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Led Zeppelin — In The Light
Album: Physical Graffiti
Avg rating:
7.7

Your rating:
Total ratings: 2041









Released: 1975
Length: 8:33
Plays (last 30 days): 2
And if you feel that you can't go on
And your will's sinkin' low
Just believe and you can't go wrong
In the light, you will find the road (You will find the road)

Hey, ooh, did you ever believe that I could leave you
Standin' out in the cold?
Hey-yeah, baby, I know how it feels 'cause I have slipped through
To the very depths of my soul, yeah
Oh-whoa, baby, I just wanna show you what a clear view
There is from every bend in the road
Now, listen to me
Oh, whoa-whoa, as I was, believe it will be for you too, honey

As you would for me, aw, I will share your load
Let me share your load, ooh, let me share, a-share your load

And if you feel that you can't go on
In the light, you will find the road

Hey, oh-ho, the winds of change may blow 'round you
But that will always be so
Oh, a-whoa-whoa, whoa-whoa, when love is pain, it can devour you
But you are never alone

I will share your load
I will share your load, baby, let me, oh, let me

In the light
Everybody needs a light, woo, yeah-yeah
Ooh, baby, everybody, everybody, everybody
Sure 'nuff they do

Light, light, light, in the light
Light, light, light, in the light, ooh, yeah
Light, light, light, in the light

Light, light, light, in the light
Light, light, light, in the light, woo, yeah-yeah
Light, light, light, in the light
Everybody come on, now
Comments (363)add comment
 ljenny281 wrote:

Tedious



TMI... try spicing things up?
Tedious
THOSE WERE THE DAYS! Yup, there I was, one torrid summer's eve in '79, dropping the needle of Dad's big new and mighty hi-fi down onto this masterpiece bad boy of a tune, and my school, Scouts and work buddy Johnny M is sitting on the sofa, sifting weed and rolling righteously tight fat doobies, and his older brother Danny is grinning a mile wide and already regaling us with the magic chords as he plays along by ear and figures them out on his new bad-assed Ovation acoustic guitar... The parents were out with friends, and the cicadas outside droned madly in the trees as we enjoyed the air-conditioned buzz and drank a whole case of Orangeboom Lager that I'd successfully scored at Shamrock's. Thanks and RIP, John & Danny!
I have always been a loyal Led Zepplin fan from the 1st to their last record. I love every single one, shame on those who think they have the right to judge this band or any of their releases, whatever...get a life. Rock on Zep!!!
Quackshot - SEGA - Room 1 
Oh this is so very, very good. And sounds so very, very great in the RP setlist. 10>
Godlike
 timmus wrote:
This always makes me think of music I'd hear in 1980-1981 staying up into the dead of night, chilling out and hearing 15-minute tracks.  Good memories.

What the hell has happened to music these days?  I realize that music moves on, but it kind of seems like today's millenials have kind of settled for mass-produced crap.
 

Wow, that's a way-too-broad generalization.  "Today's millenials"?  Seriously? 

I bet you'd like them to get off your lawn too.  Mass produced crap has been around since the inception of the music business.  It is no new phenomenon.  When this song came out in 1975 there was a ton of mass produced dreck out there.  Some Boomers loved it, some sought out gems like this one.  I bet there was some guy back then talking about how the Boomers settle for mass produced crap while complaining that no one makes music like Lawrence Welk anymore.

I am no Millenial, but I know that discerning music fans of any generation know where to find what they love and there is PLENTY of good music being made right now.  To reduce a massive portion of the population to a cliche is unfair.  Full stop.
Zeppelin never goes out of style. Glad RP plays the more obscure stuff too.
possibly a good party?
.....much better than any song by prince........
 LowPhreak wrote:
It often helps to hear a song more than once before spouting off, since at first blush it can seem a bit strange or too new to ones ears.

At the time these songs were penned and recorded (some emerged in the days of previous albums but had not been finished), Zeppelin had not "lost their way". Quite the opposite - they were at the height of their popularity and abilities by the time Physical Graffiti came out.

The opening riffs to Side 2 on their first album is a synth/organ (Your Time Is Gonna Come). Keyboards were hardly new to Jones or Zeppelin...they had "discovered" them years before In The Light was recorded for PG.

