Clocking in as Led Zeppelin’s second longest studio recording, Carouselambra has an astounding length of 10 minutes 34 seconds.
This was the only occasion in which Jimmy Page used his Gibson EDS-1275 on an actual studio song, as it was normally reserved purely for live performances.
The song compri...
[Part I]
[Verse 1]
Sisters of the wayside bide their time in quiet peace
Await their place within the ring of calm
Still stand to turn in seconds of release
Await the call they know may never come
In times of lightness, no intruder dared upon
To jeopardize the course, upset the run
And all was joy, and hands were raised toward the sun
As love in the halls of plenty overrun
[Refrain]
Ah, ah, ah, ah
[Verse 2]
Still in their bliss unchallenged mighty feast
Unending dances shadowed on the day
Within the wall, their daunting formless keep
Preserved their joy that kept their doubts at bay
Faceless legions stood in readiness to weep
Just turn a coin, bring order to the fray
And everything is soon, no sooner thought than deed
But no one seemed to question in any way
[Refrain]
Ah, ah, ah, ah
[Verse 3]
How keen the storied hunter's eye prevails upon the land
To seek the unsuspecting and the weak
And powerless the fabled sat, too smug to lift a hand
Toward the foe that threatened from the deep
Who cares to dry the cheeks of those who saddened stand
Adrift upon a sea of futile speech?
And to fall to fate and make the 'status plan'
But no one there had heaven within their reach
[Refrain]
I said yeah
Ah, ah, ah, ah
[Outro]
Oh, oh oh, oh oh
Oh
Oh oh, oh
Oh
[Part II]
[Verse 4]
Where was your word, where did you go?
Where was your helping, where was your bow, bow?
Oh
[Verse 5]
Dull is the armour, cold is the day
Hard was the journey, dark was the way, way
[Verse 6]
I heard the word, I couldn't stay, oh
I couldn't stand it another day, another day
Another day, another day
Another day
[Part III]
[Verse 7]
Touched by the timely coming
Roused from the keeper's sleep
Release the grip, throw down the key
[Verse 8]
Held now within the knowing
Rest now within the peace
Take of the fruit, but guard the seed
They had to stay!
[Verse 9]
Held now within the knowing
Rest now within the beat
Take of the fruit, but guard the seed
Oh, take of the fruit, but guard the seed
Carouselambra was written by Robert Plant & Jimmy Page & John Paul Jones.
Carouselambra was produced by Jimmy Page.
Led Zeppelin released Carouselambra on Wed Aug 15 1979.