If there’s one classic rock band that really nailed the art of the “killer guitar riff,” it would have to be Led Zeppelin. As Jimmy Page fans know, there are almost too many examples of iconic, guitar-driven Led Zep songs to count…but there’s no question that “Immigrant Song” has always been a standout.
While the lyrics reflect the band’s interest in mythology and ancient lore, as Robert Plant once explained, the song was inspired by real-life experience.
“We weren’t being pompous… We did come from the land of the ice and snow,” Plant was quoted as saying in the 1994 book Led Zeppelin by Chris Welch.
“We were guests of the Icelandic government on a cultural mission,” he continued. “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 canceled.”
“The university prepared a concert hall for us and it was phenomenal,” Plant added. “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 [Led Zeppelin III] that was intended to be incredibly different.”
Years later, Plant and Page allowed director Richard Linklater to use “Immigrant Song” in the classic comedy School of Rock, even though the band rarely accepts such requests (a video of Jack Black singing the song helped to convince them). When Plant was asked by Vulture in 2023 why he agreed, he gave a down-to-earth response, saying, “Why not?”
Related: 1969 Classic, Written by Led Zeppelin’s Only Guest Vocalist Ever, Became a Timeless Anthem of Love and Loss
“Our songs didn’t come from Valhalla,” he said. “It’s not a preferred destination, either. I like the idea of taking the hammer to another time. Jack Black made a magnificent meal of it. It’s a killer guitar riff. What a shame ‘Immigrant Song’ isn’t easy for kids to play, by the way. Everyone gets it, young and old. It’s a great song. Not only slightly ridiculous but ridiculous. Considering that we wrote it in midair leaving Iceland — a fantastically inspiring gig and an adventure, beyond which there will be no books written. To give it to the kids is important. Send it up, send it down, and just keep sending it. Just dig it because there’s no hierarchy.”
Plant went on to say that the “Viking side of stuff is very funny.”
“They used a huge f—k-off drum to choose the speed of the oars,” he continued. “Everybody’s seen Tony Curtis and Kirk Douglas in The Vikings. It’s just so evocative. So to give it to the kids, it’s great. I mean, Jack Black’s got it right down. He’s that risk. All of my grandkids have all been able to play Jack Black’s riffs. I think it was exactly the right thing to do, with School of Rock, to blow our myth up into the sky for a while. Because it’s all myth. It doesn’t matter. I’ve watched the film and find it funny.”
Over half a century since it was first released, “Immigrant Song” is still as popular as ever. At the time of this writing, it’s been streamed 1,045,137,175 times on Spotify alone.
Related: Led Zeppelin Legend, Nicknamed ‘The Golden God,’ Turns 78
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