If you think there is any "lazy lacklustre playing" on this track then you must be daft. Zeppelin were among the best rock musicians, arrangers, and/or studio cats in the world at the time, have always been, and as a musician myself I'd say their playing is just fine here. Lyrics of course are a bit more subjective but I see nothing wrong with them given the theme of the song.

If you don't like a tune then just say so. But if I were you I wouldn't apply to Rolling Stone for a reviewer spot anytime soon. You'll need a lot more under your belt first.
 
Thank you.
Agree wholeheartedly.
 musikluvr wrote:

Hmmm, not hearing it. I know he played it on Dazed and Confused and How Many More Times, but I can't pick it out on this track. Still a great song regardless!

 

It's the droning sound in the background at the start along with Jones synth
Though I was familiar with Zeppelin from the radio, and friend's albums, this was my first Zep album, and thus the first in which I memorized every note and every sound.  So these songs wound up being my Zep standard of reference.  Objectively, some of the songs can sound a bit ponderous now, but I never listen to them objectively.
 bb_matt wrote:
Never heard this and would be glad to never hear it again. 

It's *terrible*, clearly revealing a band who had lost their way.
From the messy mucking about with "Ohh, look, we've discovered synths!", right through to a seeming rehash of bits of all their previous work, some lazy lacklustre playing and shoddy lyrics.

It's my opinion of course, some people are able to delude themselves that the band could do no wrong.

Compare this with earlier work ... and be truthful with yourself. Listen to those ridiculous synths.  

 
It often helps to hear a song more than once before spouting off, since at first blush it can seem a bit strange or too new to ones ears.

At the time these songs were penned and recorded (some emerged in the days of previous albums but had not been finished), Zeppelin had not "lost their way". Quite the opposite - they were at the height of their popularity and abilities by the time Physical Graffiti came out.

The opening riffs to Side 2 on their first album is a synth/organ (Your Time Is Gonna Come). Keyboards were hardly new to Jones or Zeppelin...they had "discovered" them years before In The Light was recorded for PG.

If you think there is any "lazy lacklustre playing" on this track then you must be daft. Zeppelin were among the best rock musicians, arrangers, and/or studio cats in the world at the time, have always been, and as a musician myself I'd say their playing is just fine here. Lyrics of course are a bit more subjective but I see nothing wrong with them given the theme of the song.

If you don't like a tune then just say so. But if I were you I wouldn't apply to Rolling Stone for a reviewer spot anytime soon. You'll need a lot more under your belt first.

the FADE OUT! YES, THE FADE OUT!
ultra wicked   : )
"the winds of change may blow 'round you
But that will always be so."

Clairvoyant! 
 poetdancer wrote:
Hard to believe this song - and this album - are over 40 years old.
 
Even harder to believe I remember when this came out.
 timmus wrote:
This always makes me think of music I'd hear in 1980-1981 staying up into the dead of night, chilling out and hearing 15-minute tracks.  Good memories.

What the hell has happened to music these days?  I realize that music moves on, but it kind of seems like today's millenials have kind of settled for mass-produced crap.

 
There was plenty of commercial (or "mass-produced") music in 1980-81, and long before then.  I don't know if a greater percentage of today's teenagers listen to more of it than teenagers of any other generation did, other than on regular radio, which is worse now than it was then.  There is access to a greater variety of music these days than there has ever been; it's just a matter of who is seeking it out I guess.  The statement "What the hell has happened to music these days?" is a question an older generation has been asking about the music of a younger generation since the advent of recorded music.  
 Could you imagine what a person who was used to listening to Bing Crosby and Tommy Dorsey in the 1940s thought when they first heard Jimi Hendrix or even The Beatles?  They probably said something like "What the heck has happened to music these days?"
Hard to believe this song - and this album - are over 40 years old.
 adib wrote:
When a teenager in the 80s, I railed against the mass-produced crap of the day
 
When a teenager in the 70s, I railed against the mass-produced crap of the day, but looking back on it now some of it was actually pretty good crap!

