Led Zeppelin – Over the Hills and Far Away

When I learned this riff on guitar I felt like I won the lottery. It’s easy but sounds impressive. This is a great song from Led Zeppelin with their light-heavy approach. It starts off with an acoustic and works itself up to hard electric guitar.

The song peaked at #51 in the Billboard 100 in 1973. It was on the Houses of the Holy album.

From Songfacts.

This evolved from the Yardbirds song “White Summer,” an acoustic solo by Jimmy Page. Many of the same riffs and chords are in it. After The Yardbirds broke up, Led Zeppelin continued to play “White Summer” live. >>

This was one of the few Led Zeppelin songs released as a single in the US. It made it only to #51.

The music was inspired by Jimmy Page’s Celtic ancestry.

This began as an instrumental. Robert Plant came up with backing tracks and then lyrics.

Plant’s lyrics were inspired by the J.R.R. Tolkien book The Hobbit, and to Tolkein’s 1915 poem of the same name. “Over The Hills And Far Away” describes the adventure the Hobbits embark on.

Over the Hills and Far Away

Hey lady, you got the love I need
Maybe more than enough
Oh darling, darling, darling 
Walk a while with me
Ohh, you’ve got so much, so much, so much

Many have I loved, and many times been bitten
Many times I’ve gazed along the open road

Many times I’ve lied, and many times I’ve listened
Many times I’ve wondered how much there is to know

Many dreams come true, and some have silver linings
I live for my dream, and a pocket full of gold

Mellow is the man who knows what he’s been missing
Many, many men can’t see the open road

Many is a word that only leaves you guessing
Guessing ’bout a thing you really ought to know, oh, oh, oh, oh
Really ought to know
I really ought to know
Oh
You know I should, you know I should, you know I should, you know I should

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

17 thoughts on “Led Zeppelin – Over the Hills and Far Away”

      2. I’ts not hard I promise… Now something like the Beatles Blackbird…I’ve never been able to get right…Some songs come easier to some people…like anything else.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. I used to just play around with the guitar many moons ago. A couple I tried to learn to pick were Pink Floyd’s “Brain Damage” and Roy Orbison’s “In Dreams”. Never got very good at it but there was a lot of enjoyment in trying.

        Liked by 1 person

      5. I have a guitar in the closet but it needs strings and I don’t have a clue how to tune it. Do you think you’ll play more if you get a different job? I’m guessing yes.

        Liked by 1 person

      10. they have tuners now for 10 bucks…I showed a friend of a realative this past weekend a few songs. She is on her way now. She is watching youtube now.

        Liked by 1 person

      12. I can’t read music…I play by ear. I have learned how to read tab…it’s really easy. The first songs I’ll show someone are Louie Louie and Wild Thing…3 chords and they build from there.

        Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment