travelling riverside blues led zeppelin album

• Songwriter Interviews
• Song Writing
• Fact or Fiction
• They're Playing My Song
• Songfacts Pages
• Songwriting Legends
• Songfacts Podcast
• Amanda Flinner
• Bruce Pollock
• Corey O'Flanagan
• Dan MacIntosh
• Laura Antonelli
• Leslie Michele Derrough
• Maggie Grimason
• Nicole Roberge
• Roger Catlin
• Shawna Ortega
• Stephanie Myers
• Trevor Morelli

Traveling Riverside Blues by Led Zeppelin

Songfacts®:

• This was written and originally recorded by blues great Robert Johnson. Led Zeppelin borrowed heavily from American blues music. , CA) >> Suggestion credit : Henric - San Diego (Vaxjo
• Led Zeppelin first played this for a BBC session in 1969, but the song was never released on an album. It was placed on the Box Set in 1990, and it was also made a bonus track on the Coda album for the Complete Studio Recordings. >> Suggestion credit : A.J. - Toledo, OH
• Jimmy Page used a 12-string acoustic guitar to play this song. >> Suggestion credit : Jordan - St. Louis, MO
• In the third verse, it sounds like Robert Plant mistakenly sings "My baby geen bone" instead of 'My baby been gone." >> Suggestion credit : Nate - Buffalo, NY
• The lyric, "I've had no lovin' since my baby been gone" came from B.B. King's "Woke Up This Morning (My Baby Was Gone)."
• To get the fast bass beats, John Bonham used "triplets" on the bass drum - he would use the tip of his toe. >> Suggestion credit : Thomas - Toronto, Canada, for above 2
• More songs from Led Zeppelin
• More songs from 1982
• Lyrics to Traveling Riverside Blues
• Led Zeppelin Artistfacts

