Greywoolfe's Den.

Lyrical interpretations? It makes me wonder… October 6, 2010

Posted by Greywoolfe in Tarot.
Tags: Aleister Crowley, Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin, Rider Waite Smith, Robert Plant, Song, Stairway To Heaven, Tarot
3 comments

A long time back, on the Aeclectic forum, I had a discussion with several posters when the subject of Tarot mentions in rock music was raised. It seems that Tarot has been mentioned in quite a few songs by several bands, and one metal band by the name of Dark Moor has even produced a Tarot themed album, no less. My contribution to that thread was a theory that I’d been musing over, concerning the possible meaning of the lyrics to the Led Zeppelin classic ‘Stairway To Heaven’. There have been many popular urban myths that have sprung up about this track, mainly due to guitarist Jimmy Page’s interest in the occultist Aleister Crowley. The bulk of those can be readily dismissed as the usual kind of rumour that Crowley generated, mainly because he entertained controversy, and also because people’s ignorance about the man mistakenly assume that  he was some kind of Devil worshipper.  As such, those lyrical interpretations always assume that Stairway was in some way a prayer or dedication by Page towards Satan, and this assumption has led people to go so far as playing the track backwards to find evidence to support this. There’s a video on Youtube that actually does this, with the resultant ‘lyrics’ typed out for all to read.

I don’t buy this theory at all, as it’s possible to read anything you like into a sound, if you assume beforehand that the sounds mean something. What you actually get in reverse is a jumbled mess, as you would get with any song played backwards. (Apart, of course, from those by bands like the Beatles, who deliberately used reverse masking in the recording process, but you can hear what they did, because the reverse bits actually sound like something being played backwards, which means something when the record is reversed.) Despite all this, Stairway To Heaven has remained an enigma, much like Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and others like it, simply because the lyrics are evocative and open to any one of a number of interpretations.

My personal theory is that the imagery in this song is actually based around Tarot cards. I think this is the most likely theory, as the guitarist Jimmy Page had recently bought Aleister Crowley’s home Boleskine House at the time this song was written, and had often expressed an interest in Crowley and his works- even going so far as purchasing some of Frieda Harris’s original artworks for Crowley’s Thoth Tarot deck. Many of Led Zeppelins’ songs were based around mythical and fantasy themes, and Tarot cards would fit this overall theme nicely. I decided to look at the verses of the song to see if there were any frames of reference I could see, and I found that each verse (With a bit of poetic license and imagination) seemed to describe a Tarot card. The following is my interpretation of the song, based on what I think each card is from the descriptions in the verses. The card meanings I’m using come mainly from the Blue Cats’ den website, with a few observations of my own.

All tarot image descriptions are based on the Rider-Waite Smith (RWS) Tarot. I used this deck because the song Stairway To Heaven features on the album Led Zeppelin 4, and the album sleeve shows  a picture of a man carrying a heavy bundle of sticks on his back on the front cover, which looks like the Ten Of Wands. While the RWS card shows the man picking up the bundle of sticks, many RWS-themed decks actually portray this man carrying the sticks on his back, and the meaning of the card, that the querent will be carrying some kind of burden, infers the same message that the man in the album sleeve picture is- that he is carrying a great burden.(See below)

The most obvious reference to the RWS in this album can be found in the inner gatefold sleeve, where a robed man stands atop a mountain (Probably Gandalf walking over the Misty Mountains, as hinted at in the songs ‘Misty Mountain Hop’ and ‘The Battle Of Evermore’ on the same album) and looking at this figure, he is clearly modelled on the Hermit card from the RWS deck. (see below)

I based the interpretations around the RWS deck, because the descriptions didn’t fit Crowley’s Thoth, and also because the RWS would probably be the Tarot deck most familiar to those ‘in the know’ at that time, so if my theory is correct, it would have made the song more accessible to casual Tarot buffs by using the RWS deck. So, without further ado, I shall now give my interpretation of the song, with the song lyrics in quote boxes, and the card interpretations in bold dark red type, with my theories on how this affects the possible song meaning in plain dark red.

 There’s a lady who’s sure all that glitters is gold
And she’s buying a stairway to heaven
And when she gets there she knows if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for

This seems to describe the Queen of Pentacles, who holds a golden coin and can request anything she desires by Royal decree.

Divinatory Meanings: Opulence, generosity, security, liberty. She represents the person who has everything, yet still seems unfulfilled. She possibly yearns for spiritual meaning in her life, hence the title of the song- she wants to ‘buy a stairway to heaven’, or seek sone kind of reward or redemption, as such.

Woe oh oh oh oh oh
And she’s buying a stairway to heaven

There’s a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure
And you know sometimes words have two meanings
In the tree by the brook there’s a songbird who sings
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven

The Star shows a bird in a tree, by the river- with a woman (The same lady referred to in the Queen Of Pentacles card?) holding two golden cups. Words having two meanings may hint at this card being reversed. The bird can be seen in the tree behind the woman’s shoulder in the card.

