Nobody 's Fault but Mine - wikipedia Nobody 's Fault but Mine This article is about the Led Zeppelin song. For the gospel blues song first recorded by Blind Willie Johnson, see It 's Nobody 's Fault but Mine. `` Nobody 's Fault but Mine '' Song by Led Zeppelin from the album Presence Released 31 March 1976 ( 1976 - 03 - 31 ) Recorded November -- December 1975 Studio Musicland Studios, Munich, Germany, Genre Rock hard rock blues rock Length 6 : 15 Label Swan Song Songwriter ( s ) Jimmy Page Robert Plant Producer ( s ) Jimmy Page `` Nobody 's Fault but Mine '' is a song recorded by English rock band Led Zeppelin, which was included on their 1976 album Presence. Adapted from Blind Willie Johnson 's `` It 's Nobody 's Fault but Mine '', it has been described as `` a blistering portrayal of a man looking for deliverance from his misdeeds and perceived sins ''. Although the song 's roots are in the blues, it has been called `` one of the most relentless pieces of pure rock this group ever mined '' and was one of only two songs from Presence to be included in the group 's live repertoire. Several other musicians have recorded it as well as an acoustic arrangement by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant for their No Quarter album. Contents 1 Background 2 Lyrics and composition 3 Live performances 4 Reception 5 Personnel 6 No Quarter version 7 Cover versions 8 Notes 9 References 10 Bibliography 11 External links Background `` Nobody 's Fault but Mine '' is a gospel song that has been recorded by many musicians over the years. The first known recording of this song was by American gospel blues musician Blind Willie Johnson in 1927, titled `` It 's Nobody 's Fault but Mine ''. In an interview, Jimmy Page explained : Robert ( Plant ) came in one day and suggested that we cover it, but the arrangement I came up with was nothing to do with the ( Blind Willie Johnson ) original. Robert may have wanted to go for the original blues lyrics, but everything else was a totally different kettle of fish. Led Zeppelin biographer George Case adds `` Page was likely more mindful of John Renbourn 's 1966 acoustic take ( than Blind Willie ) Johnson 's ''. Renbourn 's version is found on his 1967 album Another Monday. `` Nobody 's Fault but Mine '' was developed and recorded by Led Zeppelin during the difficult period they faced after Plant 's 1975 automobile accident in Rhodes. The incident left him with serious injuries to his ankle and leg and there was fear that he might not recover completely. With their misfortunes and the increasing drug use around the band, biographer Stephen Davis wrote : Robert was definitely spooked... he believed that negativity associated with Led Zeppelin 's music might be harrowing him... from all accounts, ( he ) was also locked into his own remorse and grieving that his family had become victims of something that he might no longer be able to control. Lyrics and composition Lyrically, `` Nobody 's Fault but Mine '' has been called `` Led Zeppelin 's ' Hell Hound on My Trail ' ''. Robert Johnson 's 1937 Delta blues song tells of a man trying to stay ahead of the evil which is pursuing him, but it does not address the cause or lasting solution for his predicament. In Blind Willie Johnson 's `` It 's Nobody 's Fault but Mine '', the problem is clearly stated : he will be doomed, unless he uses his abilities to learn ( and presumably live according to ) biblical teachings. Led Zeppelin retain Blind Willie 's admission that he ultimately is to blame, but add Robert Johnson 's sense of despair. However, they shift the focus from religion to one `` relevant to the Zeppelin lifestyle of the day ''. Their lyrics include `` that monkey on my back '', a commonly used reference to addiction, and `` the devil he told me to roll, how to roll the line tonight '' ; to overcome, Plant concludes `` gon na change my ways tonight ''. `` For Robert ( Plant ) and perhaps the others, it was a sort of exorcism ''. `` Nobody 's Fault but Mine '' follows a `` call - and - response method of dramatic construction ''. Page 's slide guitar intro has been described as like `` a supersonic 1970s interpretation of Johnson 's beautiful slide guitar technique ''. Page triple - tracked his guitar intro ; playing one guitar an octave higher than the others and using a phaser. Plant adds a blues - style harmonica solo mid-song. Drummer John Bonham and bassist John Paul Jones maintain the rhythm of the song, adding some syncopated accents during repetitions of the introductory phrase. Record producer Rick Rubin remarked on the song 's