Having said that, I don't think that applies today. Most of the mainstream stuff today really is pretty forgettable and disposable - no melodies, no sophistication in the musical arrangements, just some guy or gal warbling along in an unmemorable tune with unmemorable lyrics.

This track is a good example within its genre of how to construct something with lasting value - it has fantastic dynamics, sophistication in its construction, and passion. Best track on a great album.
 timmus wrote:
This always makes me think of music I'd hear in 1980-1981 staying up into the dead of night, chilling out and hearing 15-minute tracks.  Good memories.

What the hell has happened to music these days?  I realize that music moves on, but it kind of seems like today's millenials have kind of settled for mass-produced crap.

 
It depends on the "millenials".  I don't think people have changed as a general population - my children (now just into their twenties) have very well-adjusted musical tastes.  Not the same as my taste, but a lot of overlap - and like me, they don't entertain the mass-produced crap - in fact, they have regularly introduced me to recent non-mass-produced music that I find I like.

There's always been mass-produced crap, but it doesn't stand the test of time, so the mass-produced stuff you hear tends to be recent, giving the impression that there's more of it around now - and there will always be (and always have been) people that listen to it.

When a teenager in the 80s, I railed against the mass-produced crap of the day (and at the time, I thought there was an awful lot of it!), much as my kids do now.  I spent time listening to the decent radio shows, searching out stuff at the record library and second-hand record shops, and sharing with other people of a similar ilk.  The decent radio stations (like RP) have mutated, but are still around, and there's now shared playlists and suggestions based on your music library to shield you from the crap.

Agreed though - there's not compares to a good Led Zep track!
 jbuhl wrote:
This is a Jonesy creation according to the Wiki and one of the three Zep tunes where Page uses a bow on the guitar.



 

 
That outfit is quite a Jonesy creation too!  Rock on.
I remember listening to this "record" on my mother's "record player" as a teenager and being so pumped full of energy that I would crank it up and jump up and down in the living room until the neighbors would come to the door and ask me to turn it down! {#Dancingbanana}{#Bananasplit}{#Exclaim}
This always makes me think of music I'd hear in 1980-1981 staying up into the dead of night, chilling out and hearing 15-minute tracks.  Good memories.

What the hell has happened to music these days?  I realize that music moves on, but it kind of seems like today's millenials have kind of settled for mass-produced crap.
Love Zep!{#Clap}
 jbuhl wrote:
This is a Jonesy creation according to the Wiki and one of the three Zep tunes where Page uses a bow on the guitar.



 

 
Hmmm, not hearing it. I know he played it on Dazed and Confused and How Many More Times, but I can't pick it out on this track. Still a great song regardless!
1980. this was the only cassette in the car. Florida  Keys. Cubans landing on the beaches! We had no idea what was happening. But LZ. Didn't care.
This is a Jonesy creation according to the Wiki and one of the three Zep tunes where Page uses a bow on the guitar.



 
This is a Jonesy creation according to the Wiki and one of the three Zep tunes where Page uses a bow on the guitar.



 
Really? {#Ask} 7.7 average rating for an average song, even though it is LZ and of course RP listeners love LZ, no matter what.
Oofda...It DID say that I was "the first to comment on this song"....but obviously only on THIS occasion.  It looks like it's a favorite of MANY listeners through the years.  Great ears listen alike, yes?
 

Elziro wrote:
How is it possible that I'm the first to comment on a song of such greatness?  Ironically, it leaves me speechless. I guess I can say it's amazing, but that's just stating the obvious.

 


How is it possible that I'm the first to comment on a song of such greatness?  Ironically, it leaves me speechless. I guess I can say it's amazing, but that's just stating the obvious.
Good stuff. 'Ten Years Gone' is my favorite off this album. 
Love is pain, it can devour you, but you are never aloneā¤

10/10... duh!


{#Clap}{#Bounce}{#Sunny}{#Notworthy}
splendid guitar work..always loved the way the keys travelled across the room from speaker to speaker.
 Sunman wrote:
If I close my eyes I can see it...it is 1978 and I am 14 y/o just blowing a puff out of my bedroom window before bed, my headphones are on loud, the LP is crackling ever so lightly and life is good!! I long for those simple days.

