe I've tasted this before

Oh baby baby, I want it now

And every mouthfull more of you.

Talk about you, Yeah.

Oh baby baby, You know that I wanted it more

Oh baby baby, I'm about to kiss goodbye to this store

Oh baby baby, It ain't the wrapping that sells the goods

Oh baby baby, I got a sweet tooth when my mouth is full of you.

Ooh baby oh baby its alright, its alright

Ohh baby its alright...its alright

Well, oh baby, baby, oh you sting like a bee

Oh baby, baby, I like your honey and it sure likes me

Oh baby, baby, I got my spoon inside your jar

Oh baby, baby, don't give me too much, don't make me starve

Oh baby, baby, sugar sister on a silver plate

Oh baby, baby, I need a mouthful and I just can't wait

Oh baby, baby, see the shaking in my hand

Oh baby, baby, don't mean to fumble but it tastes so grand

Tastes so grand, tastes so grand, baby it's alright

Oh baby it's alright, oh it's alright

It's alright... (repeat)

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Hats Off To (Roy) Harper......that has to be one. That song cannot be serious in any possible way. The guitar and lyrics are so off the wall. If you haven't really given a listen to the song.....listen closely to the words. Classic! It may be one of my two or three least favorites from Zep, but it still gives me a chuckle. :lol:

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I think "Black Country Woman" is a funny song...

"You didn't have to leave me with that beer in my face"

"But that's alright, I know your sisters too..."

I'll bet the sisters didn't think it was so funny! :lol:

But it was funny at the shows on the Plant/Krauss tour when he sang that line. Lots of cheers and "yeeeahhhs!".

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