Bron-y-aur Stomp

Album: Led Zeppelin III (1970)
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  • Ah caught you smiling at me
    That's the way it should be
    Like a leaf is to a tree, so fine
    Ah all the good times we had
    I sang love songs so glad
    Always smiling, never sad, so fine

    *As we walk down the country lanes
    I'll be singing a song
    Hear me calling your name
    Hear the wind within the trees,
    Telling Mother Nature 'bout you and me

    Well if the sunshine's so bright
    Or on our way it's darkest night
    The road we choose is always right, so fine
    Ah can your love be so strong
    When so many loves go wrong
    Will our love go on and on and on and on and on and on?

    * Chorus

    My, my la de la come on now it ain't too far
    Tell your friends all around the world
    Ain't no companion like a blue eyed merle
    Come on now well let me tell you
    What you're missing, missing, 'round them brick walls
    So of one thing I am sure
    It's a friendship so pure
    Angels singing all around
    My dog is so fine
    Yeah, ain't but one thing to do
    Spend my nat'ral life with you
    You're the finest dog I knew, so fine
    When you're old and your eyes are dim
    There ain't no old Shep gonna happen again
    We'll still go walking down country lanes
    I'll sing the same old songs
    Hear me call your name Writer/s: Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Robert Plant
    Publisher: Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 67