 
{#Crown}
If I close my eyes I can see it...it is 1978 and I am 14 y/o just blowing a puff out of my bedroom window before bed, my headphones are on loud, the LP is crackling ever so lightly and life is good!! I long for those simple days.
See this band live and it all makes sense, unbelievable!
Big Sur acid trip.
one of their best, imo
{#Dancingbanana_2}
…a time of my life…
 Krispian wrote:
That repetitive arpeggiating guitar motif moves me!

 
Then, you are motifated?
Physical Graffiti is being reissued soon by Jimmy. INHO the best of all their albums. 

Only Bill will follow Zep tunes with Peggy Lee. Bill you are a genius.  
First post on this really unique app. Never heard this Zeppelin song. Different but Plant's voice and Bonham s percussions r unmistakable. The song is ok..but doesn't match up very well with Zeppelin's older stuff.
circumstance sometimes finds you find these gems. Couldn't have played this at a better time rp!

Thanks!

parb


That repetitive arpeggiating guitar motif moves me!
Always loved this one, even the synths.

Check out this alternate version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YlNLBDxrTE

I love the internet. It's like having access the greatest music collection ever.
   
The synth lead-in for this song makes me think of Blade Runner.
And the hits just keep on comin' this morning......

Nice segue from The Mummer's Dance. 
 musikluvr wrote:
I'll take an average Zep song over the best from most modern rock groups any day. Jimmy Page wrote the book on great rock riffs.

 
He did ? I thought he stole most of them .

Who knew ? 
 bb_matt wrote:
Never heard this and would be glad to never hear it again. 

It's *terrible*, clearly revealing a band who had lost their way.
From the messy mucking about with "Ohh, look, we've discovered synths!", right through to a seeming rehash of bits of all their previous work, some lazy lacklustre playing and shoddy lyrics.

It's my opinion of course, some people are able to delude themselves that the band could do no wrong.

Compare this with earlier work ... and be truthful with yourself. Listen to those ridiculous synths.  

 
"Ohh, look, I've discovered sarcasm!"

It's my opinion of course, some people are able to delude themselves that they are discerning rock critics.



 The_Walrus wrote:
I disagree. Love the sonic space created by this song. 


Agree - if ever a band was going through the motions. Rock by numbers

 

 bb_matt wrote:
Never heard this and would be glad to never hear it again. 

It's *terrible*, clearly revealing a band who had lost their way.
From the messy mucking about with "Ohh, look, we've discovered synths!", right through to a seeming rehash of bits of all their previous work, some lazy lacklustre playing and shoddy lyrics.

It's my opinion of course, some people are able to delude themselves that the band could do no wrong.

Compare this with earlier work ... and be truthful with yourself. Listen to those ridiculous synths.  

 
Agree - if ever a band was going through the motions. Rock by numbers
Never heard this and would be glad to never hear it again. 

It's *terrible*, clearly revealing a band who had lost their way.
From the messy mucking about with "Ohh, look, we've discovered synths!", right through to a seeming rehash of bits of all their previous work, some lazy lacklustre playing and shoddy lyrics.

It's my opinion of course, some people are able to delude themselves that the band could do no wrong.

Compare this with earlier work ... and be truthful with yourself. Listen to those ridiculous synths.  
There aren't many Zep songs that are not overplayed, and this is one of them.  Some nice obscure stuff on Physical Graffiti.
so way cool
 ferwoman wrote:

Yes! And once again played, well-sequenced after The Mummers Dance. It even makes a sentence of sorts: The Mummers Dance — In The Light. Great visual.

 
Odd.  Same sequencing again today (March 6th 2014)
I'll take an average Zep song over the best from most modern rock groups any day. Jimmy Page wrote the book on great rock riffs.
Stay the course towards the light
 Cynaera wrote:
I have this CD in my stereo and was listening to this song on my way to work!  It lent a very "Lord-of-the-Rings" atmosphere to the cloudy sunrise - totally set my mood for the morning. {#Meditate}{#Sunny}
 

miss you so much, Cynaera...

everybody in my mushrooming multitude of churches be dancing buck ass naked all over the world like bowlegged gypsy muleskinners...  love this song...  love sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll...

such an underated album..even for zeppelin
 ScottN wrote:
For LZ, this a boring, overlong exercise in tedium.

