The title does not appear in the lyrics, and has nothing to do with the song itself. The band worked up the song at Headley Grange, a mansion in Hampshire, England that is out in the country, surrounded by woods. A nameless black Labrador retriever would wander the grounds, and the band would feed it. When they needed a name for this track, which didn't have an obvious title, they thought of the canine and went with "Black Dog."
Zeppelin bass player John Paul Jones got the idea for this song after hearing Muddy Waters' 1968 album Electric Mud. He wanted to try "electric blues with a rolling bass part," and "a riff that would be like a linear journey." Jones rarely had completed songs together, but the bits and pieces he brought to Led Zeppelin's writing sessions proved worthy. When they started putting the album together, Jones introduced this riff, the song started to form. The first version Jones played was comically complex.
"It was originally all in 3/16 time, but no one could keep up with that," he said. When the mobile recording studio (owned by The Rolling Stones) showed up at the mansion, this song was ready to go and recorded there.
Lyrics
Hey, hey, mama, said the way you move Gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove Ah, ah, child, way you shake that thing Gonna make you burn, gonna make you sting Hey, hey, baby, when you walk that way Watch your honey drip, I can't keep away Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh, oh, oh Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh, oh, oh I gotta roll, can't stand still Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill Eyes that shine burning red Dreams of you all through my head Ah-ah, ah-ah Ah-ah, ah-ah Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah Hey, baby, oh, baby, pretty baby Tell me would you do me now Hey, baby, oh, baby, pretty baby Move me while you groove me now Take too long 'fore I found out What people mean by down and out Spent my money, took my car Started telling her friend she' gon' be a star I don't know, but I've been told A big-legged woman ain't got no soul Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh, oh, oh Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh, oh, oh All I ask for, all I pray Steady rolling woman gonna come my way Need a woman gonna hold my hand Won't tell me no lies, make me a happy man Ah-ah, ah-ah Ah-ah, ah-ah Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah Hey baby, pretty baby, oh baby Hey baby, pretty baby, oh baby Hey baby, pretty baby, oh baby
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