Over the Hills and Far Away (Led Zeppelin song)
Encyclopedia
"Over the Hills and Far Away" is the third track from English
rock
band Led Zeppelin
's 1973 album Houses of the Holy
.
and Robert Plant
originally constructed the song in 1970 at Bron-Yr-Aur
, a small cottage in Wales
where they stayed after completing a gruelling North American concert tour.
Page plays a six-string acoustic guitar introduction with a melody reminiscent of "White Summer
". Page repeats the theme with 12-string acoustic guitar in unison. In an interview published in Guitar World
magazine's November 1993 issue, Page commented on the construction of the song:
Plant's vocals enter on the next repetition. He tenderly offers himself to the "lady" who's "got the love [he] need[s]." The acoustic guitars build in a crescendo toward the abrupt infusion of Page's electric guitar
s along with drummer John Bonham
's and bass guitarist John Paul Jones
' rhythm accompaniment.
Through the pre-verse interludes and instrumental bridge, "Over the Hills and Far Away" stands out as an example of Jones and Bonham's tight interplay. Following the final verse, the rhythm section fades out, gradually replaced by the echo returns from Page's electric guitar and a few chords played by Jones on harpsichord
. In the final 8 bars, Page executes a linearly descending/ascending sequence and then concludes with the idiomatic V-I cadence on synth imitating a pedal steel guitar
.
The song was released as Houses of the Holy's first US single, reaching #51 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart, later becoming a staple of the Classic rock
radio format.
Set lists from Led Zeppelin concerts
frequently contained "Over the Hills and Far Away", the song being one that the band introduced on stage well ahead of its studio release. The live recording on How the West Was Won, a combined edit of the concerts on 25 and 27 June 1972, was the second public performance of the song In his spoken introduction to the song before the 27 June 1972 performance in Long Beach, California
, Robert Plant
says "we did this song once before, the night before last at the Forum, and it was too much, really great." The band continued to play it on the rest of the 1972 concert tour of North America
and retained it consistently through 1979, before omitting it from their final tour of Europe in 1980
. In singing the song live in 1973 and later concerts, Plant often substituted the opening lyrics of the second verse ("Many have I loved, many times been bitten") with the opening lyrics of the third verse ("Many times I've lied, many times I've listened"). He also commonly followed the words "pocket-full of gold" with "Acapulco Gold
" (a type of marijuana), as can be heard on the live album How the West Was Won. Also, at concerts guitarist Jimmy Page performed an extended guitar solo, which essentially consisted of the rhythm and lead guitar parts of the album version split into two separate pieces. This extended solo made the live renditions last almost or more than seven minutes.
Archive footage of this track being performed live at Seattle in 1977 and at Knebworth in 1979
was used for an officially distributed video of the song, used to promote the 1990 Led Zeppelin Remasters
release. The video accompanied a CD single which was released following the successful "Travelling Riverside Blues" release.
The song was first called "Many, Many Times", as shown on a picture of the original master on the Led Zeppelin website.
1973 7" radio edit (US: Atlantic 45-2970)
1990 CD single (US: Atlantic PRCD 3717)
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
's 1973 album Houses of the Holy
Houses of the Holy
Houses of the Holy is the fifth studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released by Atlantic Records on 28 March 1973. The album title is a dedication by the band to their fans who appeared at venues they dubbed "Houses of the Holy". It was the second Led Zeppelin album to not...
.
Overview
Jimmy PageJimmy 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...
and 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...
originally constructed the song in 1970 at Bron-Yr-Aur
Bron-Yr-Aur
Bron-Yr-Aur , sometimes misspelled as Bron-Y-Aur, is an 18th century cottage in South Snowdonia, Wales, best known for its association with the English rock band Led Zeppelin....
, a small cottage in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
where they stayed after completing a gruelling North American concert tour.
Page plays a six-string acoustic guitar introduction with a melody reminiscent of "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:...
". Page repeats the theme with 12-string acoustic guitar in unison. In an interview published in Guitar World
Guitar World
Guitar World is a monthly music magazine devoted to guitarists. It contains original interviews, album and gear reviews and guitar and bass tablature of approximately five songs each month. The magazine is published 13 times per year...
magazine's November 1993 issue, Page commented on the construction of the song:
Plant's vocals enter on the next repetition. He tenderly offers himself to the "lady" who's "got the love [he] need[s]." The acoustic guitars build in a crescendo toward the abrupt infusion of Page's electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
s along with drummer 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...
's and bass guitarist 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...
' rhythm accompaniment.
Through the pre-verse interludes and instrumental bridge, "Over the Hills and Far Away" stands out as an example of Jones and Bonham's tight interplay. Following the final verse, the rhythm section fades out, gradually replaced by the echo returns from Page's electric guitar and a few chords played by Jones on harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
. In the final 8 bars, Page executes a linearly descending/ascending sequence and then concludes with the idiomatic V-I cadence on synth imitating a pedal steel guitar
Pedal steel guitar
The pedal steel guitar is a type of electric guitar that uses a metal bar to "fret" or shorten the length of the strings, rather than fingers on strings as with a conventional guitar. Unlike other types of steel guitar, it also uses pedals and knee levers to affect the pitch, hence the name "pedal"...
.
The song was released as Houses of the Holy's first US single, reaching #51 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart, later becoming a staple of the Classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
radio format.
