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Led Zeppelin — That's The Way
Album: Led Zeppelin III
Avg rating:
8.3

Your rating:
Total ratings: 3110









Released: 1970
Length: 5:33
Plays (last 30 days): 1
I don't know how I'm gonna tell you
I can't play with you no more
I don't know how I'm gonna do what Mama told me
My friend, the boy next door

I can't believe what people sayin'
You gonna let your hair hang down
I'm satisfied to sit here working all day long
You're in the darker side of town

And when I'm out, I see you walkin'
Why don't your eyes see me?
And could it be you've found another game to play?
What did Mama say to me?

"That's the way, oh, that's the way it oughta be"
Yeah, yeah
Mama said, "That's the way it oughta stay"
Yeah, yeah

Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh

And yesterday I saw you standing by the river
And weren't those tears that filled your eyes?
And all the fish that lay in dirty water dyin'
Had they got ya hypnotized?

And yesterday I saw you kissing tiny flowers
But all that lives is born to die
And so I say to you that nothing really matters
And all you do is stand and cry

I don't know what to say about it
When all your ears have turned away
But now's the time to look and look again at what you see
Is that the way it oughta stay?

"That's the way, that's the way it oughta be"
Whoa, don'tcha know now
Mama said, Mama said, "That's the way it's gonna stay"
Yeah

Ah, ah, ah, ah-ah-ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

Aaah
Comments (383)add comment
Always stop to listen to this. Greatness. 
GREAT TUNE!! GREAT ALBUM!!  I bought this album, right after it was released.  I was 16yrs old. WNEW  FM  102.7  NYC, used to play it a lot. I loved it then & I still love it now!  It has aged better than me LOL!
 dublanica wrote:

My favorite album by them.  This song is one of the gems!


I would say that this is my favorite Led Zeppelin album if it weren't for the existance of Physical Grafitti... and Houses of the Holy... and IV...
However, this album does contain my very, very, very  favorite Led Zeppeling song: Since I've been Loving You, which has some of the best electric guitar work in recored history.
 Tomasni wrote:

MY rating goes down to 3 



"Your rating is good . . . FOR ME TO POOP ON!"
 changodelaplaya wrote:

On March 14th, 1975, my 18 year-old uncle took me to see Led Zeppelin at the San Diego Sports Arena. It was my first concert of any kind, and I was utterly blown away.They were bright, loud, sexy, and amazing showmen, even Bonzo and John Paul Jones, in the back. They played for three hours until my ears were numb. I was 14 years-old.

Unfortunately for me, I was spoiled by experiencing real rock stars, before I even learned to drive. Like chasing that first high, nothing will ever come close. But at least I saw, first hand, how high the bar was set, which is sad for all the rest. 



That is one proper baptism into the world of live rock!
Couple of funny stories around a Led Zeppelin concert in 1973. I had tickets to Led Zeppelin at the old Boston Garden, I called the girl that I rather liked and asked her if she would like to go. The tickets were for a show two months away, she replied after a pause, “I think I’m washing my hair that night…“ I was devastated.When they show rolled around Led Zeppelin appeared an hour and 15 minutes late played for about 45 minutes and left with no encore. The crowd tore up Boston Garden and the old North Station it was a near riot. Kind of glad the girls didn’t come with me. I was 16.
 dejapete wrote:

Did any of you have the Led Zeppelin III album featuring a rotating cardboard disc that revealed different images through holes in the sleeve as it was turned?



Yep.  Did anyone else unfold the next album cover to hang the inside on the wall of their room?  Hell, now that I looked up this link to share with you I remember I ALSO put the inner sleve with the caligraphic lyrics to Stairway on my wall as well: https://wknc.org/2021/04/11/be...
 changodelaplaya wrote:

On March 14th, 1975, my 18 year-old uncle took me to see Led Zeppelin at the San Diego Sports Arena. It was my first concert of any kind, and I was utterly blown away.They were bright, loud, sexy, and amazing showmen, even Bonzo and John Paul Jones, in the back. They played for three hours until my ears were numb. I was 14 years-old.

