Royal Orleans

Album: Presence (1976)
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Songfacts®:

  • The Royal Orleans was a hotel in New Orleans where the band liked to stay.
  • The song is about a guy who picks up a drag queen and discovers the next morning that this person is a man. Led Zeppelin were known to go to gay bars in New Orleans because they were more fun and they didn't get hassled for autographs.
  • This was released as the B-side of "Candy Store Rock."
  • This was one of the few Zeppelin songs where all four members share the composer credit.

Comments: 17

  • Bubba from NolaI’m in the Royal Orleans right now listening to the song and havin a good laugh innit! The bar makes a nice sazerac!
  • Tangerine from Here Germaine Greer confirmed
  • Seirios from BerlinHammer of the Gods? Is that seriously referenced as a source?? That book is as fact-based as the now defunct Twitter account of that orange-faced Neanderthal.
  • Bobby from IllinoisThis reminds me of The Crunge.
  • Peter Griffin from Quahog, RiAlso, there's nothing wrong with going to gay bars. You don't have to be gay to go there.
  • Bill from Topeka, Ksgreat tune zep at their best even though their always at their best
  • Mark from Worcester, MiWhen introducing "No Quarter" at Knebworth, Plant says something like. "This song features John Paul Jones...some say a man's man...others remember Royal Orleans." LOL. These guys were merciless to each other. Check it out if you get a chance.
  • Chris from Whitesboro, NyI wish they'd played this on the No Quarter tour, it would've sounded great what with the bongos kicking in and the full orchestra.......
  • Justin from Albany, NyThis song was about JPJ and the "bad, bad fire" line is a reference to when the drag queen and JPJ were in the room and they got high and accidentally set the bed on fire.
  • Scott Moore from Boston, MaThe song is about JPJ, although they mention the man with "the bad, bad fire" who kissed whiskers as john bindon a notorious london gangster who was a security guard for them.But jpj is really the subject. I like the song but the bass line which is really cool is buried beneath the guitar.
  • Brian from Corpus Christi, TxYeah, it is mentioned in "Hammer of the Gods" that JPJ brought a drag queen home...
  • Jim from Toledo, OhJames, that might be the dumbest thing I've ever heard.
  • Caitlin from Philadelphia, PaAnother one of John Bonham's simply great songs.
  • James from San Francisco, CaJohn Paul Jones was always the odd man out. Plant didn't like him much. I think I remember JPJ saying that vocals were the least important part of the band, which is why Plant wrote this song about him.
  • Adrian from Wilmington, DeNot sure if this was specifically about John Paul Jones, but as described in Stephen Davis's Zeppelin biography "Hammer of the Gods," Jones did pick up a drag queen during on the American tours and take him back to his room where they got high together and passed out on his bed.
  • Adrian from Wilmington, DeI love the Barry White line
  • Julian from Philadelphia, Pa'Possibly about someone in the band' specifically John Paul Jones.
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