In My Time of Dying
Encyclopedia
"In My Time of Dying" is a traditional gospel music
song that has been recorded by numerous musicians. An early version, titled "Jesus Goin' A-Make Up My Dying Bed", is mentioned in historian Robert Emmet Kennedy's Black Cameos published in 1924, on Louisiana street performers, and also listed in the Cleveland Library's Index to Negro Spirituals. One of the first versions recorded was by Blind Willie Johnson
in 1927 as "Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed" and Charlie Patton
recorded a version in 1929. In 1945, Josh White
recorded the song as "In
My Time of Dying", which inspired several popular versions.
included a version (along with several others dealing with the subject of death) on his 1962 eponymous debut album
. The song had a slightly different name on the Dylan album, "In My Time of Dyin'" (as did the later Shocking Blue
cover). On the liner notes to the album:
"Dylan had never sung In My Time of Dyin' prior to this recording session. He does not recall where he first heard it. The guitar is fretted (i.e., he plays slide guitar
) with the lipstick holder he borrowed from his girl, Suze Rotolo
, who sat devotedly and wide-eyed through the recording session."
Dylan's version is likely based on Joshua White
's 1933 recording and arrangement. The song's running time is 2:40.
's version of the song, under the title "Well, Well, Well," is the opening selection on his 1971 album The Four of Us. Sebastian's arrangement, credited to Joshua White, is lyrically similar to Dylan's, but features an up-tempo blues-rock approach with no slide guitar. The musicians on this version, which was produced by Paul A. Rothchild
, include Sebastian (guitar and vocal), Paul Harris
(keyboards), Greg Reeves
(bass), and Dallas Taylor
(percussion).
With a running time of 2:20, "Well, Well, Well" is one-fifth as long as the rendition of the song Led Zeppelin would record three years later.
; it is the third song on the album, and closes Side 1 of the album's original double-LP configuration. At 11:05, it is the longest studio track on any Led Zeppelin studio album, but contains no long instrumental passages despite its extended timing. As Physical Graffiti was exceptionally successful commercially, achieving RIAA 16x Platinum status, Led Zeppelin's rendition of the song is probably the most widely known.
Lyrical inspiration for their version appears to come from Blind Willie Johnson's recording. Despite this, however, Led Zeppelin's version of the song is credited to the group's musicians Jimmy Page
, Robert Plant
, John Paul Jones
and John Bonham
, and is registered with the copyright association ASCAP with the unique title code 390282185.
Jimmy Page's guitar tuning for this song is an open A chord (E / A / E / A / C# / E from bottom to top), and (with "When the Levee Breaks
" and "Traveling Riverside Blues
") is one of the most recognisable instances of Page's slide playing on a Led Zeppelin recording. John Paul Jones played a fretless bass. Meanwhile, the distinctive, powerful drumming sounds of John Bonham
were recorded in the same way as those on the track "When the Levee Breaks" from Led Zeppelin's fourth album
.
Because of its improvisational nature the band never had a rehearsed ending for the song. The studio version ends with: "I'm going to make it my dyin', dyin', dyin'..." After a few seconds of silence followed by a dramatically feigned coughing fit (likely by John Bonham) is heard. Playing along, Plant quips "cough" as an apt final word for the song. Bonham can then be heard exclaiming, "That's gonna be the one, isn't it?", referring to that particular take. This is followed by a different voice (likely that of recording engineer Andy Johns) saying through the talk-back microphone "Come have a listen, then." Bonham then releases the clutch of his hi-hat and says (rather sheepishly) "Oh, yes. Thank you."
In the May 2008 issue of Uncut Magazine, Page elaborated on the humorous reaction in the studio which can be heard at the end of the song:
Record producer Rick Rubin
has remarked on the song's structure, "The bass line in the fast grooves is so interesting and unexpected. It keeps shifting gears, over and over."
"In My Time of Dying" was played during Led Zeppelin's 1975 and 1977 concert tours, where Robert Plant
sarcastically dedicated the song to the British Labour Party
's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Denis Healey
, for the tax exile
issues the band was facing. When played live, the band tuned the song down one step. Although performed in 1977, Plant initially was not keen on singing the song after suffering a near-fatal car crash in 1975, due to its fatalistic lyrical theme. This was one of the few live songs where Page switched to his black and white Danelectro
guitar, which he also used for "White Summer
" and "Kashmir
". One live version of "In My Time of Dying", from Led Zeppelin's performance at Earls Court on 24 May 1975, is featured on disc 2 of the Led Zeppelin DVD, and its promotional sampler.
