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Song: Black Dog
Album: Untitled [released Nov 8, 1971 (US) | Nov 12, 1971 (UK)]
Single: Black Dog/Misty Mountain Hop [Dec 2, 1971]
Credited to: Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Robert Plant
Related Songs:
Oh Well - Fleetwood Mac (music)
Electric Mud (album) - Muddy Waters (music)
Lyrics:
Hey, hey, mama, said, the way you move, gon' make you sweat, gon' make you groove
Ah-ah, child, the way you shake that thing, gon' make you burn, gon' make you sting
Hey, hey, baby, when you walk that way, watch your honey drip, can't keep away
Oh, yeah, oh, yeah, ah, ah, ah
Oh, yeah, oh, yeah, ah, ah, ah
I gotta roll, can't stand still, got a flamin' heart, can't get my fill
Eyes that shine burnin' red, dreams of you all through my head
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ahh
Hey, baby, whoa, baby, pretty baby
Darlin', can't ya do me now
Hey, baby, oh, baby, pretty baby
Move the way you're movin', now
Didn't take too long 'fore I found out, what people mean by down and out
Spent my money, took my car, started tellin' her friends she gon' be a star
I don't know, but I been told, a big-legged woman ain't got no soul
Oh, yeah, oh, yeah, ah, ah, ah
Oh, yeah, oh, yeah, ah, ah, ah
All I ask for, all I pray, steady-rollin' woman gonna come my way
Need a woman gon' hold my hand, won't tell me no lies, make me a happy man
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ahh
Personal notes: An incredible song to kick off one of rock n roll's greatest albums of all time. I honestly don't know if it's more the artistry of the music on this album, or simply the fact that I must have heard it countless times in my infancy, that leads me to that conclusion, but the fact that so many people have the same idea makes me think that it's as much a result of the former as it is the latter. There is just some awesome quality to this song. It's a total out and out rocker. The guitar tone, the delivery of the lyrics, the way the song starts and stops throughout, the riff itself, is all so incredible. Led Zeppelin really accomplished something huge with this album. It's an altogether different kind of success as that of their debut album. And this song is a beautiful way to kick the album off. I remember the first time I listened to this album consciously, after 'rediscovering' classic rock. I had borrowed my brother's Firebird for the weekend, (really fun car to drive), and he happened to leave Zeppelin's fourth album in the cd player, so everytime I drove in that car that weekend, I would be listening to that album. It was a total experience. To this day I refer to that car as the 'ZoSo Car'. Outstanding.
Interesting facts: This song was named after a black dog that roamed Headley Grange at the time Led Zeppelin were recording this song.
Influences: Jimmy Page has admitted that he got the general idea for the structure of this song from Fleetwood Mac's Oh Well, which has the same sort of call and response between the vocals and the rest of the band. The main guitar riff was actually constructed by John Paul Jones, after apparently being inspired by Muddy Waters' experimental Electric Mud album, released in 1968, which features a true blues master accomodating the psychedelic rock sound.
Unsolved Mysteries: (Please contact me if you have any information about the following)