In My Time of Dying

i LOVE this song.....i want it played at my funeral (and i'm not even christian)

Adman is correct actually. In the wonderful movie "It Might get Loud" about the electric guitar with Jimmy Page, Jack White and the Edge, Blind Willy Johnson is credited as being greatly influential to them. From their own testimony. Brilliant film. If you like this song then you have to see this film.

There are no sexual innuendos in the lyrics. This is about dying, the hereafter, and pleading with God to accept your excuses about your life and hope to play music in heaven.

But a pervert will make everything seem perverse and see sexual innuendo in everything anybody sings or says and make everything seem perverted. Pointless arguing with a twisted mind because you get a twisted argument back.

"In all respect" it is amazing how nutty the posts are on forums such as this. Zeppelin's early work was largely covers of blues artists, including Blind Willie Johnson. Blind Willie was a major influence on Jimmy Page's guitar work. This song and "Nobody's Fault But Mine" are tributes to Blind Willie's slide guitar work, which was beyond anything that has ever been done since. It is equally amazing how people get some of their crazy ideas about songs...i.e. "...an indictment of Christianity." Hello? The lyrics were lifted directly from Blind Willie's work. In addition to being arguably the finest slide guitar player that ever lived, Blind Willie Johnson was a Christian Evangelist. The more you learn about music, the more you will appreciate this fact.

This song is about a man who is about to die. He is praying to Christ to forgive his sins and welcome him into Heaven.

This dude is repentin let him!

Much of Zeppelins work was derived from the Missippi Delta blues. One artist in particular was Blind Willie Johnson. Blind Willie was a "street preacher" and slide guitar player. He is credited by many including Eric Clapton and Keith Richards as being the finest slide guitar player who ever lived. This song, "In My Time of Dying" are derived from Blind Willie's works...including the famous line "Jesus Gonna Make Up My Dyin' Bed". Pagey's slide guitar work is also a tribute to Blind Willie. Unfortunately, Page liked to "steal" ideas from early Blues artists without giving them any mentions on the credits.

I wonder if Plant considers it as it was meant to be. He has hardly lived a Christian life. On the DVD he asks, after the line "Oh Gabriel, let me blow your horn", "have you ever had your horn blown?" Could this be a sexual reference? -- if so, an abomination to God! Blind Willie, a gospel preacher would turn over in his grave.

Great song. Love Page's work in it.

This is easily one of my favorite Zeppelin Songs. The main emphasis is about a man who has recently died. He is pleading to the saints (Gabriel, Peter) to let him into heaven. I do not think the band tells us whether he makes it into heaven or not, but I could be wrong.

a great cover by Zeppelin, originally done by Blind Willie Johnson, the original performer of another Zeppelin hit, "Nobody's Fault but Mine". both songs have a similar theme: a man on his deathbed seeking out justification for his life, owning up to his sins, and seeking forgiveness.

ahh i just love this song... only 8 people commented on it? thats suprising...great song!