structure, `` A traditional blues, twisted through a trippy, psychedelic filter. They ( Led Zeppelin ) played with such precision, doing these odd arrangements that sound like loose jams but are really choreographed. '' Live performances Beginning with the Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1977, `` Nobody 's Fault but Mine '' became a regular component of Led Zeppelin concerts, with performances at nearly every show up to the group 's final tour of Europe in 1980. A live version was filmed and recorded at Knebworth in 1979 and is included on the 2003 Led Zeppelin DVD. Biographer Keith Shadwick wrote : It 's clear from the later film of the Knebworth concert in 1979 that these lines ( the song lyrics ) cut deep with Plant ; at that concert when he sings this song there is a remarkable rush of feeling evident across his face as he spits out the lines, a long way beyond any onstage posing for the crowd. This one was from the heart. Their performance of the song with Jason Bonham at the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert at the O2 Arena, London on 10 December 2007 was released in 2012 on the concert film Celebration Day. At the 2007 O2 performance, Plant joked that they first heard the song in a Mississippi church in 1932. Reception In a contemporary review for Presence, Stephen Davis of Rolling Stone described `` Nobody 's Fault but Mine '' as a `` strong '' song, showcasing an example of `` fine rock '' on Presence. In a retrospective review of Presence ( Deluxe Edition ), Andrew Doscas of PopMatters gave `` Nobody 's Fault but Mine '' a positive review, describing the track as `` a behemoth made from bone - crunching basslines, a maniacal harmonica solo, and its memorable `` call - and - response '' structure. '' Reviewing the track in detail, Doscas stated `` Nobody 's Fault but Mine '' `` serves as a paradigm for the state of the band 's reputation, as well as the album Presence. It 's a heavy, blues - rock track that like an avalanche grinds down everything in its path. '' In another retrospective review for the reissue of Presence, Mark Richardson of Pitchfork gave `` Nobody 's Fault but Mine '' a positive review, praising John Paul Jones ' bass syncs with John Bonham 's kick drum patterns. Richardson further described the song as a `` stop / start masterpiece ''. Personnel Robert Plant -- vocals, harmonica Jimmy Page -- guitars John Paul Jones -- bass guitar John Bonham -- drums No Quarter version In 1994, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant recorded an acoustic arrangement of `` Nobody 's Fault but Mine ''. It was included on their No Quarter album, which featured their interpretations of Led Zeppelin songs using different instrumentation and backing musicians ; `` ( some of ) the songs are given rather drastic reinterpretations -- `` Nobody 's Fault but Mine '' brings the brooding undercurrent of the original to the surface ``. Their new arrangement also included the `` got a Bible in my home '' line from Blind Willie Johnson 's 1927 original. Cover versions See also : List of cover versions of Led Zeppelin songs Notes Jump up ^ Sometimes John Renbourn 's albums include a credit to New Orleans jazz musician Bunk Johnson. References ^ Jump up to : Davis, Stephen ( 1985 ). Hammer of the Gods : The Led Zeppelin Saga. New York : Ballantine Books. pp. 256 -- 257, 264. ISBN 0 - 345 - 33516 - 3. ^ Jump up to : Case, George ( 2011 ). Led Zeppelin FAQ : All That 's Left to Know About the Greatest Hard Rock Band of All Time. Backbeat. ISBN 978 - 1 - 61713 - 025 - 0. Jump up ^ Masley, Ed ( 7 November 2008 ). `` Hot list : Best of Led Zeppelin ''. The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 4 May 2015. Other highlights range from the swaggering blues - rock abandon of `` Nobody 's Fault But Mine '' to the funks moves of `` Hots On For Nowhere ''. ^ Jump up to : Doscas, Andrew ( 10 September 2015 ). `` Led Zeppelin : Presence ( Deluxe Edition ) ''. PopMatters. Retrieved 28 July 2017. ^ Jump up to : Shadwick 2005, p. 248. Jump up ^ Tolinski, Brad ( 2013 ). Light and Shade : Conversations with Jimmy Page. Broadway Books. ISBN 978 - 0307985750. Jump up ^ Welch 2005, p. 73. ^ Jump up to : Lewis, Dave ( 1994 ). The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0 - 7119 - 3528 - 9. Jump up ^ `` Fifty Artists Pick Their Personal Top 10s -- Rick Rubin : Led Zeppelin ''. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 11 December 2010. Jump up ^ Aaron, Charles ( February 2008 ). `` Do What Thou Wilt ''. Spin. 24 ( 2 ) : 101. ISSN 0886 - 3032. Jump up ^ Davis, Stephen ( 20 May 1976 ). `` Led Zeppelin : Presence ''. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 25 July 2017. ^ Jump up to : Richardson, Mark ( 28 July 2015 ). `` Led Zeppelin : Presence / In Through the Out Door / Coda Album Review ''. Pitchfork. Retrieved 28 July 2017. Jump up ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. `` Page & Plant / Jimmy Page / Robert Plant -- No Quarter ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 23 January 2014. Bibliography Shadwick, Keith ( 2005 ). Led Zeppelin : The Story of a Band and Their Music 1968 -- 1980 ( 1st ed. ). San Francisco : Backbeat Books. ISBN 0 - 87930 - 871 - 0. Welch, Chris ( 2005 ). Led Zeppelin : Dazed and Confused : The Stories Behind Every Song ( 2nd ed. ). London : Omnibus Press. ISBN 1 - 56025 - 818 - 7. External links `` Nobody 's Fault but Mine '' at ledzeppelin.com Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Presence track listing Songs Side one `` Achilles Last Stand '' `` For Your Life '' `` Royal Orleans '' Side two `` Nobody 's Fault but Mine '' `` Candy Store Rock '' `` Hots On for Nowhere '' `` Tea for One '' Deluxe edition `` Two Ones Are Won '' `` 10 Ribs & All / Carrot Pod Pod '' Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II Led Zeppelin III Led Zeppelin IV Houses of the Holy Physical Graffiti Presence In Through the Out Door Coda Led Zeppelin John Bonham John Paul Jones Jimmy Page Robert Plant Studio albums Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II Led Zeppelin III Led Zeppelin IV Houses of the Holy Physical Graffiti Presence In Through the Out Door Coda Live albums The Song Remains the Same BBC Sessions How the West Was Won Celebration Day Compilations Profiled BBC Sessions The Best of Led Zeppelin Mothership Led Zeppelin Deluxe Edition Boxed sets Led Zeppelin Remasters Boxed Set 2 The Complete Studio Recordings Definitive Collection Singles `` Good Times Bad Times '' / `` Communication Breakdown '' `` Whole Lotta Love '' / `` Living Loving Maid ( She 's Just a Woman ) '' `` Immigrant Song '' / `` Hey, Hey, What Can I Do '' `` Black Dog '' / `` Misty Mountain Hop '' `` Rock and Roll '' / `` Four Sticks '' `` Over the Hills and Far Away '' / `` Dancing Days '' `` D'yer Mak'er '' / `` The Crunge '' `` Trampled Under Foot '' / `` Black Country Woman '' `` Candy Store Rock '' / `` Royal Orleans '' `` Fool in the Rain '' / `` Hot Dog '' `` Travelling Riverside Blues '' `` Baby Come On Home '' `` The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair '' Films The Song Remains the Same Led Zeppelin DVD Celebration Day Tours Scandinavia 1968 U.K. 1968 North America 1968 -- 1969 U.K. & Scandinavia 1969 North America Spring 1969 U.K. Summer 1969 North America Summer 1969 Europe Autumn 1969 North America Autumn 1969 U.K. 1970 Europe 1970 North America Spring 1970 Iceland, Bath & Germany 1970 North America Summer 1970 U.K. Spring 1971 Europe 1971 North America 1971 Japan 1971 U.K. Winter 1971 Australasia 1972 North America 1972 Japan 1972 U.K. 1972 -- 1973 Europe 1973 North America 1973 North America 1975 Earls Court 1975 North America 1977 Knebworth 1979 Over Europe 1980 Reunions Live Aid ( 1985 ) Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary ( 1988 ) Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert ( 2007 ) Lists Discography Songs Awards and nominations Bootlegs Cover versions by others Led Zeppelin songs written or inspired by others Related Articles Swan Song Records Three Week Hero `` Beck 's Bolero '' Bron - Yr - Aur The Starship Caesar 's Chariot Shark episode Planned tour -- The 1980s, Part One Covers and tributes That ' 70s Show ( season 5 ) Bands The Yardbirds Band of Joy XYZ The Honeydrippers The Firm Coverdale Page Page and Plant Jimmy Page and the Black Crowes Them Crooked Vultures Strange Sensation Books Hammer of the Gods : The Led Zeppelin Saga Stairway to Heaven : Led Zeppelin Uncensored When Giants Walked the Earth People Jason Bonham Peter Grant Richard Cole Book Portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nobody%27s_Fault_but_Mine&oldid=825115577 '' Categories : 1976 songs Led Zeppelin songs Songs written by Jimmy Page Songs written by Robert Plant Song recordings produced by Jimmy Page Hidden categories : Use dmy dates from June 2017 Articles with hAudio microformats Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Norsk nynorsk Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 11 February 2018, at 16 : 02. 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Question: who played harmonica on nobody's fault but mine
Answer: Robert Plant