Comments: 21

• Tyler W from Florida One small note, there were many blues musicians decades before BB King who used the line "I've had no lovin' since my baby been gone" and variations of it.
• Rick from Miami Please don't squeeze me lemon
• Stungem 75x from Lancaster, Pa Definitely, one of the sexiest songs Zepp ever did. Definitely, one of my top 5 favs. It’s like a slow driving machine. Givin it to ya and unstoppable.
• Louis from Drexel Hill, Pa Ahmet Ertegun once said that Plant knew every lyric to every song ever recorded. You can hear that on albums and recordings of live performances. The lyrics "...kind-hearted woman, studies evil all the time..." comes from the Robert Johnson song "Kind-Hearted Woman".
• Ray from Bonneville Salt Flats, Ut @- kenny, Minneapolis, MN. You've heard the lyrics correctly: "I AIN'T GOING TO STATE NO COLOR, BUT HER front teeth is crowned with gold." RJ was talkin about one of his black hoochie mamas, very possibly the woman about whom he wrote Love in Vain. John Hammond did a video/DVD thing in the late 70s and looked up some of the people who knew RJ....including the woman "Willie Mae", I think. When he played the song for her she burst into tears. Remember...he wrote these songs in a much different time that the one we live in now and taking it further, RJ lived in a microcosm of barrooms, brothels, juke joints and other high class establishments. His co-denizens of this blues world within the southern black world was...how to say it....pretty raw and sex, color and other subjects that would be taboo in out politically correct world were acceptable in that juke joint world.
• Josh from Champaign, Il Inviting a woman into the "kitchen" in this context is an allegory for inviting them in the bedroom to do some "cookin'" ;o) If you can't stand the heat...
• Lisa from Blountville , Tn I've got a kind hearted woman, / she studies evil all the time. / I've got a kind hearted woman, / she studies evil all the time. / You would do to quit me ... Robert Johnson Got no lien on my body. / Got no mortgage on my soul. / Got no lien on my body, baby. / Got no mortgage on my soul John Lee Hooker First time I heard this was on the box set .I thought well Zeppelin dug up some old stuff.This was back in the day before I started to collect Zeppelin bootlegs. I've heard the Clapton version...aahh it's ok. Zeppelin's version is far superior. Great slide from Jimmy.Robert belting out almost every well know blues line is so great you really felt as if in this song it was Zeppelin way of saying how much love and respect they have for the blues.
• David from Los Angeles , Ca This song is freakin' cool, if you like this song i suggest you listen to Jennings Farm Blues.
• Kenny from Minneapolis, Mn "Come On In My Kitchen" is explained by an excellent, very informative article on Wikipedia. On the liner notes of the Robert Johnson LP, the lyrics of "Travelling Riverside" are quoted as "I'm going to stay around Goldsboro, til my front teeth is crowned with gold." Listen to it. To my ear, he says, "I AIN'T GOING TO STATE NO COLOR, BUT HER front teeth is crowned with gold." Am I wrong? If I'm right, what does that lyric mean?? My only guess is so unbelievable, I'm afraid to say it.
• Oldpink from New Castle, In No wonder that opening guitar sounded so "jingle jangle!" Roger McGuinn probably gets a big smile whenever he hears this one. Great fun, and it's cool how Plant bellows out random delta blues lines.
• Ray from Bonneville Salt Flats, Ut An interesting experiment: Listen to RJ's original recording. Then listen to Eric Clapton's version. Finally listen to LZ's version. Clapton's lyrics are almost word-for-word with RJ's. LZ's is far, far away from the original and includes lines from so many Delta blues song as to leave yer head spinning. Having said that, I still love all 3 versions. The only criticism I have of LZ is that the electric guitar added to the acoustic 12-string sticks out like a sore thumb. It just doesn't belong there. Still, it's one of my favorite LZ songs and gets a lot of play in my car and at home via WinAmp.
• Peter Griffin from Quahog, Ri Nope, it's definitely "geen bone". How Zeppelin could have never recorded this song for an album is beyond me. It is FREAKING AWESOME.
• Smalls from Uniontown, Pa, Pa I could probably type all day about this song, if I wanted to, but I'll keep it short and sweet. This song is so f'n awesome that words alone do it no justice, go and listen to it.
• Jamey from Montgomery, Al Instead of 'My baby geen bone', I think the lyric was "Had no lovin' since my baby could ball,yeah".
• Jambi from T-town, Mi another one of jimmy's beautiful bluesy slide performances
• Peter Griffin from Quahog, Ri He does say "geen bone". He switched the vowels around.
• Peter Griffin from Quahog, Ri Same sexual innuendo as The Lemon Song, sung differently and worded slightly differently.
• Hanna from Trondheim, Norway Squeeze my lemon, yeah! :p Led Zeppelin rooccks.
• Michael from Lorain, Oh "Squeeze My lemon" Classic, one of my favorites. I cannot believe how my parents did not like me listening to singers like marilyn manson. The lyrics are the same to their music. The only difference is the meaning is laid between the lines. It is just the same as my parents parents not wanting them to listen to the begginings of Rock and Roll. Rock and Roll can never die. Guitars and drums are what got me this far. Peace, Mikey
• Kuriente from Binangonan, Other The quote, "Why don't you come in my kitchen?" is actually a Robert Johnson quote. Johnson being the one who originally wrote this song back in the 30's. The Zeppelin version of this song is actually quite different than the original and is more of a tribute to Johnson than a cover. "Why don't you come in my kitchen" comes from Johnson's "Come on in my kitchen." There are also some references to "Kind Hearted Woman Blues".
• Anonymous from , Wi Yes, we know what you're talking about, Robert... but what does he mean when he asks, "Why don't you come in my kitchen?" I feel like there's something I'm not getting here...

More Songfacts:

The Memory Remains Metallica

An unexpected guest vocal: Marianne Faithfull on the Metallica song "The Memory Remains." A star in the '60s, this collaboration helped revive her career.

Girl Destiny's Child

Beyonce Knowles and Michelle Williams wrote "Girl" for Kelly Rowland as an encouragement for her to end her relationship with a verbally and physically abusive boyfriend.

