Led Zeppelin – When The Levee Breaks Lyrics - Genius

2025, In ReviewFeaturedChartsVideosPromote Your MusicSign Up35When the Levee BreaksLed ZeppelinProducerJimmy PageTrack 36 onLed Zeppelin (Boxed Set) Nov. 8, 19711 viewer252.7K views70 ContributorsTranslations

• Polski

When the Levee Breaks Lyrics

This track is a rework of the 1929 song “When the Levee Breaks,” a blues tune by the couple Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie. It was written about the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, the most destructive… Read More [Instrumental Intro][Verse 1]If it keeps on raining, levee's going to breakIf it keeps on raining, the levee's going to breakWhen the levee breaks, have no place to stay[Verse 2]Mean old levee taught me to weep and moan, ohMean old levee taught me to weep and moanIt's got what it takes to make a mountain man leave his homeOh well, oh well, oh well, ooh[Bridge]Oh, don't it make you feel badWhen you're trying to find your way home?You don't know which way to goIf you're going down southThey got no work to doIf you're going north to ChicagoAh, ah, ah, hey[Instrumental Break][Verse 3]Crying won't help you, praying won't do you no goodNo, crying won't help you, praying won't do you no goodWhen the levee breaks, mama, you got to move, oohYou might also like[Verse 4]All last night I sat on the levee and moanedAll last night, sat on the levee and moanedI'm thinking about my baby and my happy homeOh-ho[Bridge]Ah, ah, ah, ah-ahAh, ah, ah, ah-ahOh, oh[Outro]GoingI'm going to ChicagoGoing to ChicagoSorry, but I can't take you, ahGoing down, going down nowGoing down, I'm going down nowGoing down, going downGoing down, going downOh...Going down, going down nowGoing down, going down nowGoing down, going down nowGoing down, going, dow- dow- dow- dow- down, nowOoh, ooh35EmbedCancel

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AboutSong Bio7 contributors

This track is a rework of the 1929 song “When the Levee Breaks,” a blues tune by the couple Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie. It was written about the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, the most destructive river flooding in United States history.

The track was recorded in the Headley Grange, a house in Hampshire, England that is rumored to be haunted. In addition, the instrumental was slowed down to give it a heavy effect, so vocalist Robert Plant is the only person performing in normal speed.

The song has been sampled in numerous pieces, including Beastie Boys' “Rhymin' and Stealin'” and Eminem’s “Kim.” The track was also used during the end credits for the 2015 film The Big Short.

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Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

Ask a questionWhy do the drums sound so cool?Genius Answer1 contributor

The unique drum sound — most noticeable in first few seconds before the rest of the instruments join in — has been the subject of much internet lore because of the echo and the fact that they were recorded in a stairwell.

Rick Beato got to the bottom of this and demonstrates that it was not all-natural:

The famous drum performance was recorded by engineer Andy Johns by placing drummer John Bonham and a new Ludwig drumkit at the bottom of a stairwell at Headley Grange, and recording it using two Beyerdynamic M160 microphones and a Binson Echorec machine at the top, giving both the distinctive resonant but slightly muffled sound and the “ga-gack” echo.

+3What have the artists said about recording at Headley Grange?Genius Answer1 contributor

As documented by a fan, guitarist Jimmy Page told Guitar World Magazine:

It was very Charles Dickens. Dank and spooky. The room I chose to live in was at the very top of the building, and the sheets were always sort of wet. Headley Grange freaked Robert and John Bonham out, but I liked it, actually. I’m pretty sure it was haunted. I remember going up the main stairway on the way to my room one night and seeing a gray shape at the top. I double-checked to see if it was just a play of light, and it wasn’t. So I turned around pretty fast, because I didn’t really want to have an encounter with something like that. But I wasn’t surprised to find spirits there because the place had a miserable past. One real positive outcome of us recording there is that, I believe, we revitalized the energy at Headley. The place became lighter as a result of our stay there.

+17What did Led Zeppelin say about "When the Levee Breaks"?Genius Answer1 contributor

In a six-hour interview, guitarist Jimmy Page said:

‘When the Levee Breaks’ is probably the most subtle thing on [the album] as far as production goes, because each twelve bars has something new about it, though at first it might not be apparent. There’s a lot of different effects on there that, at the time, had never been used before. Phased vocals, a backwards echoed harmonica solo.

+22What has the media said about the song?Who produced “When the Levee Breaks” by Led Zeppelin?When did Led Zeppelin release “When the Levee Breaks”?Who wrote “When the Levee Breaks” by Led Zeppelin?Led Zeppelin (Boxed Set) (1990)Led Zeppelin

1. 1. Whole Lotta Love
2. 2. Heartbreaker
3. 3. Communication Breakdown
4. 4. Babe I’m Gonna Leave You
5. 5. What Is and What Should Never Be
6. 6. Thank You
7. 7. I Can’t Quit You Baby (Coda)
8. 8. Dazed and Confused
9. 9. Your Time Is Gonna Come
10. 10. Ramble On
11. 11. Travelling Riverside Blues
12. 12. Friends
13. 13. Celebration Day
14. 14. Hey, Hey, What Can I Do
15. 15. White Summer/Black Mountain Side (Live at the BBC 27 June 1969)
16. 16. Black Dog
17. 17. Over the Hills and Far Away
18. 18. Immigrant Song
19. 19. The Battle of Evermore
20. 20. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
21. 21. Tangerine
22. 22. Going to California
23. 23. Since I’ve Been Loving You
24. 24. D’yer Mak’er
25. 25. Gallows Pole
26. 26. Custard Pie
27. 27. Misty Mountain Hop
28. 28. Rock and Roll
29. 29. The Rain Song
30. 30. Stairway to Heaven
31. 31. Kashmir
32. 32. Trampled Under Foot
33. 33. For Your Life
34. 34. No Quarter
35. 35. Dancing Days
36. 36. When the Levee Breaks
37. 37. Achilles’ Last Stand
38. 38. The Song Remains the Same
39. 39. Ten Years Gone
40. 40. In My Time of Dying
41. 41. In the Evening
42. 42. Candy Store Rock
43. 43. The Ocean
44. 44. Ozone Baby
45. 45. Houses of the Holy
46. 46. Wearing and Tearing
47. 47. Poor Tom
48. 48. Nobody’s Fault But Mine
49. 49. Fool in the Rain
50. 50. In the Light
51. 51. The Wanton Song
52. 52. Moby Dick/Bonzo’s Montreux (Unreleased)
53. 53. I’m Gonna Crawl
54. 54. All My Love

