Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin)

Lyrics:

There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven.
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for.
Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven.

There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings,
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it makes me wonder.

There's a feeling I get when I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees,
And the voices of those who stand looking.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it really makes me wonder.

And it's whispered that soon if we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason.
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter.

If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now,
It's just a spring clean for the May queen.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on.
And it makes me wonder.

Your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know,
The piper's calling you to join him,
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind.

And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul.
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold.
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last.
When all is one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll.

And she's buying a stairway to heaven.
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To me, this song is talking about a man that is trying to find his way in the world. He meets this lady, who is apparently gullible, and sees everything in color. The line "there's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold," illustrates the very carefree attitude she has. She doesn't know it. This song appears as a tragedy, where you feel you are on the right path, but when "we wind on down the road Our shadows taller than our soul. There walks a lady we all know" Meaning that you are on the path to hell? If you are walking "down the stairs" and can see your shadow, that means you are going down, not up, meaning hell. The singer acknowledges that there are two paths. When you can barely hear the piper that brings you to reality ("Then the piper will lead us to reason. And a new day will dawn for those who stand long") then it is too late and you realize you are in the wrong path ("And if you listen very hard The tune will come to you at last.") In one of the verses the singer says, "There's a feeling I get when I look to the west,And my spirit is crying for leaving," this is a nostalgic feeling the singer gets when he is already on the "wrong path," after he realized he made a mistake. Buying a stairway to heaven means that you live life, thinking that money will buy you happiness, but you realize a little too late that all you have worked for (cars, money, etc) is not going to get you to heaven because you have been too focused on the wrong things.