 Reverse Meanings: Loss of perception, doubt, pessimism, stubborn. Loss of love or friendship. She is experiencing doubt about the course her life is taking. She wants to be sure of the spiritual path she wishes to take, and whether she can still seek enlightenment at this time in her life. There is also a passage in the Bible- Daniel Chapter 5, which refers to writing on the wall, indicating the end of king Belshazzars’ reign. This indicates that the Lady’s time is coming soon, and all material things will come to an end. She must prepare herself for the next world when the time comes. She must therefore be seeking redemption before claiming her spiritual reward.

 Woe oh oh oh oh oh
And she’s buying a stairway to heaven

There’s a feeling I get when I look to the west
And my spirit is crying for leaving
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees
And the voices of those who stand looking

Possible Lord Of The Rings reference? This line may hint at Gandalf, who looks like The Hermit. The Hermit is also illustrated on the inside album cover, (Mentioned and illustrated above) and many fans unaware of Tarot imagery often mistake him for Gandalf. There were many Lord Of The Rings influences in Led Zeppelin songs, and looking to the West seems to be one of these, as do the rings of smoke. (Gandalf was rather fond of blowing smoke rings with his pipe. There are also another two LOTR references on the album; the song ‘Misty Mountain Hop’, and the song ‘Battle Of Evermore’, which refers to the battle of the Pelennor Fields, and thr Ringwraiths riding in black.)

Divinatory Meanings: A meeting with someone who will help the querent find the goal; silent counsel. The courage to do what is right. Having an open mind and being willing to accept the help that is offered. She now seeks out a wise man, one who will guide her on the path to spirituality.

Woe oh oh oh oh oh
And she’s buying a stairway to heaven

And it’s whispered that soon, if we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
And the forest will echo with laughter

Possibly The Fool- he looks a little like the Pied Piper of Hamelin, who played his pipes to lead first rats, then children, from the town. The laughter would also indicate The Fool, as the Jester was a medieval figure of fun. (Some people have suggested that the pipes refer to the Judgement card, but this is also referred to later on in the song, so it’s possible that the figure of the Piper is, for the sake of the lyrics, the same person in the Judgement card, as the Queen was the same woman in the Star.)

Divinatory Meanings: The beginning of creativity, the joy of adventure. The many faces of life. There is a choice before the seeker and they must choose wisely. Our lady now realizes that there are many spiritual paths open to her, and she must now choose which path to take. Choosing the correct path will lead to enlightenment, redemption and joy.

And it makes me wonder

If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow
Don’t be alarmed now
It’s just a spring clean for the May Queen

Yes there are two paths you can go by
 but in the long run
There’s still time to change the road you’re on

Bustle in the hedgerow refers to Spring, and spring-clean for the May Queen is an old English reference to a woman’s menstrual cycle.  (The May Queen could also refer back to the Queen of Pentacles, as she is the heroine in our story.) Seasons and cycles are influenced by The Moon. The two paths and the road refer to the two towers, (Another LOTR reference, possibly meaning the choice between good and evil,) and the road between. (The middle path)

Divinatory Meanings: Intuition, dreams, latent powers. As she approaches enlightenment, she becomes aware of the hidden powers in the universe, and within herself. She now knows that the middle way of moderation is the right path to take. Choosing the two paths- the way of selfishness, evil and overindulgence; and the way of over-zealous piety and self-denial, will only lead to ruin; the middle road (Notice the switch between paths and road in the song lyrics) will lead to enlightenment and the redemption she seeks.

Your head is humming and it won’t go because you don’t know
The piper’s calling you to join him
Dear lady can’t you hear the wind blow and did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind

The piper calling refers to Judgement blowing his trumpet, and the lady hearing the wind blow is on the right of the card. The whispering wind is emanating from the trumpet of the Archangel Gabriel, who, for the purposes of the song lyric, is the same character as the ‘pied piper’ on the Fool card.

Divinatory Meanings: Spiritual renewal or awakening. Work done well or a life lived well. Better health and quicker mind. Our lady’s time has come, and Gabriel calls her to the hereafter. She knows that she has lived her life well, and the gift of enlightenment is hers. She has been redeemed, and now claims her spiritual reward.

And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our souls
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll
Woe oh oh oh oh oh
And she’s buying a stairway to heaven

Our lady, in the hereafter, has now become the Angel of Temperance, who is mixing the alchemical cups to make gold. He (She, for the purposes of the song) is also one of the four Archangels- one of which is, of course, Gabriel, calling the tune on his pipes. (Trumpet.)

Divinatory Meanings: Adaptation, control, change through modification. Working in Harmony. Successful combination. Artistic creation. Good balance and management. This verse is clearly referring to the rest of us. The lady is now an Angel herself, and she is now showing us that it is never too late to change our path and achieve balance, harmony and enlightenment in our lives. The song, an artistic creation, is showing us how, by listening to our own Judgement trumpet, and when the time comes, to stay firm on the middle path and not deviate from it.

…and so concludes my interpretation of the song lyrics. I may be way off base, but for me, this is a more believable interpretation than the usual ones that claim Jimmy Page was worshipping the devil, based on the flimsy premise that parts of the song played backwards sound like Robert Plant singing about Satan’s toolshed. And besides, this was a fun exercise for me in working this all out. I hope it’s been as much fun for you to read as it was for me to work out.