"Dazed and Confused" is a song written by American singer-songwriter

Jake Holmes Jake Holmes (born December 28, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and jingle writer who began a recording career in the 1960s. Holmes is the author of the song " Dazed and Confused", later reworked by Led Zeppelin. Holmes also composed the ...

in 1967. Performed in a

folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers suc ...

style, he recorded it for his debut album '' "The Above Ground Sound" of Jake Holmes''. Although some concluded that it was about a bad acid trip, Holmes insists the lyrics refer to the effects of a girl's indecision on ending a relationship. After hearing Holmes perform the song in August 1967, English rock group

the Yardbirds The Yardbirds are an English rock band, formed in London in 1963. The band's core lineup featured vocalist and harmonica player Keith Relf, drummer Jim McCarty, rhythm guitarist and later bassist Chris Dreja and bassist/producer Paul Samwell ...

reworked it with a radically different arrangement. It quickly became a centerpiece of their live performances, several recordings of which have been released, including on ''

Yardbirds '68 ''Yardbirds '68'' is a double CD and LP record album by English rock group the Yardbirds. Recorded in 1968 in New York City when the group was a quartet with guitarist Jimmy Page, it includes live performances and demos. Page produced the al ...

'', produced by guitarist

Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...

. "Dazed and Confused" was adopted by Page's new group,

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...

, who recorded a version based on the Yardbirds' arrangement, though featuring some rewritten lyrics and a new vocal line, for their debut album. It became a signature song and concert staple for much of the group's career. Despite being adapted from Holmes, songwriting credit for the Led Zeppelin version was originally claimed by Page alone. Holmes attempted to contact Page in the 1980s regarding the issue, but received no response. In 2010, Holmes filed a lawsuit and the matter was settled out of court, with the credit on Led Zeppelin releases being changed to "Jimmy Page, inspired by Jake Holmes".

Background and composition

began his music career in the early 1960s, and recorded and performed with several different groups. He was influenced by

psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...

and groups such as

the Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole cons ...

and

the Blues Project The Blues Project is a band from the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City that was formed in 1965 and originally split up in 1967. Their songs drew from a wide array of musical styles. They are most remembered as one of the most artfu ...

, and wrote "Dazed and Confused" in a similar style with a

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

influence. In spring of 1967, he recorded the song for his debut solo album '' "The Above Ground Sound" of Jake Holmes'', as a trio of acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and bass. On July 10, it was released on the

Tower Records Tower Records is an international retail franchise and online music store that was formerly based in Sacramento, California, United States. From 1960 until 2006, Tower operated retail stores in the United States, which closed when Tower Records ...

label. The arrangement is a modular

dirge A dirge ( la, dirige, naenia) is a somber song or lament expressing mourning or grief, such as would be appropriate for performance at a funeral. Often taking the form of a brief hymn, dirges are typically shorter and less meditative than elegies ...

in the key of E minor built on a descending

chromatic Diatonic and chromatic are terms in music theory that are most often used to characterize scales, and are also applied to musical instruments, intervals, chords, notes, musical styles, and kinds of harmony. They are very often used as a pair, ...

bass line alternating between the 3rd (E-G-F#-F-E) and the 7th (E-D-C#-C-B). Holmes' singing has been described as "pained", and the lyrics ("you're out to get me/you're on the right track") and ("I'm being abused/I'm better off dead"), coupled with the arrangement led some people to think the song was about a bad acid trip. However, Holmes said it was a song about a girl. In August 1967, Holmes opened for

at a

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

gig in New York. According to Holmes, "That was the infamous moment of my life when 'Dazed and Confused' fell into the loving arms and hands of

." He was aware of the song appearing on

's eponymous debut album less than two years later, but did not take any action at the time. In the early 1980s, he wrote to the group and asked for a co-credit, but received no reply. In June 2010, Holmes sued Led Zeppelin guitarist

for copyright infringement, claiming to be the author of "Dazed and Confused" In court documents, he cited a 1967 copyright registration for the song, which was renewed in 1995. The case was "dismissed with

prejudice Prejudice can be an affective feeling towards a person based on their perceived group membership. The word is often used to refer to a preconceived (usually unfavourable) evaluation or classification of another person based on that person's per ...

" on January 17, 2012, after the parties reached an undisclosed settlement out of court.

The Yardbirds

Background

By late 1966, English rock group

had moved away from recording hit singles towards regular touring. In July 1967, they began their second tour of the US as a quartet, with

as the sole guitarist. The group performed at more

countercultural A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Hou ...

venues, such as

the Fillmore The Fillmore is a historic music venue in San Francisco, California. Built in 1912 and originally named the Majestic Hall, it became the Fillmore Auditorium in 1954. It is in Western Addition, on the edge of the Fillmore District and Upper Fil ...