 
Funny,... that's what your mom said, too.{#Devil_pimp} And look how you turned out.


For those who think it's too long:
when it's good, longer is better than not enough. The changeups and splendid guitar riffs make it a great MOFO of a song. Just go with the flow and feel it.
An 8 in my book.  
 ScottN wrote:
For LZ, this a boring, overlong exercise in tedium.

 

whoa. i forgot how good this album is.
 1wolfy wrote:
If only this were recorded on today's equipment. I'd be able to hear the strings vibrate...
 
Ahhh, but the inspiration can only be from 1975....
If only this were recorded on today's equipment. I'd be able to hear the strings buzz- vibrate...and the great depth of the drums

Everybody in this public toilet loves this song! Really puts a spring in my step on this bright crisp autumn day! At least, I think they like it, they're all banging on my cubicle door! They must want me to turn it up! OK, now they're starting to throw things over the door, the door's just been broken down, my word, you are a big gentleman...


Too long. Not really my cup of tea...
Very long, but verse riff is one of their best
For LZ, this a boring, overlong exercise in tedium.
 fredriley wrote:
Gr8t start, then it goes steadily downhill into Ho-Hum territory, to these ears. And, in Joe Strummer's immortal words from the Magnificent Seven, "f*ckin' long, innit?"

  oh ya...
Ugh.
I was the one thousanth person to rate this song!
 

just loovelee, makes me want to kick up ma heels!
Sounds as good now as it did then. 
{#Bananajam} 
Would love to hear Zepp and the Doors played with equivalent frequency as Dylan, Neil Young, et al. are....especially during North American business hours!  
 westslope wrote:
Great follow up to Loreena McKennit!  
 
Yes! And once again played, well-sequenced after The Mummers Dance. It even makes a sentence of sorts: The Mummers Dance — In The Light. Great visual.
flashback
I've been wondering for a while why I wasn't hearing this on RP, and along it comes just before I check to see if it had been mysteriously overlooked in the uploads dept. How the hell can you follow Kashmir in a running order? Just like this! Sublime, though helping along with a little judicious trimming on the timing choice of crossfading in and out doesn't go amiss, when heard in this radio running order. Give me five! In a four sticks kinda way.  Then bring me Gong C O'N {#Propeller}
 jimmpypowder wrote:
I smoke alot of doobies to this song in the 70's

 
Yep,  it is very nice to listen to while high!

 AcesUp wrote:
All heterosexual males go through a Led Zeppelin phase.
 
I guess that's why this heterosexual female never considered it a phase. Once LZ, always LZ. It's imprinted. It's all there - complete music. 
Gr8t start, then it goes steadily downhill into Ho-Hum territory, to these ears. And, in Joe Strummer's immortal words from the Magnificent Seven, "f*ckin' long, innit?"

I smoke alot of doobies to this song in the 70's

Nice big double album with plenty of room for the songs to breath.
Oh hell's to the yeah!

AcesUp wrote:   All heterosexual males go through a Led Zeppelin phase.

To which westslope replied:  I dunno.  It was overplayed and overplayed loudly at parties.....    Some of the edge struck me as gratuitous....  There were lots of bands that were as or more inspiring during the period.

 
And of course there's the whole thing about Robert Plant's cat doing all the singing...  No LZ phase for me. 

Back then, I liked and respected LZ but would never have been classified as a huge fan.  About one year ago, I revisited their catalog and been a huge fan ever since.  I am glad I kept it in the freezer for 35+ years, it came out a fresh as new.


 AcesUp wrote:
All heterosexual males go through a Led Zeppelin phase.
 

My LZ phase has lasted about 42 years so far! 

A stellar track from a stellar album.
 

I have this CD in my stereo and was listening to this song on my way to work!  It lent a very "Lord-of-the-Rings" atmosphere to the cloudy sunrise - totally set my mood for the morning. {#Meditate}{#Sunny}

Oh yeah!!! Pure genius{#Drummer}{#Bananajam}{#Guitarist}{#Cheers}


I never get tired of hearing some classic Zep!

