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Immigrant Song

"Immigrant Song"
Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song.jpg
Dutch single picture sleeve
Single by Led Zeppelin
from the album Led Zeppelin III
B-side "Hey, Hey, What Can I Do"
Released 5 November 1970 (1970-11-05) (US)
Format 7-inch single
Recorded Headley Grange, England, 1970
Genre
Length 2:26
Label Atlantic
Writer(s)
Producer(s) Jimmy Page
ISWC T-070.080.286-3
Led Zeppelin singles chronology
"Whole Lotta Love"
(1969)
"Immigrant Song"
(1970)
"Black Dog"
(1971)
Audio sample
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"Immigrant Song" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It is built on a repeating riff and features lyrical references to Norse mythology, with singer Robert Plant's howling vocals mentioning war-making and Valhalla. The song was included on their third studio album, Led Zeppelin III, and was released as a single, which charted in several countries. Several live recordings have also been issued on Led Zeppelin concert albums and other artists have recorded renditions of the song.

Though regarded as an album-oriented group, "Immigrant Song" is one of the band's several hit records on singles radio, and the song's popularity has led to its featuring in compilation albums by the band such as in 1992's Led Zeppelin Remasters and 1999's Early Days: The Best of Led Zeppelin, Vol. 1.

"Immigrant Song" was written during Led Zeppelin's tour of Iceland, Bath and Germany in the summer of 1970. The opening date of this tour took place in Reykjavík, Iceland, which inspired vocalist Robert Plant to write the song. He explained in an interview:

We weren't being pompous ... We did come from the land of the ice and snow. We were guests of the Icelandic Government on a cultural mission. We were invited to play a concert in Reykjavik and the day before we arrived all the civil servants went on strike and the gig was going to be cancelled. The university prepared a concert hall for us and it was phenomenal. The response from the kids was remarkable and we had a great time. 'Immigrant Song' was about that trip and it was the opening track on the album that was intended to be incredibly different.

Six days after Led Zeppelin's appearance in Reykjavik, the band performed the song for the first time in concert during the Bath Festival.


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