KASHMIR

Kashmir is an indispensable song in their repertoire and was a staple in their live shows. The Middle Eastern influence it possesses adds to its irresistible appeal.

the lyrics

Oh, let the sun beat down upon my face
With stars to fill my dreams
I am a traveler of both time and space
To be where I have been
Sit with elders of the gentle race
This world has seldom seen
Talk of days for which they sit and wait
All will be revealed

Talk and song from tongues of lilting grace
Whose sounds caress my ear
But not a word I heard could I relate
The story was quite clear
Oh, oh
Oh, oh

Ooh, baby, I’ve been flying
No yeah, Mama, there ain’t no denying
Oh, ooh, yeah, I’ve been flying
Mama, Mama, ain’t no denying, no denying

Oh, all I see turns to brown
As the sun burns the ground
And my eyes fill with sand
As I scan this wasted land
Trying to find, trying to find, where I’ve been

Oh, pilot of the storm who leaves no trace
Like thoughts inside a dream
Here is the path that led me to that place
Yellow desert stream
My Shangri-La beneath the summer moon
I will return again
Sure as the dust that floats high in June
When moving through Kashmir

Oh, father of the four winds, fill my sails
Across the sea of years
With no provision but an open-face
Along the straits of fear
Oh, oh
Oh, oh

Ooh

Oh, when I’m on, when I’m on my way, yeah
When I see, when I see the way, you stay
Ooh, yeah-yeah, ooh, yeah-yeah, when I’m down
Ooh, yeah-yeah, ooh, yeah-yeah, but I’m down, so down
Ooh, my baby, ooh, my baby, let me take you there
Oh, come on, oh, let me take you there… let me take you there
Ooh, yeah-yeah, ooh, yeah-yeah, let me take you there… let me take you there

meaning

Chi-interpretation

After hours of head-scratching about the meaning of this classic, I finally had an epiphany that Kashmir was an extension of Stairway to Heaven, so I searched for another purpose of Kashmir, and after searching through endless search pages, I found something that corresponded with my Stairway theory; Kashmir is reaching the highest level of consciousness in Hinduism. However, after bookmarking the page with that information gem, when I went back, the page had vanished. So, I embarked on another journey to find more on the subject and hit the jackpot! I found the ultimate gem and am confident I cracked the Kashmir lyrical code. Without butchering the meaning of my finding, Kashmir Shaivism aligns with Robert Plant’s Middle Eastern influences, not only while he was in Zeppelin but this influence is very prominent with his solo career.

More

Here are a few lines that support my claim that Kashmir isn’t about a fucking trek through the lush landscape of Kashmir.

“I am a traveler of both time and space
To be where I have been
Sit with elders of the gentle race
This world has seldom seen
Talk of days for which they sit and wait
All will be revealed.”

For me, this means we are here to gain knowledge and grow, and at death, the truth will be revealed, as we are shown our life was a movie.

Oh, father of the four winds, fill my sails
Across the sea of years
With no provision but an open-face
Along the straits of fear.

The father of the four winds comes from Greek mythology and were deities that mapped out geographical locations, which morphed into “the four corners.”