Come With Me by Puff Daddy

Album: Godzilla: The Album (1998)

Charted: 2 4

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Songfacts®:

"Come With Me" is based on Led Zeppelin's 1975 song "Kashmir." It uses the same music, with Puff Daddy rapping over it.
Led Zeppelin fans were horrified when they heard this song, feeling it defiled one of the band's classic songs, but Zep guitarist Jimmy Page was on board with it and played guitar on the track.

The song came about after Puff Daddy was asked to create a song for the 1998 blockbuster movie Godzilla. According to Puff, he heard "Kashmir" in a TV commercial for a Led Zeppelin's greatest hits album, and thought it would be a great song to rework for the movie because it builds in intensity, evoking a monster stomping through the streets.

Led Zeppelin are very protective of their songs, but Puff Daddy was very brazen and asked Jimmy Page not only for permission, but to play the guitar part so he wouldn't have to work around a sample. Surprisingly, Page was all for it.

"I thought that would be great," the English axeman told Uncut magazine. "I'd been into musical fusion since I first listened to music."

Page also helped promote the song; he performed it with Puff Daddy on Saturday Night Live and later at the NetAid benefit concert. "It was interesting to see him to see him do the performances," Page said. "The way he improvised each time was right up my street."
Puff Daddy's lyrics don't have any specific references to the Godzilla movie, but are more a string of disjointed, vaguely menacing phrases. It's an allegory for the film itself, a big-budget production that made money but was roundly panned and quickly forgotten. The film seemed like an attempt to kick off a new franchise in the tradition of Jurassic Park, but nobody was very impressed with it. The song was a fairly big hit, going to #4 in the US, but it didn't have much staying power.
When the song was re-released on Platinum Collection: Greatest Hits, Puff Daddy's obscenities were "censored" with Godzilla's roar.
"Come With Me" showed just how much of a song you could use as source material and get away with it. Puff Daddy tended to use wide swaths of the songs he sampled or interpolated, not just bits and pieces. The previous year, he incorporated huge chunks of "Every Breath You Take" by The Police into "I'll Be Missing You," and he lifted lots of the Diana Ross song "I'm Coming Out" for "Mo Money Mo Problems." "Come With Me" was an even bigger grab, using pretty much the entire "Kashmir" track minus the vocals.
"Come With Me" plays in the closing credits of the movie and anchors the Godzilla soundtrack, which is called Godzilla: The Album. It's the only song on the soundtrack that's used in the film. It's also the only rap song on the album, which also includes a remix of Green Day's "Brain Stew" and a song by Jamiroquai written for the soundtrack called "Deeper Underground." The album went on to sell over a million copies.
There are no samples on this song. It was created with a live orchestra augmented by guitar from Jimmy Page, bass and guitar from Tom Morello, keyboards from Jeffrey Walker and drums from Mario Winans. Puff Daddy is credited as the producer and co-writer (along with Led Zeppelin). The backing track essentially re-creates Zeppelin's "Kashmir."

Tom Morello's appearance on the track is a little odd. Known for his activism and work in the fire-breathing protest music group Rage Against The Machine, he's not a guy you'd expect to contribute to a corporate monstrosity like this. Of course, he did get to work with Jimmy Page, and what guitarist would turn that down?

Rage Against The Machine contributed a song to the soundtrack called "No Shelter" that basically trolls the movie, with lead singer Zack de la Rocha tearing into Hollywood for making senseless movies designed to keep us from thinking about how we're all being manipulated.
When "Come With Me" was released in the summer of 1998, Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant were touring together as Page and Plant. That April, they released an album called Walking Into Clarksdale.

