"Trampled Under Foot" is a song by English rock group Led Zeppelin. A funk-influenced piece with John Paul Jones on clavinet, it was included on their 1975 album Physical Graffiti. The song saw release as a single in several countries and was frequently performed in concert.
Lyrics
The lyrics were inspired by blues musician Robert Johnson's 1936 song "Terraplane Blues". A Terraplane is a classic car, and the song uses car parts as metaphors for sex—"pump your gas", "rev all night", etc. The themes of these songs however differ; "Terraplane Blues" is about infidelity, while "Trampled Under Foot" is about giving in to sexual temptation.
Production
The song evolved out of a jam session in 1972 and is credited to Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones. Much rehearsal went into perfecting the relentless semi-funk riff that dominates this song. John Paul Jones has credited Stevie Wonder with the inspiration for the beat, which he played on a clavinet. Page played wah-wah and, as producer, employed reverse echo on the recording.
Reception
Billboard described "Trampled Under Foot" as "the most commercial single put together in several years" and as having "a powerful staccatto beat."
Brandy & Coke
A rough mix of the track with less overdubbing was titled "'Brandy & Coke' ". It was released on 11 February 2015, as part of the remastering process of all nine albums. The rest of the album was released on 23 February 2015.
Live performances
"Trampled Under Foot" became a standard part of Led Zeppelin concerts from 1975 onwards, being played on every tour until 1980. It was also performed at Led Zeppelin's reunion show at the O2 Arena, London on 10 December 2007. When the song was played live, the band would often extend it with lengthy guitar and keyboard solos, and sometimes Plant would add lyrics from the song "Gallows Pole". Along with "No Quarter", "Trampled Under Foot" showcased Jones' keyboard playing in concert. A version performed the Earls Court Arena in 1975 includes an extended solo by Jones on a Hohner Clavinet D6 is included on the Led Zeppelin DVD. "Trampled Under Foot" was performed in the 2012 LondonOlympics opening ceremony as a part of a selected playlist.
Single release and chart positions
Led Zeppelin did not release any singles in the United Kingdom until 1997, when "Whole Lotta Love" was released 28 years after it was written. There were several pressings made of "Trampled Under Foot" as a single in 1975 in time for the band's Earl's Court concerts, but they were all shelved before being released, and are today highly sought-after collectors items. The song did see a single release in the United States, however, in April 1975, and reached number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100.
