Song of the Day: Since I’ve Been Loving You (by Led Zeppelin)

To say that I’m a huge fan of Led Zeppelin would be an understatement. They’re the band that combines both my love for hard rock and, ultimately, an even bigger love for that most American of musical style, the blues.

Led Zeppelin have always been rooted in their blues foundation. They’ve been an integral part of the British rock invasion to the US that was steeped heavily in blues rock. With classic blues heavily influencing their sound, Led Zeppelin would take the US by storm starting in 1968 and would continue to do so until the band’s dissolution in 1980 soon after John Bonham’s untimely death.

It’s a song from their third album that, for me, epitomizes Led Zeppelin’s early days. These were the years when they reigned as the blues rock kings of the rock world. They would later experiment and try new sounds with their later albums as the band began to branch out into new, diversified musical styles. Yet, for me, the band will always be that blues rock band from London, England who were the first supergroup.

“Since I’ve Been Loving You” is straight up blues and Robert Plant sings it with such emotional intensity that anyone hearing the song for the first time could easily mistake him and the band as one of the classic American blues bands. The song also makes the latest “Song of the Day” not just because it’s one of my favorites but also because of Jimmy Page once again demonstrating why he’s one of the best rock guitarists.

It’s not often a song starts off with a guitar solo, but this one does and Page does so in a slow, blues tempo that would segue into Robert Plant’s vocals. The second guitar solo arrives after the song’s second verse and would have a more blues rock sound to it, but no less impressive.

Since I’ve Been Loving You

(guitar solo)

Working from seven to eleven every night,
It really makes life a drag, I don’t think that’s right.
I’ve really been the best, the best of fools, I did what I could. (Yeah)
‘Cause I love you, baby, How I love you, darling, How I love you, baby,
My beloved little girl, little girl.
But baby, Since I’ve Been Loving You (yeah). I’m about to lose my worried mind, oh, yeah.

Everybody trying to tell me that you didn’t mean me no good.
I’ve been trying, Lord, let me tell you, Let me tell you I really did the best I could.
I’ve been working from seven to eleven every night, I said It kinda makes my life a drag
Lord, that ain’t right…
Since I’ve Been Loving You, I’m about to lose my worried mind. (Watch out!)

(guitar solo)

Said I’ve been crying, yeah. Oh, my tears they fell like rain,
Don’t you hear them, Don’t you hear them falling?
Don’t you hear, Don’t you hear them falling?

Do you remember mama, when I knocked upon your door?
I said you had the nerve to tell me you didn’t want me no more, yeah
I open my front door, hear my back door slam,
You know, I must have one of them new fangled, new fangled back door man.

I’ve been working from seven, seven, seven, to eleven every night, It kinda makes my life a drag…
Baby, Since I’ve Been Loving You, I’m about to lose, I’m about to lose, lose my worried mind.

Just one more, just one more, oooh, yeah,
Since I’ve been loving you, I’m gonna lose my worried mind.

Great Guitar Solos Series