My Sunday Song – “Tall Cool One” by Robert Plant

For My Sunday Song #474, we are talking Robert Plant’s “Tall Cool One”. The song is from his 1988 album ‘Now And Zen’ and was a change in Robert’s perception of his past…more on that in a minute. The song was released some time in April 1988 and saw Robert get a Top 40 hit as it went to #25 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks. What helps makes this song so special is that it brings back Robert’s longtime Led Zeppelin partner, Jimmy Page, on guitar for this song. This might’ve been their fourth collaboration since the band’s breakup. And maybe their most special…up to this point in time.

The song was written by Robert Plant and his keyboardist Phil Johnstone who is in large part key to why this song came about. Robert had been very lackluster about anything to do with his former band Led Zeppelin. He wanted to distance himself from it and be his own person. Phil told him to lighten up about it and embrace that legacy. Maybe working again with Jimmy helped or maybe it was Phil’s encouragement, but Robert did finally lighten up about and as a result we get this really cool rocker “Tall Cool One”. It sounds like he is talking about a woman in the song, but that woman is simply Led Zeppelin. Even the lyrics give a shout out to the past with lines from the songs “When the Levee Breaks” and even “Black Dog”.

If that wasn’t enough, the song is also about Roberts displeasure with sampling at the time. I believe it was The Beastie Boys who sampled a Led Zeppelin song on their album ‘Licensed to Ill”. Robert was none too pleased. At first, Robert thought about sampling some Beastie Boys songs for this one, but instead he sampled his own Led Zeppelin songs such as  “Black Dog”, “Dazed and Confused”, “Whole Lotta Love”,  “The Ocean” and “Custard Pie” which is a much better choice.

The song itself is an upbeat, blast of a rocker. One of the most fun songs he’s ever done as a solo artist, at least to me. There is that classic Plant vocal, that full on 80’s pop/rock sound and all together makes for a blast of a song. I love the spoken word break that adds some more layers to the song and then you get some some Page guitar work, although, he isn’t in the video. There is a tongue in cheek through-out the song which I think takes it to another level and helps make it stick in your brain. At the end he throws all those Led Zeppelin samples and Zeppelin lyrics in to it letting the song go out with a bang!

Give the song a listen and let me know what you think. Is it as fun a song as I think it is? I simply thought it was cool to see him finally embrace his legacy. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a great and Happy Sunday…and remember…Lighten Up!!

“Tall Cool One”

Ooh

I’m like a strange cat runnin’ in the heat of the night
I’ve got a fire in my eyes, got a date with delight
Some kinda moaning in the heart of the storm
I’m gonna love you so hard, you’ll want your loving done
Lighten up, baby, I’m in love with you
Lighten up, baby, I’m in love with you

Uh, with my one hand loose, I aim to satisfy
You like my loving machine, I like your bloodshot eye
Real gone girl, jumping back with the beat
Oh, yeah, I’m your tall cool one with the crazy feet

Lighten up, baby, I’m in love with you
Lighten up, baby, I’m in love with you
Lighten up, baby, I’m in love with you

I’m so tall, and you’re so cute
Let’s play wild like the wildcats do
You’re gonna rock your tall cool one
I’m gonna say that, I’m gonna say that, I’m gonna say that I

You stroll, you jump, you’re hot, and you tease
‘Cause I’m your tall cool one, and I’m built to please
You stroll, you jump, you’re hot, and you tease
‘Cause I’m your tall cool one, and I’m built to please

Ooh, yeah
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, yeah

Oh

No, no, no
Lighten up, baby, I’m in love with you
Lighten up, baby, I’m in love with you
Lighten up, baby, I’m in love with you
Lighten up, baby, I’m in love with you

Move over, mister, step on back in the crowd
Oh, yeah, she’s a whole lotta sister, ’bout to drive ’em wild
Lotta places I’ve been, lotta names, lotta words
No one compares to my real gone girl

Lighten up, baby, I’m in love with you
Lighten up, baby, I’m in love with you
Lighten up, baby, I’m in love with you

I’m so tall, and you’re so cute
Let’s play wild like wildcats do
You’re gonna rock your tall cool one
I’m gonna say that, I’m gonna say that, I’m gonna say that I

You stroll, you jump, you’re hot, and you tease
‘Cause I’m your tall cool one, and I’m built to please
You stroll, you jump, you’re hot, and you tease
‘Cause I’m your tall cool one, and I’m built to please

Oh, yeah
Now, baby
Oh, yeah
Oh, yeah
Ooh

Lighten up, baby, I’m in love with you
(I’ll be your tall cool one)
Lighten up, baby, I’m in love with you
Hey, hey, mama
Going down, I’m going down, going, going, going
Lighten up, baby, I’m in love with you
Lighten up, baby, I’m in love with you
Hey, hey, mama, hey, hey, mama, ooh
I’ll be your tall cool one
Lighten up, lighten up (Hey, hey, mama)
Lighten up, lighten up
Lighten up, baby, I’m in love with you
Lighten up, baby, I’m in love with you
Lighten up
Hey, hey, mama
Lighten up

Writer(s): Robert Plant, Philip Merriam Johnstone