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Song: When The Levee Breaks
Album: Untitled [released Nov 8, 1971 (US) | Nov 12, 1971 (UK)]
Single: N/A
Credited to: Jimmy Page, John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Memphis Minnie, Robert Plant
Related Songs:
When The Levee Breaks - Kansas Joe and Memphis Minnie

Lyrics:

If it keeps on rainin', levee's going to break
If it keeps on rainin', levee's going to break
When the levee breaks, have no place to stay

Mean old levee, taught me to weep and moan, moan
Mean old levee, taught me to weep and moan
It's got what it takes to make a mountain man leave his home
Oh, well, oh, well, oh, well, ooh-ooh

Don't it make ya feel bad when you're tryin' to find your way home and ya don't know which way to go
If you're goin' down south and they've no work to do, then ya go north to Chicago
ah, ah, ah, yeah

Cryin' won't help ya, prayin' won't do ya no good
Now, cryin' won't help ya, prayin' won't do ya no good
When the levee breaks, mama, you got to move, a-woo-hoo

All last night, sat on the levee and moaned
All last night, sat on the levee and moaned
Thinkin' 'bout my baby and my happy home, oh-oh

Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah, ah
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah, ah
Oh, oh

Goin', I'm goin' to Chicago, goin' to Chicago
Sorry, but I can't take you
Goin' down, goin' down, now, goin' down, goin' down, now
Goin' down, goin' down, goin' down, goin' down, yeah
Goin' down, goin' down, now, goin' down, goin' down, now
Goin' down, goin' down, now, goin' down
Goin' down, down, down, down, down
Ooh-woo-ooh, ooh-woo-ooh

Personal notes: One of the greatest drum beats of all time. Absolutely beautiful harmonica. The studio production on this song is top notch. This is one of those songs that people always tell you you have to listen to with headphones on to get the full experience. Maybe that's why Zep never performed it live. This is just an awesome song, just full of energy, lots of sound, and a great example of how Led Zeppelin could take an old blues song and turn it into a monster of rock. I like the theme of this song, facing up to a catastrophe that can wreck your life, but you really have no control over. Cryin' won't help ya, prayin' won't do ya no good - when the levee breaks, you got to move. An excellent way to finish the greatest rock n roll album of all time, even down to those final notes.

Influences: This is a cover of a song originally recorded by Kansas Joe and Memphis Minnie, back in 1928 (also titled When The Levee Breaks).