Sunday stills – my favourite song lyrics

Too many songs to choose from really but choose I must and chose I did.

Last week our pub quiz theme was the 1970s and so I researched the music although as I really I did live through the 70s, it didn’t take much research. There were quite a few trips down memory lane. My other team members each took a subject to study too. Everything from 1970s movie lines, to NZ history, sports and worldwide events.  I listened and watched lots and lots of ’70s music videos.

And I rediscovered “Stairway to Heaven”. Although originally recorded by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield in 1960, I decided that Led Zeppelin’s famous rendition was my absolute favourite version.  Recorded in 1971 and described as “progressive rock folk rock hard rock“, it is over 8 minutes long. To me, it epitomised the 1970s music. I listened to this so many times. I read the lyrics and and sang along to the youtube video.

“Why is the song ‘Stairway to Heaven’ so popular? Instrumentally it is a real gem. Obviously great guitar solo but also intricate layers of gradual build up. Kind of hypnotic in the beginning and middle then progresses to an intensely hard rock.  The song is basically just about shallow materialism and greed.”

I also rediscovered Pink Floyd -Dark Side of the Moon – especially the  “Eclipse ‘ track- and I’m not going to lie – the choice was difficult. However as my middle son had ‘acquired’ my Pink Floyd CDs when he went off to study, I didn’t get to listen to them very often. 

Then came time to select some images that illustrated the sentiments. I took inspiration from my own Lady Aurora images  as well as some old travel images of the glittering gold images in the altars of centuries-old churches. 

"There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for
Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven.

• 

• 

There's a sign on the wall, but she wants to be sure
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings
In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings.

Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven
It makes me wonder...
There's a feeling I get when I look to the west
And my spirit is crying for leaving
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees
And the voices of those who stand looking.

And it makes me wonder...
And it's whispered that soon, if we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter.

Donegal tree glow

If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now
It's just a spring clean for the May queen
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on...

And it makes me wonder...
Your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know
The piper's calling you to join him
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind?

And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last
When all is one and one is all, that's what it is
To be a rock and not to roll, oh yeah......

Jimmy Page-  By Jim Summaria, http://www.jimsummariaphoto.com/ ]  Jimmy Page used a double-necked guitar to perform “Stairway to Heaven” live.

"And she's buying a stairway to heaven...."

And that pub quiz?  Our team rocked the answers and won by a huge margin!

If you want to check out the music video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbhCPt6PZIU