 AcesUp wrote:
All heterosexual males go through a Led Zeppelin phase.
 
Unless they never graduate from the AC/DC phase. For these heterosexual males the walkabout has not succeeded and the tribe relegates them to a beta status where even breeding is considered a privilege. Many of these males are indeed expelled from the tribe and walk the earth alone, cursing out the music of Rush and Led Zeppelin as "arty fag shit."

Sweeeeeet........{#Notworthy}
 Cynaera wrote:
I love this song...
 
Me, too. {#Cheers}
It still amazes me that hearing a Zep song can make me slip the bonds of my brain and fly to places I've only ever imagined.  Physical Graffiti is such a gem - so many levels of light and dark, so many different facets to each band member's abilities.  (Page is playing a theremin - I don't know much about it, but it's a very old instrument, and is played without physical contact.  There's a very extensive Wiki entry about it.
 
That Jimmy Page could play one as skillfully as he does in this song tells me that even his drug issues couldn't smother his talent... I love this song...


 AcesUp wrote:
All heterosexual males go through a Led Zeppelin phase.
 

I dunno.  It was overplayed and overplayed loudly at parties.....    Some of the edge struck me as gratuitous....  There were lots of bands that were as or more inspiring during the period.


Great follow up to Loreena McKennit!  
My LZ phase started the first time I heard them and is still going strong!

 
AcesUp wrote:
All heterosexual males go through a Led Zeppelin phase.
 


one of the best songs, of any genre, ever.  i know that's saying alot, but this represents the best of the best.
For those of you who like this song, search the web for the outtakes from the PG sessions. there are versions of this song that have similarities to this version (same heavy riff) but go in a very different direction at points. It's amazing
I am LOVING this end-of-life/afterlife/afterworld set.

This is why we need Radio Paradise! Statistics and algorithms cannot mix music like genius DJs can.

Thanks Bill and Rebecca!
It was In Through The Out Door  where JPJ took a lead in the development and songwriting for the band.  I believe all was still well at the time of Physical Graffiti, but 2 albums later Jimmy Page was having issues with drugs, and as a result In Through The Out Door was mostly a collaborative effort between Robert Plant and John Paul Jones.

More_Cowbell wrote:
John Paul Jones made a significant effort in this album with keyboards!  I think this was during a time when Jimmy was having issues.
 


One of my fav LZ tunes!
Nice feature on Robert Plant on NPR yesterday evening.
 mikeatlarge wrote:
Nice blast from the past. I'm sure some would disagree, but I think Physical Graffiti was one of Zeppelin's best albums.
 

i agree. i don't get tired of PG except for kashmir.
John Paul Jones made a significant effort in this album with keyboards!  I think this was during a time when Jimmy was having issues.
Happy Birthday Robert Plant! {#Notworthy}
Nice blast from the past. I'm sure some would disagree, but I think Physical Graffiti was one of Zeppelin's best albums.
 Vandy005 wrote:

... but do they go through a Honey Drippers phase?

 
{#Lol}

Holy Crap! Haven't heard this in years. That first synth wail.... Takes me back to college daze.
 AcesUp wrote:
All heterosexual males go through a Led Zeppelin phase.
 
... but do they go through a Honey Drippers phase?

All heterosexual males go through a Led Zeppelin phase.
I just realized it was Thursday, cuz Bill just got the Led Out!!  {#Devil_pimp}


Where's romeotuma?

This song is so good for my...............................................................................sex life. :-)

 
 horstman wrote:

Ah, this is old too. If this is new to you, one can only surmise that you don't listen to Zeppelin other than what you hear on the radio. So go out and start digging in to their stuff. This album in particular has many, many gems that don't get airplay.

On another note, it's nice that Monkeypod groups Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree together as bands he hates more than Zepp. It's both a complement to Porcupine Tree to again be grouped with Pink Floyd and shows Monkey's differing taste.

I for one love the PT and PF but don't have a great appeal for bananas.

Oh, and Zeppelin rules!
 
FYI  - I did buy this CD awhile back after my post.  Re-discovering Zep!