Nobody's Fault but Mine
| "Nobody's Fault but Mine" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Led Zeppelin | |
| from the album Presence | |
| Released | 31 March 1976 |
| Recorded | November–December 1975 |
| Studio | Musicland Studios, Munich, Germany, |
| Genre | |
| Length | 6:15 |
| Label | Swan Song |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) | Jimmy Page |
"Nobody's Fault but Mine" is a song recorded by English rock band Led Zeppelin, which was included on their 1976 album Presence. Adapted from Blind Willie Johnson's "It's Nobody's Fault but Mine", it has been described as "a blistering portrayal of a man looking for deliverance from his misdeeds and perceived sins".
Although the song's roots are in the blues, it has been called "one of the most relentless pieces of pure rock this group ever mined" and was one of only two songs from Presence to be included in the group's live repertoire. Several other musicians have recorded it as well as an acoustic arrangement by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant for their No Quarter album.
"Nobody's Fault but Mine" is a gospel song that has been recorded by many musicians over the years. The first known recording of this song was by American gospel blues musician Blind Willie Johnson in 1927, titled "It's Nobody's Fault but Mine". In an interview, Jimmy Page explained:
Robert [Plant] came in one day and suggested that we cover it, but the arrangement I came up with was nothing to do with the [Blind Willie Johnson] original. Robert may have wanted to go for the original blues lyrics, but everything else was a totally different kettle of fish.
Led Zeppelin biographer George Case adds "Page was likely more mindful of John Renbourn's 1966 acoustic take [than Blind Willie] Johnson's". Renbourn's version is found on his 1967 album Another Monday.
"Nobody's Fault but Mine" was developed and recorded by Led Zeppelin during the difficult period they faced after Plant's 1975 automobile accident in Rhodes. The incident left him with serious injuries to his ankle and leg and there was fear that he might not recover completely. With their misfortunes and the increasing drug use around the band, biographer Stephen Davis wrote:
Robert was definitely spooked ... he believed that negativity associated with Led Zeppelin's music might be harrowing him ... from all accounts, [he] was also locked into his own remorse and grieving that his family had become victims of something that he might no longer be able to control.
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