Roxilla

and she's buying a stairway to heaven

Of all my memories of this song (and there are plenty), the one that stands out the most is being in the car with my cousin and a few friends, on route to an outdoor party in Scarborough. Driving through Noordhoek and Sun Valley, with Led Zeppelin blasting all the way, enjoying everything that was awesome about being 15… cute clothes, friends, giggles.

Sadly, it also meant strict curfews. We didn’t like curfews much, and were used to the safety and freedom of our older siblings and my uncle, who was a regular on the trance scene back then. So in all our teenage wisdom and logic, we decided to stay when our ride went back – changing out minds at about 3am, and getting the cops who’d come to check things out to give us a ride back home. It made such perfect sense, and with only a single B52 shot in our systems, we were probably quite right too.

That was one of my favourite Lotus memories, and whenever I hear Stairway to Heaven I always think of that drive to the party.

It might still give me a lump in my throat, but this truly is one of the greatest songs of our time…

Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven

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, ooh, 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

Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, ooh, whoa, oh

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

Aw, uh, oh

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 truth will come to you at last
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll

And she’s buying a stairway
To heaven…