Comments: 18

James Dyson from BristolPuff Daddy was the first act to open Sound Republic in Leicester Square 15th October 1998 and it was filmed live by MTV-UK. Three members of the band Electrasy were called in to mime the song 'come with me'. The guitarist had a banana hanging from his guitar input and the orchestra walked off stage before the song had finished. I'd love to see the footage again if anybody has a link? Thankyou.
Jorge Ramirez from Baldwin Park California Romeo Antonio played that guitar riff!!
Ronald from Liverpool, NyRappers got really brazen around this time, taking pretty much entire songs instead of just a few seconds of a sample.
Hanklove from Charlottesville, VaHey, give p diddy a break. that was a compliment he gave to led zeppelin. I am a musician and songwriter and have three cds under my belt. no i am not a rapper, my mainstream is rock (hard and soft). like I said this was a great compliment for the best band that use to exist on the planet.....lighten up. This is from a musician point of view
Darla from Clio, Nszep song is an all time favorite. Diddy's delivery is mediocre at best. This song was inspired by one of Diddy's long time relationships with a homosexual lover. Found that interesting fact from a gay friend of Diddy's current lover, while attending college. The fact that Diddy is gay helps to understand this song's artistry. Darla
Schweet from Cincinnati, OhThis song blows, but it doesn't affect how i feel for Kashmir.
Daniel from Nashville, TnMusic is just like candy, you throw the rappers away. Rappers have basically now musicianship but how to use a synthesizer. EEVERY single beat they use is "borrowed" because they have no creativity. Rap is one of the roots of problems with society today. " it's cool to sell drugs and kill people, long as i'm gettin that cheese" its cool, cuz all u wannabe gangbangers will be dead or in prison by the time your 30.
Mr.b from Edinburgh, ScotlandI second Godzilla as a guest artist
i dont see whats wrong with this song they both get the crowds goin, and because of this song , i developed a taste for zepplin and better rap artists XD
Billy from Otway, Ohif anyone cares,i think that the censored version should count Godzilla as a guest artist,but only because he roared to "censor" the obscenities.
Jt from Tullahoma, TnWhat? I thought this song rocked! It didn't ruin Kashmir. Hell, Kasmir was kinda weird anyways. I thought the addition rocked ass. I kinda like this remake more than Kashmir and I don't even like rap! So people, stop complaining. If Jimmy Page didn't like the idea, then I don't think we'd have this song. He played it on SNL! That rocked!
Nathan from Defiance, OhZeppelin's Kashmir is forever soiled by the skidmark that is P Diddy. When Diddy came knocking on Jimmy Page's door with this idea, Page should have slammed the door.
Dustin from My Home, InGRRRR how dare he even THINK of DISGRACING the HAMMER OF THE GODS led zeppelins kashmir was never ment to b TORN APART AND DESTROYED by this i was so angry to find out my favorite band was being horibly mutilated by this ?!?!?? this only made me hate rap even more i know any and all zeppelin fans were horrifeid to hear of this .....HOW DARE ANYONE TAMPER WITH JIMMY PAGES WORK ....well im glad i got that out of my system later ....R.I.P bonzo
Mario from Chicago, Iai think he messed up led zeppelins "kashmir" and all the other song he used..."kashmir is still a good song
Gaylynn from Lodi, NjHi Puffy this is the only way I could reach you I was watching your show Borrow my Crew for the first time tonight. Great show. I was having such a bad night when I seen the show it lifted my spirits seeing the gentlemens face after you offered him to do intern in the Summer. Well, I would love to borrow your crew. I am a dedicated mom of an 18 year old soon to go in the Navy and a 5 year old. I feel like I would just love one day of pampering that a celebrity like yourself has the opportunity to enjoy after a hard days work. I've been working since age 13. Now I'm on temporary disability and I just feel so down. Please help me and let me borrow your crew. Love Gaylynn.
Kevin from Sunrise, FlHe was saying to get the song popular, not himself. Buddy.
Shawna from San Diego, Cai'm not a huge fan of diddy or zeppelin, and i love the song kashmir, but p. diddy was already popular by the time he did that, buddy.
Emma from Nt, AustraliaI love this song, its the only rap song i like. but thats ok cos its an old rock song. i think the rap one is easyer to get through though
Nick from Paramus, NjOnce again, Diddy/Daddy uses another band's composition for is own song to get it popular.

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