Led Zeppelin » Tracks » When the Levee Breaks

Led Zeppelin – When the Levee Breaks (7:07)

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About This Track

“When the Levee Breaks” is a blues song written and first recorded by husband and wife Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie in 1929. The song is in reaction to the upheaval caused by the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. According to the When The Levee Breaks Songfacts, African-American plantation workers were forced to work on the levee at gunpoint, piling sandbags to save the neighboring towns. Hence the lyrics, “I works on the levee, mama both night and day, I works so hard, to keep the water away.”

Led Zeppelin’s version
“When the Levee Breaks”

Album Led Zeppelin IV
Released November 8, 1971
Recorded December 1970 – March 1971
Length 7:08
Label Atlantic
Writer Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham/Memphis Minnie
Producer Jimmy Page

Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin had the original McCoy and Minnie recording in his personal collection. He removed and rearranged lines and line parts from the original song and added new lyrical parts (again, the lyrics focused on the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927), and combined it with a revamped melody. Recording for the song took place in December 1970 at Headley Grange, where the band used the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. It had already been tried unsuccessfully by the band at Island Studios at the beginning of the recording sessions for their fourth album.[

The Led Zeppelin version features a distinctive pounding drum beat by John Bonham recorded in a three-story stairwell, driving guitars and a wailing harmonica, all presumably meant to symbolize the relentless storm that threatens to break the levee, backing a powerful vocal performance by Robert Plant.
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  • derfeo

    oh yea!

    18 days ago

  • placebobsh

    this is my wife's favorite LZ song, and becoming one of mine

    last month

  • BTBAMowns111

    Goin down now

    last month

  • wedonttanwerust

    Bonzo crashes those cymbals like a head-on freight train collision.

    last month

  • DonkeyHotai

    BTW, it is "cryin won't help you, prayin' won't do you no good"

    last month

  • DonkeyHotai

    LedZep IV (ZOSO to some of us) was the album that sealed it for me. I like the other LZ stuff but can never get enough of all the tracks on this one.... you know the ones I'm talkin' about... I have the original vinyl.

    last month

  • Ghostwhisperz59

    cryin won't help you...cryin won't do you no good.......!!!! OMFG!!!!!

    last month

  • b8k3d

    Get the Led out!

    March 2012

  • Storchel

    I will add this to my to-do-list: driving through a desert while listening to When the Levee Breaks!

    March 2012

  • tomvecc

    my favourite from Zep-so heavy love the harp

    March 2012

  • GLAMPAUNDERSCOR

    Half of the rap music genre would not exist if it weren't for sampling the drums on this intro. FACT

    March 2012

  • cowey

    OMG the drums.

    March 2012

  • MikesDmusic

    I really hate it when the levee breaks - we who live next to the Father of Waters know!

    March 2012

  • sergiudbd

    ...and THEN the Lord sayeth : Impress mine ears, mere mortals ! 'thus ''When The Levee Breaks" graced our existence.

    March 2012

  • RussellChap

    *falls over*

    February 2012

  • grn13

    chi-town jammin...

    February 2012

  • Hopplitely

    7:08 minutes of stupendous happiness for my ears.

    February 2012

  • supervixen4

    fave.

    February 2012

  • Cielofunk

    Intense

    February 2012

  • ACDCfuckinrocks

    This is GREAT.

    February 2012
See all 459 shouts

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