The Lemon Song

midi

Page/ Plant/ Johnes/ Bonham
Записана в 1969 в студии Mirror Sound, Los Angeles.
Инженер Крис Хастон (Chris Huston).
Впервые выпущена 22 октября 1969 на альбоме "Led Zeppelin II" (Atlantic 19127).
Выпускалась также 21 сентября 1993 года на сборнике "Boxed Set2" (Atlantic 82477) , 6 октября 1993 года на сборнике "The Complete Studio Recordings" (Atlantic 82526) и 29 февраля 2000 года на концертном альбоме "Live At The Greek" (musicmaker.com) Джимми Пейджа и группы Black Crowes.
Led Zeppelin II Boxed Set2 The Complete Studio Recordings Live At The Greek


Заимствование
This track, cut live in the studio, is an amalgam of Led Zeppelin's blues influences. The major influence for this was Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor." With lyrics and an instrumental section borrowed from it, it is not surprising the band was sued for it. The suit was settled out of court. The "squeeze my lemon" sequence comes from Robert Johnson's "Travelling Riverside Blues." It is likely that Johnson borrowed this himself, from a song recorded in the same year, 1937, called "She Squeezed My Lemon." Albert King's "Cross Cut Saw" was also an influence. Some lyrics are also common to Lightning Slim's "Hoodoo Woman", such as `You take all my money and give it to another man'. "Killing Floor" has also been recorded by Jimi Hendrix, notably.


Название
The title is drawn from the "squeeze my lemon" lyrics in the song which are borrowed from Robert Johnson's "Travelling Riverside Blues." Elements of the song use Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor" as a source, the title of which is a synonym for being in serious trouble, or being mistreated.


Содержание
The frequent references to a "killing floor" in this song hightlight a recurrent theme in blues lyrics. The term does not specifically refer to a slaughterhouse or abbatoir, but a situation, after you have been, for example, cheated on, dumped by your woman, ignored, or hurt, or some such unfortunate predicament. The term is probably used an analogy, as a man could see an animal being slaughtered, and then when his wife cheats on him for example, saw a similarity in terms of feeling that way. This is only a subset of the song's lyrical themes however. The concept was popularised by Chicago bluesman Howlin' Wolf in his appropriately titled song, "Killing Floor", from whence the riff to this song is derived.


Текст

I should have quit you, long time ago. (X2)
I wouldn't be here, my children, down on this killin' floor.

I should have listened, baby, to my second mind (X2)
Everytime I go away and leave you, darling, you send me the blues way down the line.

Said, people worry I can't keep you satisfied.
Let me tell you baby, you ain't nothin but a two-bit, no-good jive.

Went to sleep last night, worked as hard as I can,
Bring home my money, you take my money, give it to another man.
I should have quit you, baby, such a long time ago.
I wouldn't be here with all my troubles, down on this killing floor.

Squeeze me baby, till the juice runs down my leg. (X2)
The way you squeeze my lemon, I'm gonna fall right out of bed.

I'm gonna leave my children down on this killing floor.


Переводы

Перевод Ильи Кормильцева
Перевод на украинский Павла Лехновського
Перевод компании Софтел