Trampled Under Foot

"Trampled Under Foot" is a song by English rock group Led Zeppelin. A funk-influenced piece with John Paul Jones on clavinet, it was included on their 1975 album Physical Graffiti. The song was released as a single in several countries and was frequently performed in concert.

For the American band, see Trampled Under Foot (band).

"Trampled Under Foot"
Netherlands single picture sleeve
Single by Led Zeppelin
from the album Physical Graffiti
B-side"Black Country Woman"
Released2 April 1975 (1975-04-02) (US)
RecordedJanuary–February 1974
Studio
Genre
Length5:38
LabelSwan Song
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Jimmy Page
Led Zeppelin singles chronology
"D'yer Mak'er"
(1973)		 "Trampled Under Foot"
(1975)		 "Candy Store Rock"
(1976)
Audio sample
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Lyrics

The lyrics were inspired by blues musician Robert Johnson's 1936 song "Terraplane Blues".[4] A Terraplane is a classic car, and the song uses car parts as metaphors for sex—"pump your gas", "rev all night", etc. The themes of these songs however differ; "Terraplane Blues" is about infidelity, while "Trampled Under Foot" is about giving in to sexual temptation.[5]

Composition and recording

The song evolved out of a jam session in 1972 and is credited to Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones.[6] Much rehearsal went into perfecting the relentless semi-funk riff that dominates this song.[4] John Paul Jones has credited Stevie Wonder with the inspiration for the beat ("Superstition", 1972), which he played on a clavinet.[4][7] Page played wah-wah and, as producer, employed reverse echo on the recording.[4][8]

Reception and charts

Billboard described "Trampled Under Foot" as "the most commercial single [Led Zeppelin] put together in several years" and as having "a powerful staccatto beat."[9] Released in April 1975, it reached number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100.[10]

Chart (1975) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[11] 60
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[12] 41
US Billboard Hot 100[10] 38
US Cash Box[13] 28
US Record World[14] 39

Live performances and other versions
Page using a wah-wah pedal during a performance in Chicago (January 1975)

"Trampled Under Foot" became a standard part of Led Zeppelin concerts from 1975 onwards, being played on every tour until 1980.[4] In 2012, the song was performed in the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony as a part of a selected playlist.[15]

A rough mix of the track with less overdubbing was titled "'Brandy & Coke' (Trampled Under Foot) [Initial Rough Mix]". It was released on 11 February 2015 (on iTunes), as part of the remastering process of all nine albums.[16] The rest of the album was released on 23 February 2015.

See also

References
  1. Schuman, Michael A. (2009). Led Zeppelin: Legendary Rock Band. Enslow Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7660-3026-8. The keyboard-driven, hard rock track "Trampled Under Foot" was popular on FM stations.
  2. Schinder, Scott; Schwartz, Andy (2008). Icons of Rock: An Encyclopedia of the Legends Who Changed Music Forever. 2. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-33847-2. "Houses of the Holy" and "Trampled Under Foot" were tightly constructed, even danceable hard rock tunes.
  3. Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic. "Led Zeppelin, O2 Arena, London". Financial Times. Retrieved 14 July 2013. "Trampled Under Foot", a hypnotic hard funk-rock track from 1975’s Physical Graffiti, was unexpected (subscription required)
  4. Lewis, Dave (1994). The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.
  5. Godwin, Robert (24 August 1990). "Led Zeppelin: Alchemists of the '70s". Goldmine. p. 13.
  6. Godwin, Robert (2003). "Led Zeppelin: The Press Reports". Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 321. ISBN 1-896522-41-6.
  7. Snow, Mat (December 2007). "The Secret Life of a Superstar". Mojo. p. 13.
  8. Rosen, Steven (25 May 2007). "1977 Jimmy Page Interview (Audio/Text)". Modern Guitars. Archived from the original on 5 January 2011.
  9. "Billboard's Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. 12 April 1975. p. 86. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  10. "Led Zeppelin – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  11. "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  12. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3969a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  13. "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending MAY 31, 1975". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 3 October 2012.
  14. "The Singles Chart" (PDF). Record World. 17 May 1975. p. 31. ISSN 0034-1622. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  15. Heath, Sophia (19 June 2012). "London 2012 Olympics: the full musical playlist for the Olympic opening ceremony". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  16. Grow, Kory (8 January 2015). "Led Zeppelin Announce Super-Deluxe 'Physical Graffiti' Reissue". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
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