Many famous musicians have confessed their love for Led Zeppelin’s Heartbreaker. Steve Vai said that in his early years she had a significant influence on him. And legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen claimed to have developed his unique tapping style by watching Jimmy Page perform the famous solo. The history of the famous song is described below.
The history of creation and the meaning of the song Heartbreaker
All four members of Led Zeppelin are officially credited as the authors of Heartbreaker. The meaning of the song needs no explanation. The local heartbreaker returned to the city, having abandoned the main character in the past, because of which he indulged in not the most pleasant memories. Is Heartbreaker dedicated to a real girl? We do not have such information.
Led Zeppelin recorded Heartbreaker at A&R Studios in New York with sound engineer Eddie Kramer.
Jimmy Page told how the famous guitar solo was born:
Solo came to my mind somehow by accident. I always tried to record something different or something that no one had thought of before. It’s interesting that the guitar solo was recorded after we had already finished Heartbreaker – it was an afterthought. The whole passage was recorded in another studio and it was inserted in the middle. If you notice, the sound of the guitar is completely different.
Guitar World 1998
Release and achievements
The song opens the second side of Led Zeppelin II, released October 22, 1969. It was not released as a single.
In the early seventies, the band often opened concerts with the song Heartbreaker, and later Led Zeppelin often performed it as an encore. The last time the team played with a full squad was on June 29, 1980 in Zurich.
After the death of John Bonham, Led Zeppelin played it in 1988 at a concert in Madison Square Garden. The drums were performed by Jason Bonham, the son of a former band member.
Interesting Facts
- Page has said that Heartbreaker was the first recording on which he used a combination of Gibson Les Paul and Marshall Stack guitars.
- In concert, Page often improvised with the famous solo and sometimes even included excerpts from the folk song “Greensleeves” or even Johann Bach’s Bourree in E minor.
- The break from Heartbreaker is one of the greatest guitar solos of all time by Guitar World.
- Radio stations often play Living Loving Maid (She’s Just a Woman) after Heartbreaker, they are so similar thematically that they almost form a single composition.
- The rock band Nirvana occasionally covered Heartbreaker. It can be found on the compilation Sliver: the Best of the Box from the With the Lights Out box set.
- In the film The Song Remains the Same, a live version of the song is heard.
- The track is included in the list of five hundred greatest songs compiled by Rolling Stone magazine.
Heartbreaker Led Zeppelin Lyrics
Hey fellas have you heard the news?
You know that Annie’s back in town?
It won’t take long just watch and see
How the fellas lay their money down
Her style is new but the face is the same
As it was so long ago
But from her eyes a different smile
Like that of one who knows
Well it’s been ten years and maybe more
Since I first set eyes on you
The best years of my life gone by
Here I am alone and blue
Some people cry and some people die
By the wicked ways of love
But I’ll just keep on rollin’ along
With the grace of the Lord above
People talkin’ all around
’bout the way you left me flat
I don’t care what the people say
I know where their jive is at
One thing I do have on my mind
If you can clarify please do
It’s the way you call me by another guy’s name
When I try to make love to you, yeah
I try to make love but it ain’t no use
Give it to me, give it
Work so hard I couldn’t unwind
Get some money saved
Abuse my love a thousand times
However hard I tried
Heartbreaker, your time has come
Can’t take your evil way
go away heartbreaker
heartbreaker
heartbreaker
Heartbreaker Led Zeppelin Lyrics
Hey guys, have you heard the news?
Do you know that Annie is back in town?
Look here, very soon
Guys start to spread money
She has a new style, but the nature is the same,
What was a long time ago
And in her eyes another smile
Like she knows something
It’s been ten years or more
Since I laid eyes on you
The best years of life behind
And now I’m lonely and sad
Some are crying, some are dying
Walking the crooked paths of love
And I, by the grace of God,
I will continue to go with the flow
People everywhere talk about
How did you make a fool of me
I don’t care what they say
I know what they talk about
But that’s what I think about all the time
Maybe you can clarify
So it’s about you calling me by another name
When I we try to make love
I try but it’s all in vain
Come on, come on
I work so hard I can’t relax
Saved up some money
And you rejected my love a thousand times
No matter how hard I try
Torturer, your time has come
I can’t stand it
Go away, tormentor
Tormentress
Tormentress
Quotes about the song Heartbreaker
One of the greatest riffs in rock.
Rick Rubin
I think I got the idea for tapping while watching Jimmy Page play the Heartbreaker solo back in 1971. He was pulling an open string, and I thought, “Wait a minute… Open string… Draw… I can do that, but what if I use my finger as a fret and move it?”
Eddie Van Halen
She had a huge influence on me when I was young. She was cocky, self-confident and more nervous than hell itself.
Steve Vai