  • Dr. K from AtlantaKevin from LA is right about the Old Shep lyric referring to a song about a dog named Shep. He leaves out that at the end of that song, Old Shep has to be put down (shot). That's why Plant sings "When you're old and your eyes are dim, ain't no old Shep gonna happen again." Thus, pledging to his dog that he would never put her down in her old age.
  • Kevin from Los AngelesThe mention of old shep in the lyrics is a reference to the song "Old Shep" written about his dog and recorded by Red Foley in 1935. It became a country standard and was a big hit in England in 1959 by Clinton Ford, hence Plant's awareness of it. It was the song Elvis Presley sang in a county fair competition in 1945 in Tupelo, MS. He won fifth place. He was ten years old.
  • John from MassachusettsMandy from Calgary: Daniel from La. is right; before this song during the absolutely mind-blowing Led Zeppelin show from March 16, 1973 in Vienna, Robert Plant pronounces it something like "bron-a-RI-ar." But then again, on the recording of the famous Zeppelin show from Los Angeles 9/4/70, he pronounces it similar to "bron-RAR" before Jimmy Page's gorgeous (and seldom-played) rendition of "Bron-Yr-Aur" - not the same song, I know, but they both most definitely refer to the same place. So....I guess it's either/or!!!!!
  • Sam’s Guitar from Boston Ma Anyone know the jazz standard or song they used for one of the interludes ... it’s the right time and the right place ... with you
  • Pedro from PortugalThis gem makes me think how so much people don't like Led Zeppelin because they are a "heavy metal" band. And don't even listen :-o
    Led have so many different styles. Even acoustic songs. Sure, some are "hard" but others are just Rock songs. And they have gem s like this one and more. Blues songs also.
  • Therese from Ohio, UsaThis song makes me so happy.
  • Manuel from Karlsruhe, GermanyOh, soory Glen from Bristol. You were the first.
    BUT: In 'Babe' actually Border Collies herded them shep... ;)
  • Manuel from Karlsruhe, GermanyHi. An 'Old Shep' might be an aged Australian Shepherd, or some other Sheepdog.
    There are often blue eyed ones and there are also colours of the fur that are called 'Blue Merle' or 'Red Merle'...
    I guess this helps
    By the Way: Please don't get yourselves an Aussie for the fan-thing!
    Greetings Manu.
  • Chloe from St. Louis, MoI have this fantastic live version, and at the end Plant yells "STRIDER!" and I never knew what he was saying until now....ahahaha that's fantastic, that he wrote it for his dog.
  • Bobby from Grand Rapids, MiThere ain't nothin better than a good dog. Takin a walk with your dog out in the country down and old trail, My good dog was a rotwieler. He loved the woods the beach and ridin in the truck.
  • David from Los Angeles , CaEddie and Steven, if this is your favorite song, I suggest you listen to Jennings Farm Blues by Led Zeppelin (if you haven't heard it). It's pretty much a heavier version of Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp. I suggest any Led Zeppelin who really likes this song should listen to Jennings Farm Blues (if you haven't heard it already).
  • Zane from Indianapolis, InSomeone mentioned Bert Jansch was the original writer of the song. Not entirely true in my opinion. I believe it is actually an old traditional tune, so Bert Jansch did not "come up" with the tune and riff, although I'm sure he along with Zeppelin modified it to their liking.
  • Scott from Perth, AustraliaThis song's title was mistakenly misspelt by the creators of the album cover. It was supposed to be spelt Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp but the 'r' was left out. The band decided to leave it how it was. It is spelt correctly on the Led Zeppelin DVD's back cover.
  • Zubin from Mumbai, Indiai really feel i should have been born in the 30's or 40's so that i could witness all the gr8 music,the gr8 football of that time i really wish i was born earlier
    @tadi u just said it best buddy
  • Eddie from West Chester, PaFINALLY,, FANS OF THIS SONG !!...THIS IS ONE OF MY CLASSIC FAVORITES FROM ZEPPELIN.......LOVE THE WORDS AND THE GROOVE.... SUCH A FUN SONG...ESPECIALLY THAT "STOMP" FROM BONZO...MAN HE COULD BEAT ON THAT DRUM...
  • Tadi from Mitrovica, Alwhy i wasn't born in the middle of 20th century???? i hate the fact that i live in 21th century. i love led zeppelin acoustic songs. i love jimmy's acoustic guitar. led zeppelin is the best. definitly they are the best.
  • Glen from Bristol, RiBron-y-aur-stomp, great song...have been singing it for years. The whole III album never got the attention and airtime it deserved, highly underrated. I am glad I found this site because I never understood what a blue-eyed merle was or what Plante was referring to. What love and loyalty to write a song about the affection he felt for his dog. So I had to research the reference and I found that a blue-eyed merle does in fact refer to an Aussie Shepard (an actual sheep herder, a very smart breed) many of which have either multi-colored beautiful eyes, or vivid blue eyes like Huskies, which is one of the things they are well-known for (and probably the dog that Plante had). There are many different types of Aussie merles, with their distinguishing coat colors and eye variations making them a stand-out breed. An Aussie Shep looks nothing like a German Shep (remember the movie "Babe" where the pig herded sheep...the dogs in that movie were Aussie Sheps). This all makes sense now after 30 damn years of wondering why he had the word "Shep" in the song! Anyway...my second favorite song on III is "Friends" very haunting, deep, and instrumental...the string section combined with the synth makes it sound both eerie and psychodelic at the same time. The mix of acoustic and electrics was genius...to this day, Page still ranks in my book as the best in a very small group of irreplacable guitarists.
  • Steven from Chesapeake, Vaone of my favorite songs by the greatest band in the world in my opinion long live their music
  • Brian from Brantford, CanadaMy friend and guitarist for my band can play this perfectly. I've managed to learn a simplified version because I love it so much. Its very catchy and also amazing because, nowadays, a metal band or even a rock band would laugh at the music that is bluegrass.
  • Tim Boyd from Sydney, AustraliaMy favorite acoustic led zeppelin. It is so catchy.
  • Brandon from Renton, Wathis song is actually a tribute to robert plants favorite dog "strider"
    if u dont belive me look in the book "Hammer of the Gods"
    thats where i got it
  • Stan from Hop Bottom , PaDont this song just makes you want to groove!
  • Bevin from Clackaclacka, AustraliaHELLO FELLOW SHIPMATES. WOULD YOU KNOW MY NAME, IF I SAW YOU WITH BEVIN!!!!! WOULD YOU PLAY MY GAME IF I SAW YOU IN HEAVEN WITH BEVIN???!?!?!?1
  • Rob from Saint John Nb, CanadaIf you want to get peolple moving, this is the song. Who else has such diverse songs and didn't need a "Greatest Hits" album. This is still the best band in the world.
  • Carolyn from Kanata, Canadathis song is so awesome! whenever i listen to it it makes me so happy and i smile and dance! along with most other led zeppelin songs.. lmao!! mia/shannon/ if youre reading this,, HI!! MIA HOOK UP WITH LARE-BEAR! lmfao
  • Mandy from CalgaryMan this is one of my favourite Led Zeppelin songs but I can't tell any one because I don't know how to pronounce it. xD

    Oh well, I'll learn eventually.

