What does Ramble On mean?

Led Zeppelin: Ramble On Meaning

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Album cover for Ramble On album cover

Ramble On Lyrics

Leaves are fallin' all around
Time I was on my way
Thanks to you, I'm much obliged
For such a pleasant stay

But now it's time for me to go
The autumn moon lights my way
For now I smell the rain, and with it, pain
And it's headed my...

  1. anonymous
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    Jun 4th 2022 !⃝

    I think everyone’s interpretations may a little too literal, but I have no idea. I think he uses the lord of the rings thing as a metaphor to tell a different story. I think it’s about his decision to leave a girl he truly loves. The relationship comes across to me as a toxic one full of mixed emotions. Maybe they fought a lot, had unresolvable issues, idk. I’d imagine they had a decent relationship, as he thanks her for “such a pleasant stay”. It seems like although he loves this girl, he reluctantly knows that he won’t be able to stay with her any longer. Maybe he’s been with her for a pretty long time, and it’s losing its excitement, or he’s in not in a place in his life for commitment. He has to keep on a ramblin’. Moving on with his life. Even though he knows how hard it’ll be to leave her. He’s “got no time for spreading roots” and his “freedom he holds dear.” He’s off to find whatever next love his life brings him next.

    I could be totally wrong on this, but having gone through a similar experience and now re-listening to this song I had a whole new interpretation.

  2. anonymous
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    Aug 1st 2019 !⃝

    It was well known the guy from zeppilin was such a lotr fan he knew how to speak elvish tounge. dont take your little dick syndrome or hate for the world out on people because people dont take your word as gospel you judgemental prick.

  3. kooljohn176
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    Jul 26th 2016 !⃝

    Another one of LED ZEPPELIN'S great adventurous songs in quest to find your dream[of what the power of the ring represents] in relation to finding your special girl, and when found this girl was fair and giving, but was captured by ''the evil one that slipped away with her''. Anotherwords she was swept away in the hands of a bad boy. Where the Protagonist relentlessly searched years to ''Ramble On'' about finding his imaginary queen on his travels to save her and obtain ''the impossible dream'' with her to get her out of the blues. Just a great song, set in Medieval romance that always reminded me to a similar relation when Don Quixote, the Minstrels music Jongleur and Trobadour searching for Dulcinea from El Toboso in the movie made from the book ''the man from La mancha'', quote in words ''describing her appearance that must be at least that of a princess, since she is my Queen and lady, and her beauty superhuman which the poets apply to their ladies, for her hairs are gold, her forehead Elysian fields, her eyebrows rainbows, her eyes suns, her cheeks roses, her lips coral, her teeth pearls, her neck alabaster, her bosom marble, her hands ivory, her farness snow. All akin of elegant ''sweetness'. DULCEINEA is more than not a fictional person for whom Don Quixote relentlessly fights as a devotion and love for her that was lost or taken away during the evil times of the INquisition.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  4. Randallord
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    Jun 8th 2013 !⃝

    "Queen of all my dreams" sounds like a spiritual and eternal goal which transends life and the material world so I see this song as having a far reaching meaning. All great art uses references to help readers find meaning. Tolkien's references are universal to Western Civilization specifically and all the world in general. [The Ring of Power, the small can be mighty, old men with magical powers] Gollum never stold a woman so it isn't just about The Trilogy. I can see "Ramble On" as meanng we have to keep moving forward on our personal journey especially through the severe hurt and pain. There are moments when we are open to something bigger than ourselves to enter us and "rambling on" creates greater opportunities for us to find that purpose. (For me tremendous meaning to this song came in heavy exercise and the female is a representation of the ultimate goal but NO MATERIAL THING can fulfill that quest.)

  5. anonymous
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    Dec 19th 2012 !⃝

    Perhaps the song has a darker meaning. The "Girl" he is looking for is actually the One Ring of Power. Like many men (or women), the narrator-singer wishes for the Power the Ring offers. He is upset that Gollum has it.
    I have found that seemingly pleasant songs were in fact darker under their surface.

  6. anonymous
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    Aug 19th 2012 !⃝

    Page and Plant probably wrote this song by imagining the band was a band of adventurers in Middle Earth. This song is the speech Robert Plant is giving to a group of friends in a tavern before they set out on yet another adventure. Before they "ramble on".
    The third stanza of the song reveals the purpose of this adventure... While on a previous mission into Mordor the band rescued "a girl so fair" but were unable to get her out of Mordor because "Gollum and The Evil One crept up and slipped away with her". The song doesnt say that she died it just says they "slipped away with her" leaving some hope that she is still alive and that they can go back into Mordor and rescue her. Yeah. Its a brilliant song.

  7. anonymous
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    Apr 21st 2012 !⃝

    I think, both theories aren't that wrong. Usually a song isn't written with just one meaning. Comparing a real life situation (like searching for the one love) with Tolkiens LOTR doesn't not necessarily exclude just telling a story and illustrating it with similarities from literature.
    It's very possible, that both things really happened. After all the process of thinking and creating mostly doesn't follow a straight line.

  8. stewdog
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    Mar 31st 2012 !⃝

    Ramble On is the seventh song of Led Zeppelin II and the third song on side two of the same album. It features some strange instruments and is certainly an acoustic number.

    The song itself is about the medieval traveler often featured in folklore. The two references to Tolkien are only present because Plant happened to be fan of them.

    In the first verse the narrator is leaving an Inn to continue his travels. This is because he has to "ramble on." In the second verse we find that he "has no time for spreading roots" or, in other words, has no time to make a lasting impact on the community. Again he has to "ramble on."

    In the fourth and final verse the narrator proclaims his freedom to us. Plant used this verse mainly to reference the Lord of the Rings.

    That's it, my interpretation of Ramble On by Led Zeppelin.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  9. anonymous
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    Oct 25th 2011 !⃝

    I don't think it can be entirely about Frodo considering in the chorus he says "I've been this way ten years to the day" and Frodos entire journey was only a year.

  10. anonymous
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    Oct 16th 2011 !⃝

    The song is indeed about the Lord of the Rings, buy not about Frodo and his quest, but however, Gandalf, and his journey preceding the first book. Gandalf is looking for the Ring after Gollum took it, and the war started when he found it with Bilbo.the doing is about persevering, as Gandal f did.

  11. anonymous
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    May 7th 2011 !⃝

    The legendary tale of King Arthur! Makes a lot more sense that LOTR, for sure. Especially considering the band's residences and focus when they wrote it!

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  12. anonymous
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    May 7th 2011 !⃝

    Camelot, Lancelot crept up and took Guinever to France during a celebratory feast. Arthur then rode to France (around the world to them)to find his queen again.

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  13. anonymous
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    Feb 3rd 2011 !⃝

    I also believe it is one of a personal experience. Getting late in life, saying goodbye to the adoration, adulation and party life and finding his real queen...the one who has been the subject of so many of Zep songs. The time is now, to sing my song. How sensual, to find her singing their songs. He says, I can't find my bluebird. He has song to her for years...

  14. anonymous
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    Nov 22nd 2010 !⃝

    Maybe its just that when someone 'rambles on' they talk about random unimportant things and maybe thats whats happening in this song. just a bunch of different, random ideas thrown into a song

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  15. anonymous
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    Mar 31st 2010 !⃝

    I doubt he's talking about frodo. He's probably using it as a METAPHOR maybe...

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