Led Zeppelin IV (1971)Led ZeppelinMothership (2007)Led ZeppelinEarly Days: The Best of Led Zeppelin Volume One (1999)Led ZeppelinLed Zeppelin x Led Zeppelin (2018)Led ZeppelinLed Zeppelin IV (Deluxe Edition) (2014)Led ZeppelinExpand CreditsProducerJimmy PageWritersKansas Joe McCoy, John Paul Jones, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Bonham & Memphis MinnieEngineerAndy JohnsMixing EngineerAndy Johns & George ChkiantzHarmonicaRobert PlantLead VocalsRobert PlantBackground VocalsRobert PlantAcoustic GuitarJimmy PageElectric GuitarJimmy PageBassJohn Paul JonesDrumsJohn BonhamRecorded AtHeadley Grange in Hampshire, EnglandReleased onNovember 8, 1971Songs That Sample When the Levee BreaksREQUIEM POUR MELODY by Don Droogie, Eminem - Arose (Traduzione Italiana) by Genius Traduzioni Italiane, R/makinghiphop Cypher Vol. 16 (2021) ENTRY by DOM_of_DnD, Arose by Eminem, Pearl by Chapterhouse, A Year and a Day by Beastie Boys, Adolescence by Backxwash, 24, Akácfa utca by O Triunfo dos Acéfalos, Skool Dance by Noah Nolastname, Don't Hurt Yourself (Homecoming Live) by Beyoncé, The Beast Named October by MC Zappa, Je cours by Kyo, Deadwood by Garbage, Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover by Sophie B. Hawkins, Return to Innocence by Enigma, She's the Sun by Scooter, Never Let Me Down Again by Depeche Mode, Don't Worry Bout the Fuck I'm Doing by Neggy Gemmy, Reach Out by Crystal Lewis, Here's Looking At You by Teena Marie, 1:0 für Babylon by Beginner, Quorum by Fabri Fibra, Tame Cab by Kevin Abstract, Taking Control by Aphex Twin, Army of Me by Björk, Trout by Neneh Cherry (Ft. Michael Stipe), Lyrical Gangbang by Dr. Dre (Ft. Kurupt, The Lady of Rage & RBX), Battle Without Honor or Humanity by 布袋寅泰 (Tomoyasu Hotei), King Kong by BJ the Chicago Kid, Survival of the Fittest by MC Lyte, Prodigal Son (Original Version) by Kid Rock, Midnight by Ice-T, Don't Hurt Yourself by Beyoncé (Ft. Jack White), Man Next Door by Massive Attack, Rhymin & Stealin by Beastie Boys, la pinata by FerroLad, Untitled by Return To Cornwall, Nikole by Kurious, LIFESTYLE by ¥$, Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign & Lil Wayne, Brucia ancora by Club Dogo (Ft. J-Ax), Not Allowed by TV Girl, LIFESTYLE by Themusicnerdguy, Kim by Eminem, Where Will You Go? (EP version) by Evanescence, DJ Bog by Rap Atack, Jacksontown by McDJ, CAMALEÓNICA by KURZ LANG, Yokohama by PRO8L3M, Rollin by Diana Gordon & Jeden Przykład Fortuny Z Rodzimego Kraju by KazikWhen the Levee Breaks InterpolationsIf It Keeps On Raining (Rough Mix) by Led ZeppelinSongs That Interpolate When the Levee BreaksWhen the Levee Breaks (Alternate UK Mix In Progress) by Led Zeppelin, Tall Cool One by Robert Plant, When The Leevee Breaks by The Oxford Coma & Yes, I Love You by Elio e le Storie TeseWhen the Levee Breaks Is A Cover OfWhen the Levee Breaks by Kansas Joe McCoy & Memphis MinnieWhen the Levee Breaks CoversWhen the Levee Breaks by W.A.S.P., When the Levee Breaks by Crewless, When the Levee Breaks by Zepparella, When the Levee Breaks by Rosetta Stone & When the Levee Breaks (Live from Bridgestone Arena) by NEEDTOBREATHE (Ft. The New Respects & Switchfoot)When the Levee Breaks Live PerformancesWhen the Levee Breaks (Live from Bridgestone Arena) by NEEDTOBREATHE (Ft. The New Respects & Switchfoot)When the Levee Breaks TranslationsLed Zeppelin - When the Levee Breaks (polskie tłumaczenie) by Polskie tłumaczenia GeniusView When the Levee Breaks samplesTagsRockCoverUK RockIn EnglishPsychedelic RockUKHard RockBlues RockExpand CommentsAdd a commentSign Up And Drop Knowledge 🤓Genius is the ultimate source of music knowledge, created by scholars like you who share facts and insight about the songs and artists they love.Sign Up