Unfortunately for me, I was spoiled by experiencing real rock stars, before I even learned to drive. Like chasing that first high, nothing will ever come close. But at least I saw, first hand, how high the bar was set, which is sad for all the rest. 



Same.  Except it was 1977, Capital Centre in Landover, MD, and my uncle was 18, but I had just turned 15 a few days earlier. We still both love Led Zep, and our subsequent musical journeys have diverged and crossed over each other many, many times.  We're both still way into the Clash, Loggins and Messina, and, most recently, Jason Isbell.  

I remember my ears ringing well into the next day.  And the need to hide the T-shirt I bought because even my relatively clueless Mom might recognize the exotic smells from an era where bongs would be passed down the row rarely to return to their owners.  Nothing wrong with today's discrete vape pens, but the communal sharing of breath and slobber, that's what gave us the immune systems today's kids can only dream about.  Also the orthopaedic realignments from 3 hours of a crazy man with 4 sticks amplified to nearly thermonuclear levels.  But I wish I could have seen Jimi live.  We all have our regrets.

BTW, my handle "jamesat43" was an homage to the show "James at 16" which came on the tube a year later, when this James also happened to be 16.  I used that moniker when I first came to RP 16 years ago, so it is no longer accurate.  More accurate to say James at 16 + 43 now.
 Dude wrote:

The incomparable Jimmy Page on guitars, John Paul Jones on bass, with one of the greatest rock vocalists of all time - Robert Plant. Pretty tough to top... a solid 10.



Actually, JPJ plays the mandolin on this as well. 
Such an evocative and beautifully understated song.  One of my fave Zeps!
To me, I found this to be a beautifully written song.  I even learned how to play it.  But over the years, and learning that what you entertain you create, found the lyrics to be seemingly dark.  I now skip it for this reason.

Even Robert Plant has been quoted saying that he cringes hearing some of the music LZ wrote back then. 
{#Devil_pimp}zesty
 changodelaplaya wrote:

On March 14th, 1975, my 18 year-old uncle took me to see Led Zeppelin at the San Diego Sports Arena. It was my first concert of any kind, and I was utterly blown away.They were bright, loud, sexy, and amazing showmen, even Bonzo and John Paul Jones, in the back. They played for three hours until my ears were numb. I was 14 years-old.

Unfortunately for me, I was spoiled by experiencing real rock stars, before I even learned to drive. Like chasing that first high, nothing will ever come close. But at least I saw, first hand, how high the bar was set, which is sad for all the rest. 



Color me jealous.
Goes great with an early morning cup of coffee and a bowl.
I think this song is dealing with homosexuality....
 You can almost take a bite out of it, at this point... GO RP!
Take bite in 2020 | Spongebob memes, Cartoon memes, Spongebob

janac13 wrote:
 debobasu wrote:
Great melancholy set today:

Doug Martsch — Instrumental 
The Boxer Rebellion — Diamonds 
Chris Isaak — Wicked Game
Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi — Black (w/ Norah Jones),
then this...

And now Ray Lamontagne - Be here Now...

Praise be to you RP! 

 
Absolutely.. Yet the power in the melancholy is palpable
 

I came to say that this is one of my favorites, if not my favorite Zeppelin song.  Glad I'm not the only one.
 Tomasni wrote:
MY rating goes down to 3 
 
I agree, your rating sucks.
My favorite album by them.  This song is one of the gems!
VERY nice transition from Tom Rush!  I'm impressed!
And to a cut that may very well be on the best album by Led Zeppelin!
cara.lindsell wrote: I was 18 when this came out and one of the very few girls who appreciated Led Zeppelin -- it was a guys' band. This music just entranced me.
 dwlangham wrote:
I tell Zeppelin haters, most of whom know 'Stairway' and little else, that they produced some varied and interesting music. Case in point is playing right now.
 

