Led Zeppelin – Dancing Days

I like the strange riff that opens this one up. It sounds tonally off in some ways and that makes it appealing. While in Bombay, Page and Plant heard an Indian song that inspired this. The creative process for “Dancing Days” began with Jimmy Page’s guitar riff.  Robert Plant then added the lyrics, which they were inspired by a girl he met in Bombay.

The term “dancing days” is thought to refes to high school. On a bootleg recording of the song from a concert on Jan. 14th, 1973 Robert Plant sings “Let’s go back to high school” in the song.

The song was on the Houses of the Holy album released in 1973. The funny thing is that the song Houses of the Holy would be on the Physical Graffiti album, not its namesake. This song was the B side to Over The Hills And Far Away rare single released in 1973. The single peaked at #51 on the Billboard 100 and #63 in Canada.

The band was determined not to repeat themselves after the success of Led Zeppelin IV. This album is diverse with songs Over The Hills and Far Away, The Ocean, The Rain Song, and the funk of The Crunge. This album was a perfect gateway into their next album Physical Graffiti.

The album peaked at #1 in the Billboard Charts, #1 in the UK, and #1 in Canada.

Dancing Days

Dancing days are here again
As the summer evenings grow
I got my flower, I got my power
I got a woman who knows

I said it’s alright, You know it’s alright
I guess it’s all in my heart
You’ll be my only, my one and only
Is that the way it should start?
Crazy ways are evident
In the way that you’re wearing your clothes
Sippin’ booze is precedent
As the evening starts to glow

You know it’s alright, I said it’s alright
You know it’s all in my heart
You’ll be my only, my one and only
Is that the way it should start?

You told your mamma I’d get you home
But you didn’t say I had no car
I saw a lion he was standing alone
With a tadpole in a jar

You know it’s alright, I said it’s alright
I guess it’s all in my heart, my heart
You’ll be my only, my one and only
Is that the way it should start?

So dancing days are here again
As the summer evenings grow
You are my flower, you are my power
You are my woman who knows

I said it’s alright, You know it’s alright
You know it’s all in my heart
You’ll be my only, my one and only
Is that the way it should start?

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, 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. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

34 thoughts on “Led Zeppelin – Dancing Days”

  5. You cannot go wrong with any Zep Max especially to kick the week off! I’ve been slowly picking off grabbing Zep vinyl when I come across it. Houses of the Holy is one I still need to get but will at some point. I remember hearing HOTH as you mentioned on P.G and I was like back in the early 80s when I got into Zep thinking…why did they do that? lol

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  7. Love it, and it’s one you almost never hear by them… I’d pretty much forgotten it actually. I’d never listened that closely to the lyrics, they’re pretty interesting and unusual. One that would make it onto a ‘Best of’ LZ if I was putting it together.

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    1. Yea the riff sounds like it’s a bit off and that is part of it’s appeal as well. It’s a song I know as “well it’s alright” lol more than the name.

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      1. that’s funny because I see several other people said the same but it’s one I’ve long known by name … whereas a number of their songs I recognize when I hear them but don’t instantly know the name of like that Stomp song (‘Bronywaur Stomp’? something like that) or ‘Misty Mountain Hop’). One can certainly not insult their ability to vary their sound , they didn’t get too stuck in one groove.

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      2. They made it a point to change…and Page had said because he saw the Beatles change like that…that is why they did it.

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    1. I am curious so I looked it up…ironicallly enough…I just read where they thought Houses of the Holy sounded too much like Dancing Days…hmmmm…how about leaving Dancing Days off and including Houses of the Holy!
      If that is the real reason.

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  12. As I was starting to read your post, I was like, ‘dang it, why must he pick a song I don’t recognize from an album I’ve heard more than once over the decades?’ 🙂

    Once I clicked on the clip, the song sounded familiar, though I haven’t listened to that album in may years. And, yes, that somewhat weird guitar riff does make it interesting. I wonder whether Mr. Page borrowed from an Indian song – oops, I did it again, we’re so screwed Max! 🙂

    “Houses of the Holy” also has great other songs like “The Song Remains the Same”, “Over the Hills and Far Away” and “D’yer Mak’er”, though strangely it’s missing its title track! 🙂

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    1. LOL…I don’t think anyone but Dave knew the title lol.
      The part that I knew well was “well it’s alright well it’s alright” that is where I recognized it.
      Yea I read where….get this…where they thought Houses of the Holy song…sounded too much like Dancing Days…well…why not put Houses of the Holy on THIS album and Dancing Days on Physical Grafitti?

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      1. Wow, the rationale about putting “Houses of the Holy” on “Physical Graffiti” instead of “Dancing Days” is really interesting. Perhaps they just did it without thinking much about it and are now cracking up that listeners are agonizing over their decision! 🙂

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