There are so many classic songs on Led Zeppelin’s untitled fourth album, which was released in 1971, that it’s easy for a single one of them to get a little bit lost in the shuffle. No danger of that happening with “Misty Mountain Hop,” which grabs your attention with pulsating music and pointed lyrics.
What is the song about? How was it written? And how did the song reflect Robert Plant’s growing confidence as a lyricist? Let’s all take a break and do the “Misty Mountain Hop.”
Zeppelin’s Masterpiece
Led Zeppelin had been building toward a peak. Their fourth album, released in 1971 and with an unpronounceable symbol for a title (folks usually just call it Led Zeppelin IV), was the culmination of all the progress they had made in a relatively short time together as a band. Much of the album, which was recorded in Headley Grange, a spacious house in the English countryside, featured the band pushing the boundaries of their repertoire and creating songs with expansive, unpredictable arrangements.
“Misty Mountain Hop,” which starts off the second side, is a more focused, direct blast of rock energy. It surprises you right off the bat by starting with an electric piano riff played by John Paul Jones, who co-wrote the music with Jimmy Page. Page’s guitar soon doubles the riff, and John Bonham snaps everyone to attention by battering his snare drums.
For the most part, Zeppelin sticks with that main riff throughout the course of “Misty Mountain Hop.” Page doesn’t really solo so much as play a few hooks here and there. The band seemed to understand that there was a little bit more going on lyrically on this track than maybe had been the case in past songs, which is why they left enough room for Plant to tell his story without interruption.
Plant’s Point of View
Robert Plant was barely out of his teens when he joined Led Zeppelin, so it’s understandable the lyrics he contributed on the first few albums weren’t all that adventurous. But by the time that fourth album arrived, he had shown tremendous growth as a lyricist in terms of straying from the tried and true. He also freely displayed his idiosyncrasies, such as his love for J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-Earth books, which is where the term Misty Mountain emanates.
And while no one would ever label Zeppelin a political band, “Misty Mountain Hop” displays a bit of Plant’s social consciousness. He based the song at a 1968 rally in London to legalize marijuana, one that was broken up by police. Using that as a backdrop, the song goes on to inspect how different social groups need to do a better job of understanding each other.
Plant himself must have found the lyrics appealing enough. Whereas he often avoided the Zeppelin catalog when performing as a solo artist, “Misty Mountain Hop” is one song that has popped up with consistency in his solo sets throughout the years.
What is the Meaning of “Misty Mountain Hop”?
Plant spends the first two verses or so setting the scene. The narrator stumbles onto a gathering crowd and partakes in what’s offered him. He’s asked, Hey boy, do you want to score? The police happen upon the scene, and Plant somewhat sarcastically paints them as friendly and accommodating: They asked us to stay for tea and have some fun / He said that his friends would all drop by.
Plant then uses the final two verses to deliver his commentary on the situation. He suggests that apathy isn’t the answer: There you sit, sitting spare like a book on a shelf rustin’ / Not tryin’ to fight it. But a lack of concern is all he seems to see when he looks to the streets: Folk down there really don’t care, really don’t care / Don’t care, really don’t / Which way the pressure lies.
The frustrated narrator decides that he’s getting out of town: So I’m packing my bags for the Misty Mountains. “Misty Mountain Hop” showed off Plant’s expanding horizons as a songwriter, while the rest of Led Zeppelin kept it nice and tight to provide him the perfect showcase.
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