MY rating goes down to 3 
My favourite Led Zep song, managed to see Robert play this live at Perth this year. I was in heaven, unfortunately I was in hell the next morning with a killer hangover. The dangers of finding a pub with over 200 malt whiskeys
always a nice listening!
When I lived in Boston I was planning on getting tickets to it turns out one of their last shows, but a bunch of people in the ticket line broke into Boston Garden. They caused a lot of damage and started drinking beer from the concession stands. Show was canceled.
Well that was just excellent...
 Tomasni wrote:
To me this is  7

 
You are clearly wrong.
 Tomasni wrote:
To me this is  7

 
To 83% of the listeners, it rates higher than your number.
To me this is  7
 torino390 wrote:
one of, if not the finest Zep track there is.
 
It's up there, for sure!
 dejapete wrote:
Did any of you have the Led Zeppelin III album featuring a rotating cardboard disc that revealed different images through holes in the sleeve as it was turned?
 
Still have it.
 changodelaplaya wrote:
On March 14th, 1975, my 18 year-old uncle took me to see Led Zeppelin at the San Diego Sports Arena. It was my first concert of any kind, and I was utterly blown away.They were bright, loud, sexy, and amazing showmen, even Bonzo and John Paul Jones, in the back. They played for three hours until my ears were numb. I was 14 years-old.

Unfortunately for me, I was spoiled by experiencing real rock stars, before I even learned to drive. Like chasing that first high, nothing will ever come close. But at least I saw, first hand, how high the bar was set, which is sad for all the rest. 

 
I wish I could have seen LZ once.  My first real concert was Primus in Anchorage May 13, 1996, when I was 17.  It was a lot of fun, too.  They were great, the crowd was great, and the mosh pit was fantastic.  But like you, as a result I was disappointed with all subsequent concerts I went to.
Did any of you have the Led Zeppelin III album featuring a rotating cardboard disc that revealed different images through holes in the sleeve as it was turned?
On March 14th, 1975, my 18 year-old uncle took me to see Led Zeppelin at the San Diego Sports Arena. It was my first concert of any kind, and I was utterly blown away.They were bright, loud, sexy, and amazing showmen, even Bonzo and John Paul Jones, in the back. They played for three hours until my ears were numb. I was 14 years-old.

Unfortunately for me, I was spoiled by experiencing real rock stars, before I even learned to drive. Like chasing that first high, nothing will ever come close. But at least I saw, first hand, how high the bar was set, which is sad for all the rest. 
 iloveradio wrote:
What the hell is so good about this song? 8.6 rating, really?

 
icuski2 wrote:



 
Image result for when led zeppelin is playing
 Stephen_Phillips wrote:
I found this interesting information on Wikipedia regarding the Led Zeppelin III album...

UK Sales       300,000 units
US Sales    6,000,000 units

The US population is approximately 6 times the size of the UK and so you might expect the ratio of the sales to be approximately similar but in actual fact they are 20 times more.

Food for thought... I am really surprised because at the time Led Zeppelin were really big in their home country never mind overseas, taking into account the appeal to the same demographic,

Would any RP listeners like to comment on why they think this might be?

 
Just a guess but, perhaps, it is the stripped down acoustic nature of the album coming off of 2 hard hitting electrified blues/rock albums. 

English fans have historically been more fickle when their idols change styles (e.g. Bob Dylan's 66 tour of England).
 mdnlsn wrote:
Really glad they didn't stick with that balloon-letter logo through the years...

  Were glad you are glad! lol {#Sunny}


Really glad they didn't stick with that balloon-letter logo through the years...
I found this interesting information on Wikipedia regarding the Led Zeppelin III album...

UK Sales       300,000 units
US Sales    6,000,000 units

The US population is approximately 6 times the size of the UK and so you might expect the ratio of the sales to be approximately similar but in actual fact they are 20 times more.

Food for thought... I am really surprised because at the time Led Zeppelin were really big in their home country never mind overseas, taking into account the appeal to the same demographic,

Would any RP listeners like to comment on why they think this might be?
 iloveradio wrote:
What the hell is so good about this song? 8.6 rating, really?

