Trampled Under Foot

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

"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.

"Trampled Under Foot"
Netherlands single picture sleeve
Single by Led Zeppelin
from the album Physical Graffiti
B-side	"Black Country Woman"
Released	2 April 1975 (1975-04-02) (US)
Recorded	February 1974; April–May 1974[1]
Studio	Ronnie Lane Mobile Studio, Headley Grange, Hampshire; Olympic, London[1]
Genre	Hard rock[2][3] disco-rock[4] funk rock[5][6] funk metal[7]
Length	5:38
Label	Swan Song
Songwriter(s)	John Paul Jones Jimmy Page Robert Plant
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".^[8] 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.^[9]

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.^[10] Much rehearsal went into perfecting the relentless semi-funk riff that dominates this song.^[8] John Paul Jones has credited Stevie Wonder with the inspiration for the beat ("Superstition", 1972), which he played on a clavinet.^[8][11] Page played through a wah-wah pedal and, as producer, employed reverse echo on the recording.^[8][12]

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."^[13] Cash Box called it a "high-powered effort" that "packs a punch that is sure to be felt on top of the charts."^[14] Record World said that "As Zeppelin-sanity begins to reach Beatlemaniacal proportions, the stage is set for the heavy metalmen to take their first single from Physical Graffiti to the top."^[15] Released in April 1975, it reached number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[16]

Chart (1975)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[17]	60
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[18]	41
US Billboard Hot 100[16]	38
US Cash Box[19]	28
US Record World[20]	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.^[8] In 2012, the song was performed during the London Olympics opening ceremony as a part of a selected playlist.^[21]

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.^[22] The rest of the album was released on 23 February 2015.

Personnel

According to Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin:^[1]

• Robert Plant – vocals
• Jimmy Page – electric guitars
• John Paul Jones – bass, Clavinet
• John Bonham – drums

See also

• List of cover versions of Led Zeppelin songs
• List of Led Zeppelin songs written or inspired by others

References

1. Guesdon & Margotin 2018, p. 388.
2. 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.
3. Schinder, Scott; Schwartz, Andy (2008). Icons of Rock: An Encyclopedia of the Legends Who Changed Music Forever. Vol. 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.
4. Bennun, David (14 June 2017). "Disco rock – 10 of the best". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
5. Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic. "Led Zeppelin, O2 Arena, London". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 7 May 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
6. Elliott, Paul (30 May 2016). "The Top 20 Greatest Funk Rock Songs". TeamRock. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
7. Chick, Stevie (2005). "Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti". In Dimery, Robert (ed.). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. London: Cassell Illustrated. p. 338.
8. Lewis, Dave (1994). The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.
9. Godwin, Robert (24 August 1990). "Led Zeppelin: Alchemists of the '70s". Goldmine. p. 13.
10. Godwin, Robert (2003). "Led Zeppelin: The Press Reports". Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 321. ISBN 1-896522-41-6.
11. Snow, Mat (December 2007). "The Secret Life of a Superstar". Mojo. p. 13.
12. Rosen, Steven (25 May 2007). "1977 Jimmy Page Interview (Audio/Text)". Modern Guitars. Archived from the original on 5 January 2011.
13. "Billboard's Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. 12 April 1975. p. 86. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
14. "Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. XXXVI, no. 47. 12 April 1975. p. 22. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
15. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 12 April 1975. p. 1. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
16. "Led Zeppelin – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
17. "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
18. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3969a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
19. "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending MAY 31, 1975". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 3 October 2012.
20. "The Singles Chart" (PDF). Record World. 17 May 1975. p. 31. ISSN 0034-1622. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
21. Heath, Sophia (19 June 2012). "London 2012 Olympics: the full musical playlist for the Olympic opening ceremony". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
22. Grow, Kory (8 January 2015). "Led Zeppelin Announce Super-Deluxe 'Physical Graffiti' Reissue". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 12 January 2015.

Bibliography

• Guesdon, Jean-Michel; Margotin, Philippe (2018). Led Zeppelin All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. Running Press. ISBN 978-0-316-448-67-3.