    Great song.
  • John from Monvtille, NjThis song is actually better in the live version, off "How the West Was Won." I love this song, since it's about a dog. And I love dogs. I also love Led Zeppelin. :)
  • Elliott from Manchester, EnglandGood tune to drink to.
  • Ed from Ottawa, CanadaI think that live performances placed this song after songs like Going to California and Thats The Way in order to draw the fans back into the rock and roll feel after the acoustic session.
  • Tin Ear from Fullerton, CaYet again this is a song that was not entirely original and once again it was originally by Bert Jansch called "the Wagonners Lad". The other song Jimmy took from him is Black water side which turned into black mountain side.
  • Mark from Abergavenny, WalesIt's not pronounced "Bron-rar" - Bron err ire would be closer
  • Chia from -, Germanyhi, the dog might even be shown on the DVD "the song remains the same" in the family sceene at the creek, I suppose
  • Xavier from Pune, India'Strider' is such a wonderful name for a dog!! So fascinating!! I'm currently reading a lot of Tolkien, so i'm in that mood right now... Take a bit of Tolkien, and mix it with a bit of Led Zeppelin, and u get a perfect mix of Magic and Music!! Wow! I dont need heaven, if i have these two things....
  • Gloria from Thames Ditton, United StatesA blue merle dog is mostly bluish grey with black spots and often has blue eyes. I think one won Crufts this year [2006].
    Rock n'Roll!