 

 Sasha2001 wrote:
This is the only song Lester Bangs liked off this album, which is either an argument for or against Zep's greatness.
 
DAMN STRAIGHT!


 DanFHiggins wrote:

how do you steal the future?

 
I told you that next month.
 thewiseking wrote:
one of my faves from these guys.
i hope Page didn't steal it 

 
how do you steal the future?
 KaraokeVox wrote:
i hear billy corgan covering this perfectly.
 
{#Roflol}
.
I shouldn't laugh, I have confessed publicly that I did like Zep 3 
(but that long "blues" number was boring)
I could listen to this all day...
What the hell is so good about this song? 8.6 rating, really?
One of the all-time great albums. Best with headphones.  And weed.
Ohhhh, sO GOOD!!!


one of my faves from these guys.
i hope Page didn't steal it 
ahh my freshman year at college when this came out— best 3 years of my life lol {#Lol}
Most nice at lunch
one of, if not the finest Zep track there is.
 JasondotG wrote:

You shut your whore mouth!

 
{#Roflol}
 KaraokeVox wrote:
i hear billy corgan covering this perfectly.
 
You shut your whore mouth!
 woodchuk wrote:
This beauty of this song always gives me goosebumps, so many years after I first heard it.

One of the finest rock albums ever made..

 
Bumping out right now...
 woodchuk wrote:
This beauty of this song always gives me goosebumps, so many years after I first heard it.

One of the finest rock albums ever made..

 
Could not agree more.
This beauty of this song always gives me goosebumps, so many years after I first heard it.

One of the finest rock albums ever made..
 Mugro wrote:
After nearly 40 years of listening to Led Zeppelin, this song has risen to be my favorite of all of their music. 

 

Same here.


This gets better every time I hear it.  Thanks Bill for another lovely start to the day.
After nearly 40 years of listening to Led Zeppelin, this song has risen to be my favorite of all of their music. 
Yeah I've heard it a lot; perhaps too much.  But overexposure doesn't change reality: it's an amazing song!
Ikharry, agree that that there's better that Bill plays.. Never much of a Led Zeppelin fan in my youth but once in awhile.... {#Bananajam}
This is really played toooooo often in the last few weeks.
There's so much more music....
 helgigermany wrote:
Love this music!

 
Me too ;))
Love this music!
 Zeito wrote:
After all these decades this has firmly landed in my mind as the best of the Led Zeppelin albums.
 

 
My son was surprised when I told him the same thing.  I didn't really have an explanation except that this album just gets better every time I hear it, whereas my appreciation for all the others leveled off quite some time ago.  This song is maybe the reason why.
 Stave wrote:

There's something about them that really seems to connect with the 18-20 year old mindset.  I was like you, having grown up hearing them and liking them ok but basically as filler on the radio between various bands from Seattle.  Then some time around my senior year of high school/first year of college something just CLICKED.

Everyone I've ever known who really likes Zeppelin got into them around that age.  My wife missed that critical window and to this day she just doesn't get the appeal (although she's finally warmed up to "Baby Come On Home").

 
 WonderLizard wrote:

I first heard them when I was 19 or 20 at university ("Whole Lotta Love") and have never since lost my love of their sound. They were all geniuses of musical invention and reinvention, and we thank Moon and Entwhistle, perhaps apocryphally, for the band's monicker. I'm in my 60s and haven't yet tired of them.

I'm with you both on this one.
Pure magic for me whenever/wherever they play. 


 WonderLizard wrote:

I first heard them when I was 19 or 20 at university ("Whole Lotta Love") and have never since lost my love of their sound. They were all geniuses of musical invention and reinvention, and we thank Moon and Entwhistle, perhaps apocryphally, for the band's monicker. I'm in my 60s and haven't yet tired of them.

 
There's something about them that really seems to connect with the 18-20 year old mindset.  I was like you, having grown up hearing them and liking them ok but basically as filler on the radio between various bands from Seattle.  Then some time around my senior year of high school/first year of college something just CLICKED.

