The Lemon Song

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"The Lemon Song"

Song by Led Zeppelin
from the album 'Led Zeppelin II'
Released	22 October 1969
Recorded	1969
Genre	Hard Rock/Blues-rock
Length	6:18
Label	Atlantic Records
Writer(s)	Page, Plant, Jones, Bonham, Burnett
Producer(s)	Jimmy Page
'Led Zeppelin II' track listing
"What Is and What Should Never Be" (2)	"The Lemon Song" (3)	"Thank You" (4)

"The Lemon Song" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, featured on their 1969 album Led Zeppelin II. It was recorded in at Mystic Studios in Hollywood when the band was on their second concert tour of the United States.

"The Lemon Song" is laced 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's complex bass performance, which is heavily funk influenced. During interviews, it has been said by John Paul Jones himself that he had improvised during the entire song. Regardless of whether or not this is a fact, it is still considered by many to be his best bass performance to date; and, by some, one of the greatest ever recorded in rock music.

The song borrows significantly from Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor", which was a song Led Zeppelin often incorporated into their live setlist during their first concert tour of the United States. For the second and third 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, notably "squeeze (my lemon) 'til the juice runs down my leg," can be traced to Robert Johnson's "Traveling Riverside Blues". Led Zeppelin performed that song for a BBC session in 1969. It was first released on their Box Set in 1990, and was a bonus track on the Coda album for The Complete Studio Recordings. It is also included on the BBC Sessions album. Robert Johnson's name has never been added to the credits for "The Lemon Song".

Jimmy Page performed this song on his tour with The Black Crowes in 1999. A version of "The Lemon Song" performed by Page and The Black Crowes can be found on the album Live at the Greek.

[edit] Trivia

The "squeeze my lemon, baby, juice run down my leg" line was used as a tagline by Australian teen author John Marsden in his book Dear Miffy.

[edit] References

Led Zeppelin: Dazed and Confused: The Stories Behind Every Song, by Chris Welch, ISBN 1-56025-818-7
The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, by Dave Lewis, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9