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Merlin Alderslade

"It's remarkable that you can have a culture that's shunted into the west side of England that has nothing to do with the English at all." Robert Plant on how the mystique of Wales and the magic of J.R.R. Tolkien influenced Led Zeppelin

Robert Plant Tolkien Led Zep Led Zeppelin Zeppelin Wales England Stephen Colbert
Robert Plant smiling in a white shirt and a blue scarf.

Best of 2025: Our most-read news story this year was this story about Robert Plant and his appearance on the Stephen Colbert show, where he explained his love of Tolkien and the influence it had on his lyrics.

Led Zeppelin legend Robert Plant has revealed how the history and mystique of Wales has helped to influence his songwriting over the years - channelled via the writings of The Lord Of The Rings author J R. R. Tolkien

Plant referenced Tolkien's work in a number of Zeppelin songs including 1969's Ramble On ('Twas in the darkest depths of Mordor / I met a girl so fair / But Gollum and the evil one / Crept up and slipped away with her') and 1971's Misty Mountain Hop ('So I'm packing my bags for the Misty Mountains').

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