In 1993, when Jimmy Page toured Japan with David Coverdale as Coverdale/Page, they performed this song on all seven of their dates.
Page performed this song on his tour with The Black Crowes
in 1999. A version of "In My Time of Dying" performed by Page and The Black Crowes can be found on the album Live at the Greek
. Page also included the song as part of his solo Outrider
tour.
"In My Time of Dying" was performed at Led Zeppelin's reunion show
at the O2 Arena
, London
on 10 December 2007.
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
song that has been recorded by numerous musicians. An early version, titled "Jesus Goin' A-Make Up My Dying Bed", is mentioned in historian Robert Emmet Kennedy's Black Cameos published in 1924, on Louisiana street performers, and also listed in the Cleveland Library's Index to Negro Spirituals. One of the first versions recorded was by Blind Willie Johnson
Blind Willie Johnson
"Blind" Willie Johnson was an American singer and guitarist, whose music straddled the border between blues and spirituals....
in 1927 as "Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed" and Charlie Patton
Charlie Patton
Charlie Patton , better known as Charley Patton, was an American Delta blues musician. He is considered by many to be the "Father of the Delta Blues", and is credited with creating an enduring body of American music and personally inspiring just about every Delta blues man...
recorded a version in 1929. In 1945, Josh White
Josh White
Joshua Daniel White , better known as Josh White, was an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor, and civil rights activist. He also recorded under the names "Pinewood Tom" and "Tippy Barton" in the 1930s....
recorded the song as "In
My Time of Dying", which inspired several popular versions.
Bob Dylan version
The song gained greater prominence in popular music when Bob DylanBob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
included a version (along with several others dealing with the subject of death) on his 1962 eponymous debut album
Bob Dylan (album)
Bob Dylan is the debut album by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released in March 1962 on Columbia Records. It features two original compositions, the rest being old folk standards, and was produced by Columbia's legendary talent scout John H...
. The song had a slightly different name on the Dylan album, "In My Time of Dyin'" (as did the later Shocking Blue
Shocking Blue
Shocking Blue was a Dutch rock band from The Hague, the Netherlands, formed in 1967. Their biggest hit, "Venus", went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1970, and the band had sold 13.5 million discs by 1973, but the group disbanded in 1974.-Members:...
cover). On the liner notes to the album:
"Dylan had never sung In My Time of Dyin' prior to this recording session. He does not recall where he first heard it. The guitar is fretted (i.e., he plays slide guitar
Slide guitar
Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
) with the lipstick holder he borrowed from his girl, Suze Rotolo
Suze Rotolo
Susan Elizabeth Rotolo , known as Suze Rotolo , was an American artist, but is perhaps best known as Bob Dylan's girlfriend between 1961 and 1964 and a strong influence on his music...
, who sat devotedly and wide-eyed through the recording session."
Dylan's version is likely based on Joshua White
Joshua White
Joshua White may refer to:* Josh White , American musician and civil rights activist* Joshua White, visual musician of The Joshua Light Show* Josh White , journalist for the Washington Post, and elsewhere...
's 1933 recording and arrangement. The song's running time is 2:40.
John Sebastian version
John SebastianJohn Sebastian
John Benson Sebastian Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and autoharpist. He is best known as a founder of The Lovin' Spoonful, a band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000...
's version of the song, under the title "Well, Well, Well," is the opening selection on his 1971 album The Four of Us. Sebastian's arrangement, credited to Joshua White, is lyrically similar to Dylan's, but features an up-tempo blues-rock approach with no slide guitar. The musicians on this version, which was produced by Paul A. Rothchild
Paul A. Rothchild
Paul A. Rothchild was a prominent American record producer of the late 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:Born in Brooklyn, New York, Rothchild grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey and graduated from Teaneck High School in 1953....
, include Sebastian (guitar and vocal), Paul Harris
Paul Harris (musician)
Paul Harris is a keyboards player and session musician.Harris appears on several albums of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s by leading artists such as Stephen Stills, B. B. King, Judy Collins, Al Kooper, ABBA, Eric Andersen, Rick Derringer, Nick Drake, John Sebastian, Joe Walsh, Seals & Crofts and Dan...
(keyboards), Greg Reeves
Greg Reeves
Greg Reeves is an American musician. He is best known for playing bass on Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's Déjà Vu album in 1969.-Biography and career:...