Auditorium in San Francisco. Their sets became more varied with extended medleys and featured guitar instrumentals by Page, such as "

White Summer "White Summer" is a guitar instrumental by English rock guitarist Jimmy Page, that incorporates Indian and Arabic musical influences. Page initially recorded and performed it with the Yardbirds and later included it in many Led Zeppelin concer ...

" and "Glimpses". On August 25, 1967, the group headlined at the

Village Theater A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

in New York City, with opening acts

the Youngbloods The Youngbloods were an American rock band consisting of Jesse Colin Young (vocals, bass, guitar), Jerry Corbitt (vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica), Lowell "Banana" Levinger (guitar and electric piano), and Joe Bauer (drums). Despite recei ...

and Jake Holmes. Yardbirds drummer

Jim McCarty James Stanley McCarty (born 25 July 1943) is an English musician, best known as the drummer for the Yardbirds and Renaissance. Following Chris Dreja's departure from the Yardbirds in 2013, McCarty became the only member of the band to featur ...

was the only Yardbird to catch Holmes' performance. He liked "Dazed and Confused" and bought the album the next day, subsequently playing it to the rest of the band. They reworked the song, focusing the arrangements based on the descending bass line. Page added additional guitar riffs in the middle of the song.

Composition

The Yardbirds began to develop a new arrangement for "Dazed and Confused" while still on tour in the U.S. Holmes' brooding atmosphere and descending bass line were retained, as well as most of the lyrics. Page doubled the bass line, echoing Holmes' live performances with two acoustic guitarists. However, propelled by drums and an

overdriven Distortion and overdrive are forms of audio signal processing used to alter the sound of amplified electric musical instruments, usually by increasing their gain (electronics), gain, producing a "fuzzy", "growling", or "gritty" tone. Distort ...

Fender Telecaster The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is an electric guitar produced by Fender. Together with its sister model the Esquire, it is the world's first mass-produced, commercially successful Les Paul had built a prototype solid bo ...

, the song quickly took on a new, distinctly non-folk sound. Singer

Keith Relf William Keith Relf (22 March 194312 May 1976) was an English musician, best known as the lead vocalist and harmonica player for rock band the Yardbirds. He then formed the band Renaissance with his sister Jane Relf, The Yardbirds ex-drummer J ...

initially followed Holmes' verses, but later often changed the order or mixed lines from different verses. Led Zeppelin biographer

Mick Wall Mick Wall (born 23 June 1958) is a British music journalist, author, and radio and TV presenter. He has been described as "the world's leading rock and metal writer". Career Wall began his career contributing to the music weekly ''Sounds'' in 19 ...

feels that Relf only "slightly altered" the lyrics, while Page biographer Martin Power credits Relf with "writing new lyrics". Yardbirds chronicler Greg Russo describes that gradually the song "moved from Holmes' original lyrics to an alternate set of lyrics that combined words from Jake Holmes and Keith Relf." The Yardbirds' major innovations were the instrumental breaks and an extended instrumental middle section. Writer-educator Susan Fast describes the breaks, appearing between the verses and after Page's solo, as "a detail that contributes significantly to the drama of the piece, creating enormous tension at the end of each verse before moving on to the next. It begins with a bowed electric guitar phrasings by Page, answered by vocal and harmonica interjections by Relf. Page attributed the idea of using a violin bow on the guitar to a suggestion from violinist David McCallum, Sr., whom he met in his pre-Yardbirds days as a session musician. The bowed section gives way to Page's riff-laden guitar solo, propelled by a bass

ostinato In music, an ostinato (; derived from Italian word for ''stubborn'', compare English ''obstinate'') is a motif or phrase that persistently repeats in the same musical voice, frequently in the same pitch. Well-known ostinato-based pieces include ...

and fast driving 4/4-meter. The song returns to the slow

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

12/8 verse structure before the

coda Coda or CODA may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * Movie coda, a post-credits scene * ''Coda'' (1987 film), an Australian horror film about a serial killer, made for television *''Coda'', a 2017 American experimental film from Na ...

. The Yardbirds' new arrangement, contributed by the four members, soon amounted to a major reworking of Holmes' original piece. Bassist

Chris Dreja Christopher Walenty Dreja (born 11 November 1945 in Surbiton, Surrey) is an English musician, best known as the rhythm guitarist and bassist for rock band the Yardbirds for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. E ...

later said, "We found it, arranged it and played it. In a way, it was a great epitaph, because we were feeling very dazed and confused about what the hell was going on!"

