Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin (1970) 9/12/21

Led Zeppelin was known for a lot of things, but a sense of humor was not one of them. That's why today's "Great Song of the '70s" confused some of their fans.

1970's "Immigrant Song" was filled with references to Vikings and Norse mythology...and starts with the lyric: "We come from the land of ice and snow, from the midnight sun where the hot springs flow."

They were referencing Iceland, where they had recently been invited by the government to play a concert as a part of a cultural exchange. At the last minute, there was a civil servant strike and the gig was almost cancelled. Luckily, the local university in Reykjavik was able to set the band up in their concert hall and, by all accounts, everyone--the students AND the band--had a great time.

"Immigrant Song" was Led Zeppelin's way of thanking everyone for the experience in a fun and interesting way. According to singer Robert Plant, the idea was to "compare the band's adventures to the Vikings who fought the hordes to conquer new lands."

Although the humor "sailed passed" many fans, (pun intended), the song became one of Led Zeppelin's biggest hits!

When it was released as a single from their 1970 album, "Led Zeppelin III," it reached the Top 20 in 12 countries...including #4 in Canada, and #8 in the US!

One of the lyric lines was, "The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands," and from that moment on, fans fans all over the world began to call Led Zeppelin's sound, "the hammer of the gods."

"Immigrant Song:" a "Great Song of 1970, hammered out by Led Zeppelin!