Led Zeppelin: In My Time of Dying Meaning

In My Time of Dying Lyrics

In my time of dying, I want nobody to mourn
All I want for you to do is take my body home

Well, well, well, so I can die easy [x2]
Jesus, going to make up

Jesus, going to make up my dying bed
Meet me, Jesus, meet me
Meet me in the...

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   #1 top rated interpretation:
   stewdog

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   Mar 31st 2012 !⃝

   In My Time of Dying closes side one of Led Zeppelin's double album Physical Graffiti. Easily their greatest album. It features spooky slide guitar on a guitar tuned to an open A chord. John Paul Jones' bass is ominous like a ghost ship in the night, whilst Bonham's huge drum sound sounds like a tsunami. Pieced together what one is left with is a very spooky, ominous, dark, and foreboding song. If you want the best experience of this song then listen to it with all the lights out.
   
   In My Time of Dying originated from a song by Blind Willie Johnson entitled Jesus Gonna Make Up My Dying Bed. Led Zeppelin's version is radically different but the general theme of Johnson's version is still there. The song became a blues staple and was even covered by Bob Dylan before Led Zeppelin did a version of it. When interpreting this song it is important to remember that it was written by a devout Christian and therefore has a religious them to it.
   
   In simple terms In My time of Dying is about a young man's death. Allow me to explain.
   
   The first verse the young man, who is also the narrator, is lying on his death bed facing death. He doesn't want anybody to mourn him. In the chorus, which follows, the young man tells us that all he wants is to "die easy." He's seeking Jesus' salvation.
   
   The second verse informs us that this young man has now died. Very, very recently, in fact. Now he is seeking Jesus' salvation more strongly. He wants Jesus to "meet me in the middle of the air" and is asking that Jesus provides help for him should his wings fail him.
   
   After the chorus which follows the second verse the song changes a bit. It becomes more rockier although the spooky, foreboding element is still there. In the third verse the narrator is now standing at the gates of heaven pleading St. Peter to let him in. He'll even blow the angel Gabrielle's horn for access to the kingdom of heaven.
   
   The third verse tells us that the man believes he should be allowed access to heaven because he believes he has done some good in his life. He believes that he "must have left some traces."
   
   The fifth verse is the narrator informing us of the religious salvation that Jesus can provide. However, the narrator can accept that he has done wrong in his life and is seeking the forgiveness of God.
   
   What follows for the rest of the song is mostly vocal improvisation. All of which is religious in nature. However, one important part of the story comes with the "oh, it feels pretty good up here/ pretty good up here" section of the song. This informs the listener that the young man has indeed been accepted into the kingdom of heaven.
   
   That's a pretty rough interpretation of In My Time of Dying. A theologian would probably be able to explain it better than I can.
2. anonymous

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   Mar 14th 2017 !⃝

   Erriely grounded song by LED ZEPPELIN,more to have faith in JESUS CHRIST that saves then not, if you were a Believer. Expieriencing and testing your faith. Living with and in the wild western daze's mindset of the 70's. The unfortunate thing for some of us was when being caught in those sometimes dark altered states that were programmed by government agents ''dust'' that dissociates the mind from the body for wanting only to meet ''The Glorious One'' for catching us with HIS helping hands when being too High in the feeling that one is dying in need to be taken up to Heaven. With hope now that Jesus changed Their[government agents] faith from the Negative One's influence, cause back then and maybe even now, They[government agents] were demonically influenced to Kiss and Tell ''If Jesus were to come from the heavens, the U.S government would know about it, a week in advance and murder Him in midair''.

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3. anonymous

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   Jun 11th 2011 !⃝

   If you listen to the live version from "In the West" it is very clear as to what the song is about. A man/person dies and wants to go to heaven, he runs into problems at the pearly gates and tries to tell the angel Gabriell that he will blow his horn if he lets him in. The problem here is blowing the horn is symbolic for a Blow Job. Rather sick and twisted take on death and the after life but again this is Led Zeppelin we're talking about. Have to admit its a great jam, one of their most insane. Given the subject matter it seams fitting.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway

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