Thank You (Led Zeppelin song)


"Thank You" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin from their second studio album Led Zeppelin II. It was written by Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, and produced by Page.

Overview

"Thank You" signaled a deeper involvement in songwriting by singer Robert Plant: it was the first Led Zeppelin song for which he wrote all the lyrics. According to various Led Zeppelin biographies, this is also the song that made Jimmy Page realise that Plant could now handle writing the majority of the lyrics for the band's songs. Plant wrote the song as a tribute to his then-wife Maureen.

Instrumentation

The song features a Hammond organ, played by John Paul Jones, which fades into a false ending before concluding with a crescendo roughly ten seconds later. For the recording of this track, Page played on a Vox 12-string guitar.

Composition

"Thank You" is notated in the key of D major in common time with a tempo of 76 beats per minute. Plant's vocals span from B3 to F#5.

Reception

In a retrospective review of Led Zeppelin II , Michael Madden of Consequence of Sound praised the remastering of "Thank You", believing the track now sounds "mellow and well-balanced". Madden further praised the remastering, writing the track "breathes easy during the verses and ascends elsewhere in the song", along with "illuminating Page's touch and Bonham's haymakers". When reviewing the added bonus tracks of the Deluxe Edition, Madden further praised the new version of "Thank You", titled "Thank You ", writing the track "magnifies the song's tasteful sheen, popping with Bonham’s drums and Jones’ organ, which seems to have a mind of its own."
Record producer Rick Rubin remarked on the song's structure: "The delicacy of the vocals is incredible; the acoustic guitar and the organ work together to create an otherworldly presence."
Mark Richardson of Pitchfork found "Thank You" to be "musically brilliant", and that it "mix folk with proto-metal" via "chiming acoustic guitars" which "provide the contrast to the crunch in a whole new way".

Recognition and legacy

The 1970 bootleg Live on Blueberry Hill includes a performance of the song.
In November 2010, "Thank You" topped Gibson's list of "Top 10 Thanksgiving Songs". Rolling Stone ranked it number 29 on "The 40 Greatest Led Zeppelin Songs of All Time" in November 2012. In November 2017, "the song was ranked number 28 on Fuse's list of "35 Thank You Songs".
"Thank You" was recorded by Page and Plant for the album. It was released as a single and reached number eight on Billboard magazine's Album Rock Tracks chart in 1995.

Cover versions