Set lists from Led Zeppelin concerts
Led Zeppelin concerts
From September 1968 through the summer of 1980, English rock group Led Zeppelin were one of the world's most popular live music attractions, performing hundreds of sold-out concerts around the world.-History:...
frequently contained "Over the Hills and Far Away", the song being one that the band introduced on stage well ahead of its studio release. The live recording on How the West Was Won, a combined edit of the concerts on 25 and 27 June 1972, was the second public performance of the song In his spoken introduction to the song before the 27 June 1972 performance in Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, 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...
says "we did this song once before, the night before last at the Forum, and it was too much, really great." The band continued to play it on the rest of the 1972 concert tour of North America
Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1972
Led Zeppelin's 1972 North American Tour was the eighth concert tour of North America by the English rock band. The tour was divided into two legs, with performances commencing on May 27 and concluding on June 28, 1972. It included two warm-up shows in Europe....
and retained it consistently through 1979, before omitting it from their final tour of Europe in 1980
Tour Over Europe 1980
Tour Over Europe 1980 was the last concert tour by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. The tour commenced on June 17 and concluded on July 7, 1980...
. In singing the song live in 1973 and later concerts, Plant often substituted the opening lyrics of the second verse ("Many have I loved, many times been bitten") with the opening lyrics of the third verse ("Many times I've lied, many times I've listened"). He also commonly followed the words "pocket-full of gold" with "Acapulco Gold
Acapulco gold
Acapulco gold is the traditional name of a potent strain of cannabis originating in Acapulco, Mexico. The plant is named after its brownish gold, or gold and green color.-History:...
" (a type of marijuana), as can be heard on the live album How the West Was Won. Also, at concerts guitarist Jimmy Page performed an extended guitar solo, which essentially consisted of the rhythm and lead guitar parts of the album version split into two separate pieces. This extended solo made the live renditions last almost or more than seven minutes.
Archive footage of this track being performed live at Seattle in 1977 and at Knebworth in 1979
Knebworth Festival 1979
The Knebworth Festival 1979 consisted of two concerts performed by the English rock band Led Zeppelin and other artists at Knebworth House, Hertfordshire, England, in August 1979.-History:...
was used for an officially distributed video of the song, used to promote the 1990 Led Zeppelin Remasters
Led Zeppelin Remasters
"Misty Mountain Hop" and "The Rain Song" is not released on LP edition.1990 Compact disc editionSee Led Zeppelin Remasters listing below, minus the third bonus disc.-Sales chart performance:-Sales certifications:...
release. The video accompanied a CD single which was released following the successful "Travelling Riverside Blues" release.
The song was first called "Many, Many Times", as shown on a picture of the original master on the Led Zeppelin website.
Formats and tracklistings
1973 7" single (US/Australia/Finland/New Zealand/Philippines/Sweden: Atlantic 45-2970, Angola: Atlantic ATS 610, Brazil: Atco ATCS 10.062, Canada: Atlantic AT 2970, Greece: Atlantic 2091228, Holland: Atlantic ATL 10328, Italy: Atlantic K 10328, Japan: Warner Pioneer P-1237A, Mexico: Atlantic G-1210, Portugal: Atlantic ATL NS 28138, South Africa: Atlantic ATL 610, Spain: Atlantic HS 957, Yugoslavia: Atlantic ATL 26076)- A. "Over the Hills and Far Away" (Page, Plant) 4:47
- B. "Dancing Days" (Page, Plant) 3:43
1973 7" radio edit (US: Atlantic 45-2970)
- A. "Over the Hills and Far Away" [mono] (Page, Plant) 4:47
- B. "Over the Hills and Far Away" [stereo] (Page, Plant) 4:47
1990 CD single (US: Atlantic PRCD 3717)
- 1. "Over the Hills and Far Away" (Page, Plant) 4:47
Single
| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart | 51 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 Singles Chart | 28 |
| US Record World 100 Top Pop Chart | 31 |
| Canadian RPM Top 100 Chart | 63 |
Single (Digital download)
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot Digital Songs Chart | 63 |
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....
, mellotronMellotronThe Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music... - 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 ....
Cover versions
- 2000: Kokoo (Super-Nova)
- 2002: Purdymouth W.V. (Just Don't Kiss Her)
- 2002: Nikki BoyerNikki BoyerNikki Boyer is an American actress and singer-songwriter. Boyer hosts Yahoo!'s "Daytime In No Time," receiving millions of hits per day. Boyer is also the former co-host of Watch This! on the TV Guide Channel.- Career :...
(Livin', Lovin', Played: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin) - 2003: various artists (A Bluegrass Tribute: Pickin' on Led Zeppelin, Volume II)
- 2004: Hampton String QuartetHampton String QuartetThe Hampton String Quartet considered by many to be one of the founders of the "alternative music" genré of chamber music is a string quartet specializing in rock music and other popular styles, playing serious chamber music arrangements of songs using classical composer influences and frequently...
(HSQ Rides Again) - 2005: Led Zepagain (A Tribute to Led Zeppelin)
- 2006: Michael Armstrong (Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Led Zeppelin)
- 2006: Bustle In Your Hedgerow (Live at Abbey Pub, 8.6.06)
- 2007: The Boys from County Nashville (The Celtic Tribute to Led Zeppelin: Long Ago and Far Away)
- 2008: Gov't MuleGov't MuleGov't Mule is a Southern rock jam band formed in 1994 as an Allman Brothers Band side project by Warren Haynes and Allen Woody.The band released their debut album Gov't Mule in 1995...
(Holy Haunted House [recorded live 2007]) - 2008: Snowblynd (Misty Mountain Hop: A Millenium Tribute to Led Zeppelin)
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