The Battle of Evermore w/Fairport Convention & Robert Plant

This is the only song Zeppelin ever recorded with a guest vocalist. Robert Plant felt he needed another voice to tell the story that plays out in the song, so Sandy Denny from Fairport Convention was brought in. Her vocals represent the people as the town crier, while Plant’s voice is the narrator. Fairport Convention was a British folk group Zeppelin shared a bill with in 1970. This one collaboration with Sandy Denny marked the first time Robert Plant did a duet with a woman. To thank her for her involvement, Denny was given the symbol on the album sleeve of three pyramids (the four members of Led Zeppelin each chose their own symbols for the album).

In later years, he had tremendous success singing with Alison Krauss; their 2007 album Raising Sand won a Grammy award for Album of the Year.

Sandra Denny died in 1978. This video is from 2008.

Robert Plant:
The Queen of Light took her bow
And then she turned to go
The Prince of Peace embraced the gloom
And walked the night alone

Sandy Denny:
Oh, dance in the dark of night
Sing to the morning light

Robert Plant:
The dark Lord rides in force tonight
And time will tell us all

Sandy Denny:
Oh, throw down your plow and hoe
Rest not to lock your homes

Robert Plant:
Side by side we wait the might
Of the darkest of them all

I hear the horses’ thunder
Down in the valley below
I’m waiting for the angels of Avalon
Waiting for the eastern glow

The apples of the valley hold
The seeds of happiness
The ground is rich from tender care
Repay, do not forget, no, no

Sandy Denny:
Dance in the dark of night
Sing to the morning light

Robert Plant:
The apples turn to brown and black
The tyrant’s face is red

Sandy Denny:
Oh, war is the common cry
Pick up you swords and fly

Robert Plant:
The sky is filled with good and bad
That mortals never know

Oh, well, the night is long
The beads of time pass slow
Tired eyes on the sunrise
Waiting for the eastern glow

The pain of war cannot exceed
The woe of aftermath
The drums will shake the castle wall
The ring wraiths ride in black
Ride on

Sandy Denny:
Sing as you raise your bow
Shoot straighter than before

Robert Plant:
No comfort has the fire at night
That lights the face so cold

Sandy Denny:
Oh dance in the dark of night
Sing to the morning light

Robert Plant:
The magic runes are writ in gold
To bring the balance back
Bring it back

At last the sun is shining
The clouds of blue roll by
With flames from the dragon of darkness
The sunlight blinds his eyes

Bring it back (repeat to fade)