All My Love- Led Zeppelin

[petep9000]

In the Led Zeppeling song from 'In Through The Out Door', Robert Plant sang the following:

"Proud aryan one word, my will to sustain
For me, the cloth once more to spin"

What do you suppose this means? Proud Aryan?? That conjures up Hitler-esque images

I actually used to think he was singing "Proud Ariane..", Ariane being the French spelling of Ariadne, who was a minor ancient Greek goddess, consort to Dionysius and a patroness of spinning. But any lyric web site I browse spells it a-r-y-a-n.

[BTFLCHLD]

There is some discussion about this mid-page at the following link:

http://www.leoslyrics.com/listlyrics...2BZq5j%2Fqs%3D

[strandinthewind]

I think it means they were tripping

I do, however, think this song is one of the prettiest things I have ever heard. Again, like La Nicks said - "really almost too much talent on stage."

[rubytuesday]

That song was about his son who died wasn't it? I have no idea what that line means, maybe it's his son who was of that breed. After all it is only in Nazi doctrine that the word has those conotations, in itself the word isn't offensive at all. I have no idea about the meaning of the line though really.

[jannieC]

For years, I thought this was a romantic love song. Then I saw Behind the Music or some other documentary, and found out it was written for Robert Plant's son. I had no idea! Knowing this has really changed the song for me- my god it's so sad and poignant.

As far as the "arayan" line- I don't have anything to offer. Sorry!

[gldstwmn]

The song was about his son that passed away. I do believe he was using the word "Aryan" which despite it's present associations, had nothing to do with Hitler.
From Wikipedia:
Aryan is an English word derived from the Sanskrit "Ārya" meaning "noble" or "honorable". The Avestan cognate of the Sanskrit term is "Airya" and the Old Persian equivalent is "Ariya." It is widely held to have been used as an ethnic self-designation of the Proto-Indo-Iranians. Since, in the 19th century, the Indo-Iranians were the most ancient known speakers of Indo-European languages, the word Aryan was adopted to refer not only to the Indo-Iranian people, but also to Indo-European speakers as a whole.

In Europe, the concept of an Aryan race became influential in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as linguists and ethnologists argued that speakers of these Indo-European languages constitute a distinctive race, descended from an ancient people, who were referred to as the "primitive Aryans", but are now known as Proto-Indo-Europeans.

In linguistics, Aryan is most often used in the context of the sub-branch of Indo-Iranian languages referred to as Indo-Aryan languages.

[petep9000]

Hmm. I knew that Aryan as a term was copped by Hitler for his notion of blonde Germanhood, and that it had a deeper meaning. But, it doesn't fit the song. I'm going to keep singing "Proud Arianne..." instead, as if he were referencing the Classical goddess. He (Robert Plant) was into that stuff, anyway.

I also sing "..well it's hard to civil, and it's real hard to be blind" when I sing 'No Questions Asked' too. I know it's the wrong lyric and that it is really "nice", but I like the way it sounds and it makes alot more Stevie-sense to me.

[strandinthewind]

couldn't resist -- I love John Barrowman, even as an Aryan