That's The Way (Led Zeppelin Song) - Writing

Writing

Jimmy Page and Robert Plant wrote this piece in 1970 whilst on a retreat at Bron-Yr-Aur cottage, Wales. Page explained:

"That's the Way" was written in Wales. It was one of those days after a long walk and we were setting back to the cottage. We had a guitar with us. It was a tiring walk coming down a ravine and we stopped and sat down. I played the tune and Robert sang the first verse straight off. We had a tape recorder with us and we got the tune down".

In an interview he gave to Mojo magazine in 2010, he elaborated:

I can still remember exactly where we were when we wrote That's the Way. Robert was seriously affected by the situation and being able to write it down and make a statement was great. That wouldn't have happened if we hadn't been there.

The original working title of the song was "The Boy Next Door". According to Stephen Davis's biography of Led Zeppelin, Hammer of the Gods, the song's lyrics reflected Plant's views on the ecology and environment. There are also several lines in the song which reflected on the way Led Zeppelin was sometimes treated in America during their early concert tours, when they were sometimes spat on, had guns drawn on them and were heckled at airports and on planes. They were also troubled about the violence that they had seen policemen visit upon youth who protested the war in Vietnam, as well as upon the fans at their shows, particularly during their spring 1970 tour of the United States:

I can't believe what people saying,

you're gonna let your hair hang down,

I'm satisfied to sit here working all day long,

you're in the darker side of town.