Immigrant Song
A song about Viking raiders, opening the third album and a US top-20 single.
Led Zeppelin, from Led Zeppelin III (1970)
- Written by
- Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
- Released
- 1970
- Length
- 2:26
- Album
- Led Zeppelin III
Immigrant Song is about the Viking invasions of England and was inspired by a short tour of Iceland in June 1970. It opens Led Zeppelin III. Page explained that the opening is a combination of a voice and echo feedback. It was released as a single in the US and became a top 20 hit, with Hey Hey What Can I Do on the B-side, a track that later appeared on the 1990 box set and on the 2015 Coda reissue.
The band first played it live at the Bath Festival, six days after the Reykjavik concert. The band originally refused permission for its use in the film School of Rock in 2003, but the lead actor Jack Black convinced them by making a video of himself performing it. Pitchfork's Mark Richardson called the B-side one of the band's best single songs.
More songs by Led Zeppelin
Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love, Kashmir, Dazed and Confused, When the Levee Breaks, Black Dog, Communication Breakdown, Heartbreaker, The Rain Song, Trampled Under Foot, Achilles Last Stand
Sources
- Led Zeppelin III, Wikipedia
- Led Zeppelin III, master release, Discogs
- Presence, In Through the Out Door, Coda (reissue review), Pitchfork (2015-07-28)