#10 Immigrant Song

In Norse mythology, a “Valkyrie” is a female figure that chooses those who live and those who die while entrenched in wartime combat. For the honorable that are chosen to die, the Valkyrie bring the fallen soldiers (again, according to the old Viking religion) to the afterlife “hall of slain”, commonly referred to as Valhalla. There, the dead join all others who have died in combat to serve the Norse god, Odin, as he prepares for “Ragnarök”, a series of violent future events in Norse mythology that includes, Thor, the hammer wielding god of thunder, storms, strength, and the protection of mankind. "Immigrant Song" actually played twice in the Marvel movie Thor: Ragnarok and is the track behind the original movie trailer.

No, Robert Plant was not singing of refugees, DREAMERS, or anything of relevant political substance. “Immigrant Song” was inspired by Led Zeppelin’s Icelandic tour of Scandinavia in the summer of 1970 and the brutal conquests that took place there by Viking explorers in 700-1100 A.D.

There is arguably no song in the Led Zeppelin catalog more recognizable and few are more influential. Many argue that the heavy metal genre at large built its foundation in the 2 minutes and 26 seconds of “Immigrant Song”. It’s Norse theme inspired the very naming of several heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden and Manowar.

With its heavy repeating riff and Plant’s howling war cry, the song channels the march of the Vikings through Scandinavia towards “the western shore” as the tune kicks off Led Zeppelin’s third album. For all it’s acoustic-ness, Led Zeppelin III can never truly be seen as an acoustic album and we have this single song to blame. It is also one of the few songs that Led Zeppelin did, in fact, release as a single. With the majority of their music being too long for radio executives to promote on a 45 rpm single record, “Immigrant Song” stampedes into your living room and quickly rides away through the ice and snow.

If I were introducing the music of Led Zeppelin to someone for the first time, I undoubtedly would choose this song on the short list of samples. From its lyrical composition to its thrashing sound, “Immigrant Song” does what very few songs did: embodied the vast influence Led Zeppelin had on the world of music in one brief moment. My God I love this jam...