Led Zeppelin: The Lemon Song

Great rendition of “The Lemon Song” By Page with the Black Crows:


The Lemon Song featured on Led Zeppelin’s 1969 album Led Zeppelin II. It was recorded at Mystic Studios in Hollywood when the band was on their second concert tour of the United States. "The Lemon Song" is filled with sexual innuendo, and features some of Led Zeppelin's most blues-influenced playing. It was recorded virtually live in the studio, and no electronic devices were used to create the echo on Robert Plant's vocal. It was made solely by Plant's voice and the acoustics in Mystic Studios, which was a 16 x 16 foot room with wooden walls. Another notable aspect of this song is John Paul Jones' complex bass performance, which is heavily funk influenced. It has been said by John Paul Jones himself that he had improvised during the entire song. It is considered by many to be his best bass performance to date. The song borrows significantly from Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor", which was a song Led Zeppelin often incorporated into their live set list during their first concert tour of the United States. For the second and third North American tours the song evolved into "The Lemon Song", with Plant often improvising lyrics onstage. However, despite Howlin' Wolf's influence on the arrangement, the album sleeve of Led Zeppelin II initially credited only the four members of Led Zeppelin. The band was later sued for copyright infringement, and Howlin' Wolf's name was added to the credits. Other lyrics within the song can also be linked to songs by other artists, notably "squeeze my lemon 'til the juice runs down my leg," which can be traced to Robert Johnson's "Traveling Riverside Blues". It is most likely that Johnson borrowed this lyric himself, from a song recorded in the same year (1937) called "She Squeezed My Lemon" by Arthur McKay. Robert Johnson's name has never been added to the credits for "The Lemon Song". "The Lemon Song" was performed live on Led Zeppelin's first three concert tours of the United States and on the first tour it was called "Killing Floor", before being dropped from their live set in late 1969. However, the 'squeeze my lemon' sequence continued to be inserted into the "Whole Lotta Love" medley and ad-libbed elsewhere. Jimmy Page performed this song on his tour with The Black Crowes in 1999 (as seen in the above video). A version of "The Lemon Song" performed by Page and The Black Crowes can be found on the album Live at the Greek.



Lyrics to The Lemon Song:
I should have quit you long time ago
Yeah, long time ago
Oh yeah, long time ago
I wouldn't be here, my children
down on this killin' floor
I should have listened, baby, to my second mind
Everytime I go away and leave you, darling
You send me the blues way down the line
Babe, treat me right, baby, oh my my my
People tellin' me baby can't be satisfied
They try to worry me baby
But they never hurt you in my eyes
Said, people worry I can't keep you satisfied
Let me tell you baby
You ain't nothin but a two-bit, no-good jive
Went to sleep last night, worked as hard as I can
Bring home my money, you take my money, give it to another man
I should have quit you, baby, such a long time ago
I wouldn't be here with all my troubles
Down on this killing floor
Squeeze me baby, till the juice runs down my leg
Oh! Squeeze me baby, till the juice runs down my leg
The way you squeeze my lemon
I..I'm gonna fall right out of bed, Yeah
Hey! (conversation between Robert Plant & guitar)
Baby baby baby...
I'm gonna leave my children down on this killin floor
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