Everyone I've ever known who really likes Zeppelin got into them around that age.  My wife missed that critical window and to this day she just doesn't get the appeal (although she's finally warmed up to "Baby Come On Home").
This is the only song Lester Bangs liked off this album, which is either an argument for or against Zep's greatness.
 Geecheeboy wrote:
I just noticed the opening riff is very similar to the opening of Daughter by Pearl Jam.

 
Au contraire, mon frère.
 Propayne wrote:

It's interesting - I LOVED Zep as a teenager growing up in the '70s. Definitely my main "puberty" band.

But, now that I'm in my 50s and don't have quite as many of those hormones raging thru my body I do see how Plant's vocal stylings could grate a bit on the adults at the time :-)

Still love them and Zep really did help me thru some tough years including the loss of my father.  

 
I first heard them when I was 19 or 20 at university ("Whole Lotta Love") and have never since lost my love of their sound. They were all geniuses of musical invention and reinvention, and we thank Moon and Entwhistle, perhaps apocryphally, for the band's monicker. I'm in my 60s and haven't yet tired of them.
 Geecheeboy wrote:
I just noticed the opening riff is very similar to the opening of Daughter by Pearl Jam.

 
Actually, the opening of Daughter by Pearl Jam is similar to the opening riff of That's The Way. {#Cheesygrin}

Led Zep trumps Pearl Jam


I just noticed the opening riff is very similar to the opening of Daughter by Pearl Jam.
Almost 45 years later, and this song still weaves its magic.  That's 'Godlike' in my book.
Page is just a melodic genius. Will be touring with his own band soon, now that he is given up on Plant to tour with him. 
i hear billy corgan covering this perfectly.
still soo good, better even..
After all these decades this has firmly landed in my mind as the best of the Led Zeppelin albums.
 
 treatment_bound wrote:
Paging Lazarus!
 
I be right here!  Everybody in my homeless camp loves this song...

hope life is grand for you right this minute, treatment_bound...
 marty88210 wrote:
Wished he sang some more great pieces where he didn't have to "scream" so to speak...but I still like his/their other material.

 
It's interesting - I LOVED Zep as a teenager growing up in the '70s. Definitely my main "puberty" band.

But, now that I'm in my 50s and don't have quite as many of those hormones raging thru my body I do see how Plant's vocal stylings could grate a bit on the adults at the time :-)

Still love them and Zep really did help me thru some tough years including the loss of my father.  
Wished he sang some more great pieces where he didn't have to "scream" so to speak...but I still like his/their other material.
My FAVORITE of all their awesome tunes....

Brilliant
 
 debobasu wrote:
Great melancholy set today:

Doug Martsch — Instrumental 
The Boxer Rebellion — Diamonds 
Chris Isaak — Wicked Game
Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi — Black (w/ Norah Jones),
then this...

And now Ray Lamontagne - Be here Now...

Praise be to you RP! 

 
Absolutely.. Yet the power in the melancholy is palpable
 Krakus wrote:
Ahh, fresh breath of air on Monday morning. Leaving the millenials' music behind.

 
Brother, you said a mouthful. This song really takes me back. One of the underrated Zep albums. Solid 10.
Ahh, fresh breath of air on Monday morning. Leaving the millenials' music behind.
Great melancholy set today:

Doug Martsch — Instrumental 
The Boxer Rebellion — Diamonds 
Chris Isaak — Wicked Game
Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi — Black (w/ Norah Jones),
then this...

And now Ray Lamontagne - Be here Now...

Praise be to you RP! 
 On_The_Beach wrote:
One of the all-time greats.
B. U. T. Full

 
What On_The_Beach said.
One of the all-time greats.
B. U. T. Full
 MassivRuss wrote:
Spent a large chunk of the 70's staring at the vinyl cover...

{#Eek}{#Devil_pimp}

 

and spinning those little dials.
 EarthMama wrote:


You and me both!