Performances

"Dazed and Confused" was a regular part of the Yardbirds' performances during their final tours in 1967 and 1968. The song debuted during their short US tour in late 1967, which included a date at the Village Theater. When they returned to England, the group performed a nine-minute version in January 1968, around the time the full quartet recorded their last single, "Think About It". On March 5–6, the Yardbirds performed "Dazed and Confused" for

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering th ...

. In his Led Zeppelin biography '' When Giants Walked the Earth'', Wall notes that the relatively concise 5:48 version "sounds almost identical musically to the number Page would take credit for on the first Zeppelin album". (Led Zeppelin's studio version lasts 6:28.) Another short (5:46) performance was filmed by French television on March 9 for ''Bouton Rouge''.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

critic Bruce Eder notes it "comes off much better than the official Anderson Theater version from later the same month." On March 28, 1968, the Yardbirds returned to New York to begin their final US tour. Before their March 30 concert at the Anderson Theater, representatives from

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...

, the group's American label, informed them that it was going to be recorded for a live album. The group felt that it was not sufficiently prepared, but proceeded, with "Dazed and Confused" as their third number. Disappointed with the playbacks, the Yardbirds rejected any idea of releasing the recordings as a live album. However, after Page's rise to fame in Led Zeppelin, Epic released the album in 1971, with "Dazed and Confused" retitled "I'm Confused" (with no composer credit or

performance rights organization A performance rights organisation (PRO), also known as a performing rights society, provides intermediary functions, particularly collection of royalties, between copyright holders and parties who wish to use copyrighted works ''publicly'' in loc ...

). (Within a week, Page responded with an injunction, which prevented further sales of the album.) Although the recording and the group's performance is a bit rough, in a review Eder singled out the song as "something new, a slow blues as dark, forbidding, and intense as anything that the band ever cut – it showed where Page, if not his band, was heading." In 2017, Page remixed the Anderson Theater recordings and the song (with the correct title) was issued on ''

''.

Recordings and releases

The Yardbirds never attempted to record the piece in the studio. However, Page used an abbreviated version of his guitar solo from "Dazed and Confused" for the middle-section guitar solo of "Think About It". Several live recordings of "Dazed and Confused" are in release. If the song was introduced, it was announced as "Dazed and Confused" – it is unknown why Epic re-titled it "I'm Confused". * Unknown venue, England (January 1968) – ''Glimpses 1963–1968'', released 2011 *

broadcast, England (March 5–6, 1968) – ''Glimpses 1963–1968'', released 2011 * ''Bouton Rouge'' television broadcast, France (March 9, 1968) – '' Cumular Limit'', released 2000 * Anderson Theatre, New York City (March 30, 1968) – '' Live Yardbirds: Featuring Jimmy Page'', released 1971, ''

'' (2017) *

Shrine Auditorium The Shrine Auditorium is a landmark large-event venue in Los Angeles, California. It is also the headquarters of the Al Malaikah Temple, a division of the Shriners. It was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument (No. 139) in 1975, and ...

, Los Angeles (May 31 & June 1, 1968) – ''Last Rave-Up in L.A.''

Led Zeppelin

When the Yardbirds disbanded in 1968, Page planned to record the song in the studio with the successor group he had assembled that summer. According to Zeppelin bassist

John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-American naval captain who was the United States' first well-known naval commander in the American Revolutionary War. He made many friends among U.S political elites ( ...

, the first time he heard the song was at the band's first rehearsal session at Gerrard Street in London, in 1968: "Jimmy played us the riffs at the first rehearsal and said, 'This is a number I want us to do'."Mat Snow, "Apocalypse Then", '' Q'' magazine, December 1990, p. 77. The future Led Zeppelin recorded their version in October 1968 at

Olympic Studios Olympic Studios was a renowned British independent commercial recording studio based in Barnes, London. It is best known for its recordings of many artists throughout the late 1960s to the first decade of the 21st century, including Jimi Hendr ...

, London, and the song was included on their debut album ''

'' (1969). "Dazed and Confused" was the second song recorded at the Olympic sessions. The group recorded the song in two takes. Page played a Telecaster and violin bow as he had performed it with the Yardbirds. Singer

Robert Plant Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the English rock band Led Zeppelin for all of its existence from 1968 until 1980, when the band broke up following the ...

wrote a new set of bluesier lyrics, according to Page, though Plant is not credited on the album, due to contractual obligations to Chrysalis Records. Plant's vocal is raw and powerful, delivered with "unrelenting passion." Other than the lyrics and vocal, the song remained very similar to that performed by the Yardbirds earlier that year. As of 2002, the 1969 promotional EP using "

Babe I'm Gonna Leave You "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" is a folk song written by Anne Bredon in the late 1950s. Joan Baez recorded a solo version for her 1962 album '' Joan Baez in Concert'' and a variety of musicians subsequently adapted it to a variety of styles, including ...

