The one aspect of Led Zeppelin John Paul Jones always dismissed: “I never bothered to listen”
In its entirety, the entity of Led Zeppelin might feel near-perfect. Their glorious stadium rock sound and effortlessness while exploding on stage seem like gifts with a hidden secret, one that’s only clear to those existing on the other side. However, when broken down, there were many flaws at the corners of the greatest rock band the world had ever seen, which differed depending on which musician you asked.
Before the turbulence that defined Presence, Led Zeppelin seemed to flow through most material easily, mainly due to Robert Plant’s often instantaneous ability to create certain lyrics on the spot. For ‘Stairway To Heaven’, for instance, most of the words flowed spontaneously while Plant was in the studio, which is particularly intriguing considering its reputation as one of the greatest rock songs ever created.
Moreover, looking at lines like, “There’s a lady who’s sure all that glitters is gold / And she’s buying a stairway to Heaven,” it would seem like the kind of carefully crafted musings Plant likely agonised over to get right, but instead, it flowed out of him as naturally as breathing. As time went on, however, he became less concerned with organic efficiency and more concerned with what he chose to express. Even Jimmy Page later reflected on this transition, saying Plant doesn’t “write along those abstract lines anymore.”
While writing lyrics for Presence, Plant had already entered a distinctive chapter after a car crash left him unable to perform to his full potential. He also felt burdened by the lack of support he was receiving from his team during a time when he needed patience and understanding. “It was really like a cry of survival,” he said, “There won’t be another album like it, put it like that. It was a cry from the depths, the only thing that we could do.”
Still, Plant did the best he could, even if it meant taking longer than usual to write lyrics he was happy with. While listening to older anthems like ‘Stairway to Heaven’ emits an unmistakable distinctiveness, alongside the bittersweetness that comes with hindsight, Plant approached Patience with more trepidation, which wasn’t helped by the frail dynamics the band suddenly had to endure.
For one, John Paul Jones was becoming increasingly absent. It became a significant source of frustration for the remaining members and the production team. At the same time, when he was present, he didn’t show much understanding or appreciation for his members, making an already intense situation far worse. During one exchange between Jones and Plant, for instance, he insulted his lyricism while claiming it to be an aspect of Led Zeppelin’s sound he never really cared much for.
According to Peter Blake, writing in his book Bring It on Home, Plant tried to apologise to Jones during a cab ride for taking too long with the album’s lyrics. Jones then dismissed his contributions in one scathing sweep, saying, “Personally, Robert, I’ve never bothered to listen to the lyrics on any of our albums.” Ouch. This could have been Jones on a bad day, but Plant’s words are undeniably as crucial to the Zeppelin legacy as any other contributions—if not more.
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