John Paul Jones Shines In ’77 “The Battle Of Evermore” Performance
7 Year Hiatus
“This is what we used to call in the glorious day of flower power….I guess….the acoustic set.” – Robert Plant
After a 7 year hiatus from “The Battle Of Evermore,” Led Zeppelin performed the iconic ballad July 17, 1977 at Seattle’s Kingdome with John Paul Jones in front for once, while he annihilated his triple neck guitar. As JPJ echoes some of Plant’s killer vocal scats along with Bonzo, the concert falls silent in a daze watching the two make incredible, live music.
Interesting Fact:Â This is the only song Zeppelin ever recorded with a guest vocalist. Robert Plant felt he needed another voice to tell the story that plays out in the song, so Sandy Denny from Fairport Convention was brought in. Her vocals represent the people as the town crier, while Plant’s voice is the narrator. Fairport Convention was a British folk group Zeppelin shared a bill with in 1970.
Written entirely on the spot after Page picked up Jones’s mandolin, “The Battle Of Evermore” was yet another Lord of the Rings- inspired tune from the band’s untitled 1971 album with eerie, creeping notes that could haunt you in the bright of daylight.
As he generally fell toward the sidelines of the group, highly underrated and under appreciated John Paul Jones is more than stellar vocally in this rare, killer live performance. Enjoy this transcendent performance and share on!
+ Â The Battle Of Evermore Lyrics +
And then she turned to go,
The Prince of Peace embraced the gloom,
And walked the night alone.
Oh, dance in the dark of night,
Sing to the morning light.
The dark Lord rides in force tonight,
And time will tell us all.
Oh, throw down your plow and hoe,
Rest not to lock your homes.
Side by side we wait the might
Of the darkest of them all.
I hear the horses’ thunder down in the valley below,
I’m waiting for the angels of Avalon, waiting for the eastern glow.
The apples of the valley hold the seeds of happiness,
The ground is rich from tender care,
Repay, do not forget, no, no.
Dance in the dark of night,
Sing to the morning light.
The apples turn to brown and black,
The tyrant’s face is red.
Oh war is the common cry,
Pick up your swords and fly.
The sky is filled with good and bad
That mortals never know.
Oh, well, the night is long, the beads of time pass slow,
Tired eyes on the sunrise, waiting for the eastern glow.
The pain of war cannot exceed the woe of aftermath,
The drums will shake the castle wall,
The ring wraiths ride in black, ride on.
Sing as you raise your bow,
Shoot straighter than before.
No comfort has the fire at night
That lights the face so cold.
Oh dance in the dark of night,
Sing to the morning light.
The magic runes are writ in gold to bring the balance back.
Bring it back.
At last the sun is shining,
The clouds of blue roll by,
With flames from the dragon of darkness,
The sunlight blinds his eyes.
