Most Led Zeppelin fans and music afficionados know Jimmy Page started his musical career with The Yardbirds. But something I didn’t know was that one of Led Zeppelin’s most popular and famous songs, Dazed And Confused, isn’t a Led Zeppelin song at all.

I was reading a story about Jimmy and it mentioned the song being performed by The Yardbirds, the superstar UK group that had featured Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Page, and many more. So I checked out what I then thought was the original version by The Yardbirds:

But when I went on a deeper dive of the song I found it wasn’t even originally a Yardbirds song. Its originally by Jake Holmes, a folk singer, and even more famous jingle writer. One of his most famous jingles is the US Army’s “Be All That You Can Be” jingle. Remember this?

He also wrote the Dr. Pepper jingle, “Be A Pepper”.

And here’s his original version of Dazed And Confused, and even though it sounds like a song about a bad acid trip, Jake claims its about a girl because most songs are about a girl, lol.

And in case you didn’t noticed the lyrics to the Led Zeppelin version are quite different to the original lyrics. Here’s the Zep lyrics most of know by heart, side by side with the original lyrics, which the Yardbirds kept:

“Been dazed and confused for so long it’s not true I’m dazed and confused, is it stay is it go?

Wanted a woman, never bargained for you Am I being choosed? Well I’d just like to know

Lots of people talk and few of them know Give me a clue as to where I am at.

Soul of a woman was created below, yeah Feel like a mouse and you act like a cat

You hurt and abuse, telling all of your lies I’m dazed and confused, hanging on by a thread

Run ‘round, sweet baby, Lord, how they hypnotise I’m being abused, I’d be better off dead

Sweet little baby, I don’t know where you’ve been I can’t stand this teasing, I’m starting to crack

Gonna love you, baby, here I come again You’re out to get me, you’re on the right track

Every day I work so hard, bringing home my hard-earned pay Yeah, I’m dazed and confused and it’s all upside down

Try to love you, baby, but you push me away Am I being choosed? Do you want me around?

Don’t know where you’re going, only know just where you’ve been Secrets are fun to a certain degree.

Sweet little baby, I want you again But this one’s no fun ‘cause the secret’s on me

©2024 Cox Media Group