 

ME TOO!!
A BIG 10 for my favorite LZ album.
 MassivRuss wrote:
Spent a large chunk of the 70's staring at the vinyl cover...

{#Eek}{#Devil_pimp}

 

You and me both!
Big Fat 10!!
Paging Lazarus!
9 - What was I thinking


easy 10 
Spent a large chunk of the 70's staring at the vinyl cover...

{#Eek}{#Devil_pimp}

marvelous...  love it...
 
 Zep wrote:




 
This place looks like the ultimate getaway spot.  I'd love to spend a night in the humble abode where P & P composed "Over the Hills and Far Away"...
 unclehud wrote:
Dudes can play.  Sizzling rock & roll; shift gears, and play this beautiful ballad.  Mr. Plant's voice was in fine form -- that's the way it oughta be.

{#Arrowd}  WHERE IS THAT?! 
 
Bron-Yr-Aur is a home in the highlands of Wales where the band composed most of the material for LZ III. It had no electricity, so without amps and speaker stacks, they were moved to writing a more acoustic set. 
Dudes can play.  Sizzling rock & roll; shift gears, and play this beautiful ballad.  Mr. Plant's voice was in fine form -- that's the way it oughta be.

{#Arrowd}  WHERE IS THAT?! 
LZ III was so fresh, so lyrical, so magic in its time. 

Leave it for a few years and come back to it, and the lyricism is still there.  


Magic.

Volume is wayyyy up...  we be broadcasting to all my franchises...  everybody in my churches loves this song...
 
When I hear the first note of this song. I just stop doing anything. Doesn't matter; whatever, where ever and with whomever.  I need to just listen tho this song.
This song moves me.
Nice!
 Yeoleman wrote:
Proof the seventies didn't totally suck!!!     {#Cowboy}

 

..well, at least the year 1970..but that could mean some (most?) of this was written in '69..the jury's still out Yeol-!..hahaha..
 heliosweb wrote:
Is that a dulcimer I hear on this track? Sure sounds like one.
...
 
I was thinking it was a mandolin, but according to Wikipedia, there are both.  Dang.

Such a great song.
Wistful and compelling ...
Perfect

love this classic...
 
 shellbella wrote:
This might be my favorite Zeppelin song... Everybody knows Michelle LOVES James Patrick Page.... {#Hearteyes}
 
It's a very fine tune...no argument. 
We love it! Impossible to get such stuff here in Germany!
mehr davon  :-))
Is that a dulcimer I hear on this track? Sure sounds like one.

(I used to play one way back in my early teens. Built it myself from a kit. Only played for a few years, then abandoned it. But I still have it up in my closet.)

Just curious...

Steve
In my top 5 Zeppelin Songs:

Ramble On
Goin to California
Ten Years Gone
That's the Way
Over the Hills 
 Bobert_ParkCity wrote:
Killer, just killer. Chops, emotion, atmosphere. Has it all....
 
ditto
This might be my favorite Zeppelin song... Everybody knows Michelle LOVES James Patrick Page.... {#Hearteyes}
 RoaldSchuring wrote:
is it me or does this sound a lot like going to california? nevertheless great song
 
Interesting comparison. Going to California expresses a lifestyle and culture based, in part, on Plant's romanticized view California's natural splendor. In the book, "Hammer of the Gods" author Stephen Davis reports that Plant's lyrics for "That's the Way" were based on his progressive environmental stance. I think it's obvious that the natural world is a major inspiration for Plant.

Is there another band besides Zep that thematically combines the pastoral mysticism of nature with the bone-crunching exigencies of rock?
 rdo wrote:
If you don't like this song, you'll be hearing from my 350 lb cousin Al in the near future. 
 
Be still my beating heart...

Used to find LZ III really boring but your tastes mellow as you age.

I still snicker, though, when I hear "Immigrant Song" and think of the YouTube video with the kitty Vikings. Al, don't crush me, bro!  
 Tippster wrote:

Hot dog?  You mean "Black Dog?"
 



No....Black Dog was on IV.... Hot dog was on In Through....