Rock 'n' Roll Rabbit Hole

’Stairway to Heaven’: Do the Lyrics to the Led Zeppelin Classic Really Mean Anything?

In this final episode of Season 2, Butch and Kevin dig into the song that is considered by many the greatest rock song ever recorded. What we specifically take a look at are the almost dream-like lyrics and whether or not they are filled with important symbolism or just words Robert Plant created to fit the music.

• The beer of the week was supposed to be Founder's Centennial IPA, but then Butch busted out Korbel champagne to celebrate our one-year anniversary. Cheers!
• Plant himself even said he can interpret the song's lyrics in different ways at different times.
• The song seems to change points of view multiple times.
• Plant also was highly influenced by the writing of J.R.R. Tolkein, which could explain some of the imagery, such as "rings of smoke through the trees."
• Taken on their own, many of the lyrics seem to resemble a cross between Spinal Tap lyrics and Monty Python quotes. And yet, there's something more ...
• Here is a thorough breakdown of the lyric: https://extrachill.com/led-zeppelin-stairway-to-heaven-meaning
• Here is Dread Zeppelin’s wonderful reggae-drenched version of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7DqjyNGHJU

’American Idiot’: Green Day’s Protest Hit That Almost Never Was

On this episode, the penultimate episode of Season 2, Butch and Kevin take on Green Day's protest hit, "American Idiot." It was a Top 10 hit in many countries, such as the U.K., Canada, Australia, Scotland and New Zealand, although -- despite its general popularity in the U.S. -- it only reached 61 on the Billboard Hot 100. Front man Billie Joe Armstrong write "American Idiot" as a response to his frustration over the national news media manipulating the public. A few points that were hit:

• The Beer of the Week was Sierra Nevada (hey, California band, California beer).
• The band members had been off doing their own thing, giving producer Rob Cavallo doubts about how the chemistry would be when they came into the studio to create the album American Idiot.
• The band had recorded a follow up to their 2000 album Warning, but near the end of mixing, the master tapes mysteriously disappeared. Rather than start over, they decided to go in a totally different direction.
• The album was to be titled Cigarettes & Valentines, and only two songs that were scheduled to be on the album have been heard by the public. Links to the two songs are below.
• "Cigarettes & Valentines"
• "Too Much Too Soon"
• And here's "Weird" Al Yankovic's send-up of "American Idiot," the legendary "Canadian Idiot."

 

’We’re Not Gonna Take It’: Twisted Sister’s Evergreen Anthem

Nearly 40 years ago, a rock anthem hit the airwaves -- and perhaps most importantly, MTV -- in the form of Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It." The campy, fun video and the singalong chants made it an instant hit. Kevin and Butch go down the Rock 'n' Roll Rabbit Hole on this timeless classic that remains evergreen after all this time. A few show notes:

• This episode's so-called Beer of the Week is Mr. American IPA, made with plenty of Cascade hops, from Louisville brewery Noble Funk Brewing Co.
• The song resembles, in melody and structure, a well known Christmas classic. In fact, Twisted Sister recorded their own version, which you can experience here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV-SpT69IZ8&t=1s 
• The drumbeat is unmistakable.
• Tipper Gore and the Parents Music Resource Center tried to censor the song, and was read the riot act by front man Dee Snider before Congress.
• Snider would end up recording an acoustic version of the song to help promote a cancer research charity, which you can experience here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7ya4UJTeZ4 
• The '80s anthem somehow only reached 21 on the Billboard Top 40, yet it remains an enduring hit.

’Down Under’: Men at Work’s Quirky Australian Hit with a Sad Ending

In 1982, Men at Work came from nowhere -- OK, actually from Australia -- to take the world by storm with their hits "Who Can it be Now?" and "Down Under," the latter of which is the story of a man's travels and the odd characters he meets along the way. Butch and Kevin dig into the song, its meaning, and some of the cultural revelations contained within, not to mention a sad twist that came years later. A few talking points:

• The Beer of the Week is, of course, Foster's, the beer that originated in Australia and rose on its ad campaign of, "Foster's: Australian for Beer." (It's brewed elsewhere today.)
• Butch busts out the Vegemite for an on-air, first-time tasting. The responses were a bit surprising.
• The original version of "Down Under" was essentially a throwaway B-side and much different sounding than the hit version.
• "Down Under" shares similarities with the Bruce Springsteen hit "Born in the U.S.A."

 

’God Save the Queen’: Were Johnny Rotten and the Sex Pistols Just Joking Around?

Season 2 of Rock 'n' Roll Rabbit Hole marches on with a dive into "God Save the Queen," the seminal punk rock classic by the Sex Pistols that whipped much of jolly old England into a frenzy in 1977. Butch and Kevin talk about a lot of different perspectives on the song and how it was received, in both positive ways and negative. A few show points:

• Our Beer of the Week is Carlsberg, probably the best beer in the world. Probably.
• Yes, this episode is in observance to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in September.
• Was this song kept out of the No. 1 spot on the charts (in favor or Rod Stewart, to make matters worse) through conspiracy as part of a backlash?
• The band insisted it wasn't a direct attack on the queen but rather a tribute to the working class.
• 1983 SCTV satirical take on the song by the fictional band the Queenhaters is gold. It featured Martin Short (lead vocals), Eugene Levy (lead guitar), and John Candy (drums), among others, performing a song titled "I Hate the Bloody Queen." Here's the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJU5x67Sz1o