“Hey Hey What Can I Do” – Led Zeppelin
(Words/music:  John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, and Robert Plant, available on “Immigrant Song” Single (Atlantic 1970), Led Zeppelin: The Complete Collection (Atlantic 1990))

Like many American males, I went through a Led Zeppelin phase as a teenager.  I remember buying the Remasters CD set as an introduction to the band and playing “Communication Breakdown” to break in the first subwoofer I ever owned.   For a variety of reasons, I went a long time after this phase ended without actively listening to the band.  Whether it was from overdosing on them at age fifteen, never getting into the mystical lyrics (never been a Lord of the Rings devotee), or just becoming preoccupied with other bands, my time in the cult of Zeppelin gave way to a begrudging respect from afar.  I still worshiped John Bonham’s quick hands and feet, but again I felt myself pulled toward other drummers.  This seemed emblematic of my relationship with the band in general – they seemed so far out of my league that I never felt a strong connection.

Now, when I think of Led Zeppelin, I’m drawn toward the less canonical songs – perhaps because of the seemingly millions of times I’ve heard “Black Dog” on the radio, or maybe because I still harbor contrarian tendencies.  Regardless, these are the songs that pique my interest, in part because something like “Hey Hey What Can I Do” still manage to sound like Led Zeppelin songs without the aggressive guitar riffs.  Instead, it draws on the blues more for subject (in this case, heartbreak) than style, relying on the less-heralded arranging skills.  Specifically, the lively mandolin dances around the acoustic guitar chords in a playful way, and the backing vocals (a relative rarity in the Zeppelin catalog) build on the song’s campfire feeling.  Of course, it still gives Robert Plant’s caterwaul an opportunity, particularly in the song’s outro, but it also features the rare experience where Plant’s narrator isn’t in control.  Perhaps I’m letting the strength of his voice influence my memory, but Plant’s characters generally have a sense of control or power (or, if nothing else, at least a sense of action).  In this song, his protagonist has little else to do but leave behind a wild woman.

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