- That's the Way
Song infobox
Name = That's the Way
Artist =Led Zeppelin
Album =Led Zeppelin III
Released =October 5 ,1970
track_no = 8
Recorded = May - August 1970
Genre =Folk rock
Length = 5:37
Label = Atlantic
Writer = Page, Plant
Producer =Jimmy Page
prev = "Tangerine"
prev_no = 7
next = "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp "
next_no = 9"That's the Way" is a song by English rock bandLed Zeppelin from their third album, "Led Zeppelin III ", released in1970 . Like several of the tracks on the album, it is an acoustic song and is particularly noted as being one of the most gentle and mellow compositions in the entire Led Zeppelin catalogue. The studio version featuresJimmy Page playing acoustic guitar inopen G tuning , andpedal steel , while John Paul Jones playsmandolin . There is almost no presence of drums or bass guitar on the track, and lighttambourine is added towards the end of the song.Jimmy Page and
Robert Plant wrote this in 1970 whilst on a retreat atBron-Yr-Aur cottage,Wales .Phil Sutcliffe, "Back to Nature", "Q Magazine" Special Led Zeppelin edition, 2003, p. 34.] Dave Lewis (1994), "The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin", Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.] They took a long walk with a guitar and tape recorder, sat down in a ravine, and composed the song. When onstage forPage and Plant 's "Unledded" reunion in1994 , Plant announced to the audience that Page's daughter,Scarlet Page , was conceived "about half an hour" after "That's the Way" was written. [Sutcliffe, Phil, "Back to Nature", "Q Magazine" Special Led Zeppelin edition, 2003, p. 32.] Page's partner, Charlotte Martin, was staying at Bron-Yr-Aur at the time with Page, along with Plant's wife Maureen and their own child Carmen.The original working title of the song was "The Boy Next Door".Dave Lewis (1994), "The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin", Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.] As is pointed out in
Stephen Davis 's biography of Led Zeppelin, "Hammer of the Gods", the song's lyrics reflected Plant's views on the ecology and environment. There are also several lines in the song which reflected on the way Led Zeppelin was sometimes treated in America during their earlyconcert tour s, when they were sometimes spat on, had guns drawn on them and were heckled at airports and on planes.Dave Lewis (1994), "The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin", Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.] They were also troubled about the violence that they had seen policemen visit upon youth who protested the war in Vietnam, as well as upon the fans at their shows, particularly during their Spring 1970 Tour of the United States:cite journal |last=Gilmore |first=Mikal |title=The Long Shadow of Led Zeppelin |journal=Rolling Stone |issue=1006 |date=August 10 ,2006 |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/11027261/the_long_shadow_of_led_zeppelin/print |accessdate=2007-12-09 ]cquote
"I can't believe what people saying,""you're gonna let your hair hang down,""I'm satisfied to sit here working all day long,""you're in the darker side of town.""That's the Way" was played live at
Led Zeppelin concerts from1970 through1972 , and was recalled for their series of concerts at Earls Court in1975 . Live versions of the song can also be found on "How the West Was Won", the "Led Zeppelin BBC Sessions " and the "Led Zeppelin DVD". The song was always performed half a step higher than the studio version. In1994 Page and Plant also released a version on the "" CD and DVD.This was one of the few songs in their catalogue that Led Zeppelin authorized for use on a
film soundtrack . After seeing a rough cut ofCameron Crowe 's "Almost Famous " in2000 , Page and Plant agreed to let him use some Led Zeppelin songs on it, but this is the only one which made it onto soundtrack. Other Led Zeppelin songs which can be heard in the movie are "Tangerine" "The Rain Song " "Bron-Yr-Aur" and "Misty Mountain Hop "Missouri metalcore bandCoalesce recorded a version of this song for their album "There is Nothing New Under the Sun ", an album entirely composed of Led Zeppelin covers.External links
*Review: [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:e3ae4j870w3u All Music Guide]
References
ources
*"Led Zeppelin: Dazed and Confused: The Stories Behind Every Song", by Chris Welch, ISBN 1-56025-818-7
*"The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin", by Dave Lewis, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.