(bass), and Dallas Taylor
Dallas Taylor (drummer)
Dallas Woodrow Taylor Jr. was born in Denver, Colorado, 7 April 1948. He is a session drummer who has played on several rock records of the 1960s and 1970s...
(percussion).
With a running time of 2:20, "Well, Well, Well" is one-fifth as long as the rendition of the song Led Zeppelin would record three years later.
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin's "In My Time of Dying" was released on their sixth album Physical GraffitiPhysical Graffiti
Physical Graffiti is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released on 24 February 1975 as a double album. Recording sessions for the album were initially disrupted when bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones considered leaving the band...
; it is the third song on the album, and closes Side 1 of the album's original double-LP configuration. At 11:05, it is the longest studio track on any Led Zeppelin studio album, but contains no long instrumental passages despite its extended timing. As Physical Graffiti was exceptionally successful commercially, achieving RIAA 16x Platinum status, Led Zeppelin's rendition of the song is probably the most widely known.
Lyrical inspiration for their version appears to come from Blind Willie Johnson's recording. Despite this, however, Led Zeppelin's version of the song is credited to the group's musicians Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
, Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
, John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (musician)
John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
and John Bonham
John Bonham
John Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
, and is registered with the copyright association ASCAP with the unique title code 390282185.
Jimmy Page's guitar tuning for this song is an open A chord (E / A / E / A / C# / E from bottom to top), and (with "When the Levee Breaks
When the Levee Breaks
"When the Levee Breaks" is a blues song written and first recorded by husband and wife Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie in 1929. The song is in reaction to the upheaval caused by the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927....
" and "Traveling Riverside Blues
Traveling Riverside Blues
"Travelling Riverside Blues," sometimes called "Mudbone" or "Mud Bone," is a blues song written and recorded in Dallas, Texas by the bluesman Robert Johnson...
") is one of the most recognisable instances of Page's slide playing on a Led Zeppelin recording. John Paul Jones played a fretless bass. Meanwhile, the distinctive, powerful drumming sounds of John Bonham
John Bonham
John Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
were recorded in the same way as those on the track "When the Levee Breaks" from Led Zeppelin's fourth album
Led Zeppelin IV
The fourth album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin was released on 8 November 1971. No title is printed on the album, so it is generally referred to as Led Zeppelin IV, following the naming standard used by the band's first three studio albums...
.
Because of its improvisational nature the band never had a rehearsed ending for the song. The studio version ends with: "I'm going to make it my dyin', dyin', dyin'..." After a few seconds of silence followed by a dramatically feigned coughing fit (likely by John Bonham) is heard. Playing along, Plant quips "cough" as an apt final word for the song. Bonham can then be heard exclaiming, "That's gonna be the one, isn't it?", referring to that particular take. This is followed by a different voice (likely that of recording engineer Andy Johns) saying through the talk-back microphone "Come have a listen, then." Bonham then releases the clutch of his hi-hat and says (rather sheepishly) "Oh, yes. Thank you."
In the May 2008 issue of Uncut Magazine, Page elaborated on the humorous reaction in the studio which can be heard at the end of the song:
Record producer Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
has remarked on the song's structure, "The bass line in the fast grooves is so interesting and unexpected. It keeps shifting gears, over and over."
"In My Time of Dying" was played during Led Zeppelin's 1975 and 1977 concert tours, where Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
sarcastically dedicated the song to the British Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Denis Healey
Denis Healey
Denis Winston Healey, Baron Healey CH, MBE, PC is a British Labour politician, who served as Secretary of State for Defence from 1964 to 1970 and Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1974 to 1979.-Early life:...
, for the tax exile
Tax exile
A tax exile is one who chooses to leave a country with a high tax burden and instead to reside in a foreign nation or jurisdiction which takes a lower portion of earnings. Going into tax exile is a means of tax mitigation or avoidance.-Legal status:...
issues the band was facing. When played live, the band tuned the song down one step. Although performed in 1977, Plant initially was not keen on singing the song after suffering a near-fatal car crash in 1975, due to its fatalistic lyrical theme. This was one of the few live songs where Page switched to his black and white Danelectro
Danelectro
Danelectro is an American manufacturer of musical instruments and accessories, specializing in rock instruments such as guitars, bass guitars, amplifiers and effects units.-History:...
guitar, which he also used for "White Summer
White Summer
"White Summer" is a guitar instrumental by English rock guitarist Jimmy Page, recorded with both The Yardbirds and, later, with Led Zeppelin.-The Yardbirds version:...
