The Inspiration for Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song”: An Icelandic Concert

Led Zeppelin’s songs are replete with mystical and poignant allusions; however, when Robert Plant sang in “Immigrant Song” about his origins in the land of ice and snow, he meant it in its literal sense.

“Immigrant Song” was the sole single from Led Zeppelin’s 1970 album, Led Zeppelin III. On June 22, 1970, the band performed at Laugardalshol, a venue in Reykjavik, Iceland, for the first and only time, several months before the album’s October release.

Summer weather is typically associated with June in the Northern Hemisphere, but Iceland, as one might expect, never experiences temperatures that high. The average temperature was presumably around 50 degrees Fahrenheit during the time of year that Led Zeppelin visited.

Vikings, Hot Springs, and the Midnight Sun

The environs, as well as the history of exploratory Vikings, served as an immediate source of lyrical inspiration for Plant. Iceland is characterised by the presence of numerous geothermal pools and hot springs, and the region enjoys nearly 24 hours of daylight per day from May–August. Alternatively, the “midnight sun” is referenced in the lyrics of Plant.

Plant later recollected to author Chris Welch for the book Led Zeppelin, “We were not being pompous.” “We did indeed originate from the land of ice and snow.” We were invited by the Icelandic Government to participate in a cultural mission. The day before we were scheduled to perform a concert in Reykjavik, the civil servants went on strike, and the event was called off. The concert hall that the university had prepared for us was truly remarkable. The children responded in an extraordinary manner, and we all had a wonderful time. ‘Immigrant Song’ was the opening track on the album and was intended to be immensely unique, as it was about that trip.

Based on Jimmy Page’s account, it would seem that the guitarist had his portion, which consisted of an extraordinary, grinding riff, roughly figured out by the time Plant composed the lyrics. As the band was preparing for Led Zeppelin III, Page was aware that they were on to something with the potential for success.

“I had ‘Immigrant Song,’ ‘Out on the Tiles,’ and ‘Friends’ during the initial stages of rehearsal, when it was just John Bonham and myself,” he stated to Total Guitar in 2020 (via MusicRadar). “The yin and yang of the piece is immediately apparent when you mention ‘Friends’ and ‘Immigrant Song.'” Additionally, there is an abundance of additional material that will be included.

Led Zeppelin performed the song live at the Bath Festival in England on June 28, 1970, just six days after their performance in Iceland, well before it was officially released. In November of the same year, it was released as a single and reached No. 16 in the United States.

Plant has performed in Reykjavik three times as a solo artist since the dissolution of Led Zeppelin. He performed twice in 2005, a few days apart, and once on June 23, 2019. At the most recent performance, Plant performed the song in Iceland for the first time in nearly 50 years, since the 1970 concert.

The Most Outstanding Track from Each Led Zeppelin Album

Selecting the most exceptional song is a challenging task, as numerous of their albums are cohesive and contain numerous timeless compositions.