Zeppelin and Tolkien- OtHaFA

Over the Hills and Far Away Lyrics
Hey lady-you got the love I need
oh Maybe-more than enough
oh Darling Darling [darling] walk a while with me
-oh you've got so much-

Many have I loved
Many times been bitten
Many times I've gazed
Along the open road

Many times I've lied
Many times I've listened
Many times I've wondered
How much there is to know

Many dreams come true
And some have silver linings
I live for my dream
And a pocketful of gold

Mellow is the man
Who knows what he's been missing
Many many men
Can't see the open road

Many is a word
That only leaves you guessing
Guessing 'bout a thing
You really ought to know
You really ought to know

"What has it got in its pocketses, eh?"-page 80

This comes from the Houses of the Holy lyric booklet, so the lyrics are accurate. The first obvious connection is the title, "Over the Hills and Far Away", which refers to The Hobbit. Bilbo, Gandalf, and the band of dwarves go over the hills (the Misty Mountains) and far away. The last part may have a loose connection to the works, but I doubt it. However, the first four lines need a closer look. I believe that this describes when Bilbo finds the Ring of Power. The "Lady" is actually the Ring. It "has the love" Bilbo needs, as in it has the power to make him disappear and escape from the caves. It has more than enough love, however, since Bilbo obviously doesn't need all that power, and it ends up getting him and Frodo into a mess. But Bilbo likes the Ring, and wants it to "walk a while" with him. And it has so much power, too. Hairfoot, an esteemed Tolkien/Zeppelin lover sees a connection with the last part as well. He suggests the last stanza "could reference a large number of things in Hob and LOTR. The two most prominent are At the Gate of Moria--Gandalf trying to puzzle out the entrance phrase "Speak friend...." The other is the guessing game, or more properly known as the Riddle Game." I don't have any quotes for the interpretations on this song, since it's fairly obvious, and the quotes would have to be long passages for anyone to get anything out of them. I hope this is easy to understand and that the reader makes the connection. As with all, I welcome comments and corrections.

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