Poor Tom: Difference between revisions
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{{subpages}} | {{PropDel}}<br><br>{{subpages}} | ||
{{Infobox Song | {{Infobox Song | ||
|name = Poor Tom | |name = Poor Tom | ||
|image = | |image = | ||
|album = '' | |album = ''Coda (album)|Coda'' | ||
|published = Flames of Albion Music | |published = Flames of Albion Music | ||
|registration = ASCAP 460214008 | |registration = ASCAP 460214008 | ||
|released = 19 November 1982 | |released = 19 November 1982 | ||
|recorded = <small>6 May 1970 at<br>Olympic Studios, London.<br>Mixed at | |recorded = <small>6 May 1970 at<br />Olympic Studios, London.<br />Mixed at the Sol Studio, Cookham, Berkshire.</small> | ||
|genre = Blues rock | |genre = Blues rock | ||
|language = English | |language = English | ||
|length = 3 | |length = 3 minutes 3 seconds | ||
|composer = | |composer = Jimmy Page, Robert Plant | ||
|label = Swan Song Records | |label = Swan Song Records | ||
|producer = Jimmy Page | |producer = Jimmy Page | ||
|engineer = Andy Johns | |engineer = Andy Johns | ||
}} | }} | ||
{{TOC|right}} | |||
''''Poor Tom'''' is a song by [[England|English]] rock group Led Zeppelin. | |||
==Overview== | ==Overview== | ||
It was composed in 1970 by vocalist | It was composed in 1970 by vocalist Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page when they were staying at Bron-Yr-Aur, a small cottage in Wales,<ref>{{cite journal|last=Sutcliffe|first=Phil|date=2003|title=Led Zeppelin: Back to Nature|journal=Q|publisher=EMAP|pages=34|issn=0955-4955}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Lewis|first=Dave|year=2012|title=Led Zeppelin: From a Whisper to a Scream|location=London|publisher=Omnibus Press|pages=97|isbn=978-1-78038-547-1}}</ref> and was recorded at Olympic Studios on 6 May 1970. The song was left off the album ''Led Zeppelin III'' but was eventually included on the band's album ''Coda (album)|Coda'', released in 1982 two years after the death of drummer John Bonham, having been produced by Page at his newly-acquired Sol Studios.<ref>{{cite book|last=Lewis|first=Dave|year=2012|title=Led Zeppelin: From a Whisper to a Scream|location=London|publisher=Omnibus Press|pages=97|isbn=978-1-78038-547-1}}</ref> | ||
Although the lyrics can be difficult to decipher, the song appears to be about a hard working labourer on the Mississippi River named Tom who does away with his unfaithful wife Ellie May. Tom may also be psychic, as the lines | Although the lyrics can be difficult to decipher, the song appears to be about a hard working labourer on the Mississippi River named Tom who does away with his unfaithful wife Ellie May. Tom may also be psychic, as the lines 'Poor Tom, seventh son/Always knew what was goin' on' can be interpreted as a reference to the folk belief that seventh son of a seventh son|seventh sons of seventh sons were clairvoyant. The title may have come from Charles Kingsley's ''The Water Babies''. In the story, a poor chimneysweep called Tom falls into a bedroom owned by Miss Ellie, who is dying. Tom is accused of being a thief and subsequently drowns in a river after being pursued. | ||
'Poor Tom' is viewed by fans as another one of Led Zeppelin's blues-influenced songs and contains a jug-band workout, as well as a semi-acoustic guitar part performed by Page. A harmonica, played by Plant, and a drum track are also featured on the arrangement. The guitar tuning for the song is an open-C6 chord (C-A-C-G-C-E). The same tuning was also used by Page on the tracks 'Bron-Yr-Aur (song)|Bron-Yr-Aur' and 'Friends (song)|Friends'.<ref>{{cite book|last=Lewis|first=Dave|year=2012|title=Led Zeppelin: From a Whisper to a Scream|location=London|publisher=Omnibus Press|pages=97|isbn=978-1-78038-547-1}}</ref> | |||
The song was never performed live at | The song was never performed live at Led Zeppelin concerts.<ref>{{cite book|last=Lewis|first=Dave|year=2012|title=Led Zeppelin: From a Whisper to a Scream|location=London|publisher=Omnibus Press|pages=97|isbn=978-1-78038-547-1}}</ref> | ||
== Chart positions == | == Chart positions == | ||
=== Song (Airplay) === | === Song (Airplay) === | ||
{|class= | {|class='wikitable sortable' | ||
!Chart (1982) | !Chart (1982) | ||
!align= | !align='center'|Peak position | ||
|- | |- | ||
| US ''Billboard'' Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart<ref name= | | US ''Billboard'' Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart<ref name='US mainstream rock chart'>{{cite web | url = http://www.musicvf.com/Led+Zeppelin.art | title = Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart - 1982 | publisher = ''Billboard'' | accessdate = 2009-01-17}}</ref> | ||
|align= | |align='center'|18 | ||
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
{| class= | ==Credits== | ||
|colspan= | {|class='wikitable' | ||
|colspan='2' style='background:#ccffcc'|<center>'''Personnel'''</center> | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | | | ||
| Line 49: | Line 50: | ||
**John Bonham - drums, percussion | **John Bonham - drums, percussion | ||
*Production: | *Production: | ||
** | **Peter Grant – executive producer | ||
**Andy Johns - engineer | **Andy Johns - engineer | ||
**Stuart Epps - engineer, mixing | **Stuart Epps - engineer, mixing | ||
| Line 57: | Line 58: | ||
|} | |} | ||
== | ==References== | ||
{{reflist | {{reflist}}[[Category:Suggestion Bot Tag]] | ||
Latest revision as of 16:01, 5 October 2024
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'Poor Tom' is a song by English rock group Led Zeppelin. OverviewIt was composed in 1970 by vocalist Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page when they were staying at Bron-Yr-Aur, a small cottage in Wales,[1][2] and was recorded at Olympic Studios on 6 May 1970. The song was left off the album Led Zeppelin III but was eventually included on the band's album Coda (album)|Coda, released in 1982 two years after the death of drummer John Bonham, having been produced by Page at his newly-acquired Sol Studios.[3] Although the lyrics can be difficult to decipher, the song appears to be about a hard working labourer on the Mississippi River named Tom who does away with his unfaithful wife Ellie May. Tom may also be psychic, as the lines 'Poor Tom, seventh son/Always knew what was goin' on' can be interpreted as a reference to the folk belief that seventh son of a seventh son|seventh sons of seventh sons were clairvoyant. The title may have come from Charles Kingsley's The Water Babies. In the story, a poor chimneysweep called Tom falls into a bedroom owned by Miss Ellie, who is dying. Tom is accused of being a thief and subsequently drowns in a river after being pursued. 'Poor Tom' is viewed by fans as another one of Led Zeppelin's blues-influenced songs and contains a jug-band workout, as well as a semi-acoustic guitar part performed by Page. A harmonica, played by Plant, and a drum track are also featured on the arrangement. The guitar tuning for the song is an open-C6 chord (C-A-C-G-C-E). The same tuning was also used by Page on the tracks 'Bron-Yr-Aur (song)|Bron-Yr-Aur' and 'Friends (song)|Friends'.[4] The song was never performed live at Led Zeppelin concerts.[5] Chart positionsSong (Airplay)
Credits
References
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