  • David from Orlando, FlGood song, even better on "HTWWW", where Jones' bass is really thumping.
  • Chris from Hampshire, EnglandAll of you, ALL OF YOU! download the unreleased version "Jennings Farm Blues" from somewhere. Its great :)
  • John from Kalgoorlie, AustraliaOh, that's why Robert Plant sings, "We'll still go walking down Country Lane...," it's about a dog. Ruff, ruff.
  • Jeanette from Irvine, Caoh the self titled one! thats the one i'm getting for christmas! so that means its like how the west was one? YES!
  • Matt from Miltown, Withis song has a nice beat to it, and i like it when Robert Plant yells "STRIDER!" in the live versions. Plant is here making reference to his dog, Strider.
  • Geoff from Calgary, CanadaIn fact i hate to correct the facts but they don't have a DVD called How the West Was Won. It is in fact which many of you know a live 3 CD version of them. The two dvd's they have are TSRTS and the self titled one. (Just a side note i always have wished they had recorded how the west was won live as video) oh well its still awesome.
    great song as well
  • Pete from Oak Park, Ilyeah i really like the live version of this song
  • Theseus from Seattle, WaKyle - in the studio JPJ plays mandolin on one track and then the bass on a second track. I have seen live sets where JPJ plays the mandolin and the bass lines on an organ foot pedal. Yeah, it is damn cool!
  • Kyle from Naperville, IlIf jpj played the mandolin, then who played the bass?
  • Stefanie Magura from Rock Hill, ScThe beat is pretty awesome, isn't it?
  • Jeanette from Irvine, Caokay the live version on "how the west was won" has got an AWESOME beat! even better than the studio recording which was good too! so if you haven't heard it on how the west was won you haven't heard it yet!
  • Justin from Long Island, NyThe original title of the song was "Bron-yr-aur-stomp" but when released on Atlantic Records a typo had occured and had already went into print, therefore staying as "Bron-y-aur stomp". The song was infact named after Bron-yr-aur where they had stayed to record Led Zeppelin III.
  • Jeanette from Irvine, CaI liked this song but I like it even more now that I know it's about Plant's dog... that's so cute. Wish I knew how to write an awesome song for my dog.
  • Shannon from Hillibilly, CanadaHe might have been inspired by his dog, and the overall meaning of the song might be about the friendship between you and your pet. But that doesn't mean every line has to relate to his dog, rarely are Led Zeppelin songs about a single object or idea.
  • Mike from Alpharetta, GaEvery time i hear this song I wanna dance. I think Plant was inspired to name his dog Strider because he like Lord of the Rings.I didn't know there was a How the West Was Won DVD.I always wished there was because its unbelievable.I'll have to find.
  • Priscilla from Lonelytown, TnThis is a good song to dance around a campfire to while roasting marshmallows. You know you at least have to tap your foot.
  • Danielle from Swanton, OhThis is a great song. Its definitely underrated, like most of the third album, but I love it!
  • R from Kc, Mo"Bron YR Aur" is grammatically correct; in Welsh, "yr" is used before (most) vowels and "y" is used before (most) consonants.
  • Morgan from Newcastle, EnglandPaulo, although merle is a blackbird i believe in this song it refers to dogs as merle is a coat coulour in dogs - the kind of blueish sheen you get with some dogs. hence "ain't no companion like a blue-eyed merle"
  • Chris from Kalamazoo, Mi"Old Shep" also refers to a song that Elvis Presley recorded in the fifties. Led Zeppelin were avid Elvis fans. Lisening to that song will help you understand (Kinda like "Ole Yeller")
  • William from Balaklava, EuropeHello, just reading here, everyone seems to not understand the "Ol' Shep" reference. My mother tells me of an old famous song called Ol' Shep which is about the same as Bron-Y-Aur Stomp. It's about the companionship between a man and his dog. Plant is saying that when Stryder is old he won't turn his back on him for a new song with a new dog.
  • Cody from San Antonio, TxIs there a reason that the title of this song is spelled differently than Bron-Yr-Aur? Or is it just a typo like South Bound Saurez?
  • George from No. Hampton, Nhpretty cool picking, page pretty much blows me away...
  • Matt from Trenton, Canada"Old Shep" was the name of a dog ran over by a train in 1942 in Montana, they put up a statue commemerating his loyalty.
  • Austin from Charlotte, Nci like this song better live. it just kinda has a different sound to it.
  • Vana from Vbay, United Statesthis sng rocks. it my fave.

    i thought jonesy played cello....???
  • Janelle from New York City, Nycool that robert wrote the song after his dog
  • Ac from Winnipeg, CanadaAmazing song...one of my favorites...makes me so happy, but as with many Zep songs a little sad too. Ya, I didnt know it was about a dog either, I thought at first it was a love song and then I thought it was about friends. It is kinda weird that he would write "can your love be so strong when so many loves go wrong" about his dog..like when does love between a dog and owner go wrong? And what does that old shep line refer to...I have been wondering that as well, Paulo. His dog was a german shepard or something and he is saying he wont replace him with another. Actually I understand that love line now...he is saying so many loves go wrong but perhaps the love we feel for our pets and the love they feel for us.
    Awwwww...I love Plant.
  • Paulo from New York, NyExcellent song. Never knew this was about a dog or that a "merle" is a blackbird. Makes me like the song even more.

    Anyway, re: the lyric "When you're old and your eyes are dim, there ain't no old Shep gonna happen again." I always thought that was "ain't no old s--t gonna happen again." What does "Old Shep" refer to anyway?
  • Adrian from Wilmington, DeBonzo harmonizes to this pretty well on the "How the West Was Won" DVD
  • Tom from Trowbridge, EnglandLike Trampled Underfoot, this is a song that you can shake your booty to.
  • Brian from Paoli, InThis is a pretty cool song, has a nice beat to it.
  • Daniel from Kenner, LaHi. Phonetically the title sounds (obviously not talking about the word "Stomp") it sounds like "bronariar".
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