" as the A-side track and "Dazed and Confused" as B-side had been one of top ten Led Zeppelin music collectibles. A collector Rick Barrett, dedicated to his Led Zeppelin memorabilia, sold several copies of the promo EP for –500 each, "depending on the condition of the sleeve and of the record itself," said Barrett. In June 2010, Holmes filed a lawsuit in United States District Court, alleging copyright infringement and naming Page as a co-defendant. The suit was "dismissed with prejudice" on January 17, 2012, after an undisclosed settlement between Page and Holmes was reached out of court in the fall of 2011. Subsequent Led Zeppelin albums, such as ''

Celebration Day "Celebration Day" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, and the third track from their 1970 album ''Led Zeppelin III''. The band's last concert film and album, released on 19 November 2012, took their name from this song. Composition and ...

'' (2012) and the remastered and deluxe editions of the group's debut album (2014), expanded the songwriter's credit for "Dazed and Confused" to "By Page – Inspired by Jake Holmes."

Live performances

"Dazed and Confused" was the most regularly performed song by Led Zeppelin, appearing at over 400 concerts. It was played on every tour up to and including their 1975 shows at Earls Court. It was greatly expanded to include more improvisation, including short portions of other songs, and live performances could be as long as at least 30 minutes. It was subsequently removed from their live set, although Page continued to perform parts of the bowed guitar segment during solo spots on subsequent tours, as preludes to "

Achilles Last Stand "Achilles Last Stand" is a song by the English rock group Led Zeppelin released as the opening track on their seventh studio album, '' Presence'' (1976). Guitarist Jimmy Page and singer Robert Plant began writing the song during the summer of ...

" (1977 tour) and "

In the Evening "In the Evening" is the first song on Led Zeppelin's 1979 album ''In Through the Out Door''. Guitarist Jimmy Page uses a Gizmotron to create the droning effects and sliding solo at the beginning of the song.Brad Tolinski and Greg Di Bendetto, "Li ...

" (

Knebworth 1979 The Knebworth Festival 1979 consisted of two concerts performed by the English rock band Led Zeppelin and other artists at Knebworth House, Hertfordshire, England, in August 1979. History The grounds of Knebworth House near the village of Knebw ...

and

Tour Over Europe 1980 Tour Over Europe 1980 was the last concert tour by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. The tour ran from 17 June to 7 July 1980. Nine of the tour's shows were performed in cities throughout West Germany, as well as one show each in Brussels, Rotte ...

). It was part of the group's set at the

Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert The Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert was a benefit concert held in memory of music executive Ahmet Ertegün at the O2 Arena in London on 10 December 2007. The headline act was the English rock band Led Zeppelin, who performed their first full ...

on December 10, 2007. A live version of "Dazed and Confused" recorded July 1973 at New York's Madison Square Garden was featured in the 1976 Led Zeppelin concert film '' The Song Remains the Same''. Other live recordings are found on the following official releases: * ''

Led Zeppelin BBC Sessions ''BBC Sessions'' is a compilation album featuring studio sessions and a live concert recorded by English rock group Led Zeppelin for the BBC. It was released on 11 November 1997, by Atlantic Records. Disc one consists of material from four differ ...

'' (1997), two versions from 1969 and 1971. * ''

Led Zeppelin DVD ''Led Zeppelin DVD'' is a double DVD set by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in the United Kingdom on 26 May 2003, and the United States on 27 May 2003. It contains live concert footage of the band spanning the years 1969 to 1979. The D ...

'' (2003), three versions filmed, March 17, 1969 (Gladsaxe Teen Club, Denmark), March 25, 1969 (Staines Studio, London), June 19, 1969 (Olympia Theatre, Paris) and January 9, 1970 (Royal Albert Hall, London) * '' How the West Was Won'' (2003), recorded June 25, 1972 (LA Forum) * ''

'' (2012), recorded at the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute. * '' Led Zeppelin (Deluxe Edition)'' remastered series (2014), recorded at the

Paris Olympia The Olympia (; commonly known as L'Olympia or in the English-speaking world as Olympia Hall) is a concert venue in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France, located at 28 Boulevard des Capucines, equally distancing Madeleine church and Opéra G ...

and released as a companion disc to the studio remaster.

Accolades

(*) designates unordered lists

Notes

Footnotes Citations References * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

"Dazed and Confused" video at ledzeppelin.com
{{authority control 1967 songs 1969 songs Jake Holmes songs The Yardbirds songs Led Zeppelin songs Songs written by Jimmy Page Song recordings produced by Jimmy Page Songs involved in plagiarism controversies