" and "Kashmir
Kashmir (song)
"Kashmir" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin from their sixth album Physical Graffiti, released in 1975. It was written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant over a period of three years, with the lyrics dating back to 1973.-Overview:The song centres around a signature chord progression...
". One live version of "In My Time of Dying", from Led Zeppelin's performance at Earls Court on 24 May 1975, is featured on disc 2 of the Led Zeppelin DVD, and its promotional sampler.
In 1993, when Jimmy Page toured Japan with David Coverdale as Coverdale/Page, they performed this song on all seven of their dates.
Page performed this song on his tour with The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
in 1999. A version of "In My Time of Dying" performed by Page and The Black Crowes can be found on the album Live at the Greek
Live at the Greek
Live at the Greek: Excess All Areas is a double live album by Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes, released by musicmaker.com on 29 February 2000 and later by TVT Records on 4 July 2000. In October 1999, Page teamed up with The Black Crowes for a two-night performance of material from the Led Zeppelin...
. Page also included the song as part of his solo Outrider
Outrider (album)
Outrider is an album by Jimmy Page, released by Geffen Records on 19 June 1988. It is his first genuine solo album, and the first time since 1969 he recorded with a record label other than Atlantic Records/Swan Song Records. It was recorded at The Sol, Page's personal studio...
tour.
"In My Time of Dying" was performed at Led Zeppelin's reunion show
Ahmet Ertegün Tribute Concert
The Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert was a benefit concert held in memory of music executive Ahmet Ertegün at The O2 in London on December 10, 2007. The headline act was the English rock band, Led Zeppelin, who performed their first full-length concert since the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980,...
at the O2 Arena
The O2 arena (London)
The O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich peninsula in London, England.With a capacity of up to 20,000 depending on the event, it is second largest...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 10 December 2007.
Formats and tracklistings
1975 7" single edition (Thailand: Atlantic Ft 205)- A. "In My Time of Dying" [Part 1] (Bonham, Jones, Page, Plant) 8:03
- B1. "In My Time of Dying" [Part 2] (Bonham, Jones, Page, Plant) 3:02
- B2. "Houses of the Holy" (Page, Plant) 4:01
Personnel
- Robert PlantRobert PlantRobert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
- vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Jimmy PageJimmy PageJames Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s - John Paul JonesJohn Paul Jones (musician)John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - John BonhamJohn BonhamJohn Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Album versions
- 1991: Lydia LunchLydia LunchLydia Lunch is an American singer, poet, writer, and actress whose career was spawned by the New York No Wave scene...
(Shotgun Wedding) - 1994: Pride and GloryPride and Glory (band)Pride and Glory was a side project for Black Label Society guitarist Zakk Wylde. This was Zakk's first self-fronted project, then he released his solo-album Book of Shadows in 1996...
(Pride and Glory) - 1999: John MellencampJohn MellencampJohn Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock that eschews synthesizers and other artificial sounds...
(Rough Harvest) - 2000: Jimmy PageJimmy PageJames Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
& The Black CrowesThe Black CrowesThe Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
(Live at the GreekLive at the GreekLive at the Greek: Excess All Areas is a double live album by Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes, released by musicmaker.com on 29 February 2000 and later by TVT Records on 4 July 2000. In October 1999, Page teamed up with The Black Crowes for a two-night performance of material from the Led Zeppelin...
) - 2003: Big SugarBig SugarBig Sugar is a Canadian blues-rock band, they were active from 1991 to 2004 and again since April 2010. The band has sold more than half a million albums in Canada.-History:...
(Hit & RunHit & Run (album)Hit & Run is a greatest hits album by Canadian blues/rock band Big Sugar, released in 2003.The album comprises two discs: the first, Hit, compiles the studio versions of the band's singles, along with three previously unreleased songs; the second, Run, is a live concert performance by the...
) - 2003: Martin L. Gore (Counterfeit²Counterfeit²Counterfeit² is the first solo LP by Martin Gore, the primary songwriter for the band Depeche Mode, and his second release ....
) (Mute STUMM 214, 2003)
Sources
- Lewis, Dave (2004) The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9
- Welch, Chris (1998) Led Zeppelin: Dazed and Confused: The Stories Behind Every Song, ISBN 1-56025-818-7