All Apologies Nirvana

When the Christian band DC Talk covered Nirvana's "All Apologies" at concerts, they would change the line "Everyone is gay" to "Jesus is the Way."

Fields Of Gold Sting

Sting wrote "Fields of Gold" after buying a house near a barley field and enjoying the majestic sunsets.

Paper Planes M.I.A.

"Paper Planes" was inspired by M.I.A.'s hassles trying to get a visa to enter America.

When Doves Cry Prince

Prince kept doves at his Paisley Park mansion. And yes, sometimes they did cry.

Editor's Picks

Women Who Rock Song Writing

Evelyn McDonnell, editor of the book Women Who Rock, on why the Supremes are just as important as Bob Dylan.

Alice Cooper Fact or Fiction

How well do you know this shock-rock harbinger who's been publicly executed hundreds of times?

Mike Campbell Songwriter Interviews

Mike is lead guitarist with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and co-writer of classic songs like "Boys Of Summer," "Refugee" and "The Heart Of The Matter."

David Clayton-Thomas of Blood, Sweat & Tears Songwriter Interviews

The longtime BS&T frontman tells the "Spinning Wheel" story, including the line he got from Joni Mitchell.

Art Alexakis of Everclear Songwriter Interviews

The lead singer of Everclear, Art is also their primary songwriter.

Eric Clapton Fact or Fiction

Did Eric Clapton really write "Cocaine" while on cocaine? This question and more in the Clapton edition of Fact or Fiction.

Songfacts® Newsletter

A monthly update on our latest interviews, stories and added songs

Information

• Terms of Service
• Our Privacy Policy
• Google Privacy Policy
• Songfacts API
• Music History Calendar
• Song Licensing
• Affiliate Disclosure
• Privacy Manager
• X (Twitter)

Contribution

• Message Boards
• Songfacts Writers

©2024 Songfacts, LLC

Travelling Riverside Blues

Led Zeppelin

More By Led Zeppelin

You might also like.

The Effect , Steve Perry

Black Veil Brides

Select a country or region

Africa, middle east, and india.

• Côte d’Ivoire
• Congo, The Democratic Republic Of The
• Guinea-Bissau
• Niger (English)
• Congo, Republic of
• Saudi Arabia
• Sierra Leone
• South Africa
• Tanzania, United Republic Of
• Turkmenistan
• United Arab Emirates

Asia Pacific

• Indonesia (English)
• Lao People's Democratic Republic
• Malaysia (English)
• Micronesia, Federated States of
• New Zealand
• Papua New Guinea
• Philippines
• Solomon Islands
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• France (Français)
• Deutschland
• Luxembourg (English)
• Moldova, Republic Of
• North Macedonia
• Portugal (Português)
• Türkiye (English)
• United Kingdom

Latin America and the Caribbean

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Argentina (Español)
• Bolivia (Español)
• Virgin Islands, British
• Cayman Islands
• Chile (Español)
• Colombia (Español)
• Costa Rica (Español)
• República Dominicana
• Ecuador (Español)
• El Salvador (Español)
• Guatemala (Español)
• Honduras (Español)
• Nicaragua (Español)
• Paraguay (Español)
• St. Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• St. Vincent and The Grenadines
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Turks and Caicos
• Uruguay (English)
• Venezuela (Español)

The United States and Canada

• Canada (English)
• Canada (Français)
• United States
• Estados Unidos (Español México)
• الولايات المتحدة
• États-Unis (Français France)
• Estados Unidos (Português Brasil)
• 美國 (繁體中文台灣)

Led Zeppelin

• Discography
• London 12.10.07
• Merchandise

Travelling Riverside Blues (promo)

Led Zeppelin promo video for "Travelling Riverside Blues" produced in 1990. Available on the official Led Zeppelin DVD (2003)

BBC: https://www.ledzeppelin.com/show/june-24-1969

Add new comment

• Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
• Lines and paragraphs break automatically.