beyond-the-cipher

[beyond-the-cipher]

Why Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven Feels Perfect for IDV’s Female Dancer

I’m going to go on a limb and assume Natalie/Margaretha Zelle was not the inspiration for Robert Plant’s 1971 hit, Stairway to Heaven. That being said I have decided that the lyrics go beautifully with Female Dancer’s story and here is my mini dive into why I think so:

Female Dancer

We know that Zelle has had to re-brand herself multiple times with her future in mind. First when she left her family to follow Sergi, again after the abuse/divorce, and yet again during the Hullabaloo storyline we just received. We also know that she enjoys material objects and yearns to be free.

The Song

There are multiple meanings to this song, even Plant has stated that each listen he feels it means something different to him. But, the song at its core is about a woman who is trying to buy her salvation.

“There’s a lady who’s sure all that glitters is gold

And she’s buying a stairway to heaven”

For Natalie it’s easily to see her in the Woman as she joins the manor in hopes of fortune while in the midst of her Margaretha ‘re-brand’. For her, salvation is monetary security and physical safety, something that she can afford by joining the manor and earning the prize.

“There’s a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure

‘Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.

In a tree by the brook, there’s a songbird who sings,

Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.”

Despite her want to buy herself into safety, there’s this underlying thought that maybe this isn’t the way forward, and she’s doubting herself as she continues forward in this effort.

“Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run

There’s still time to change the road you’re on.”

This line is a reminder that while chasing the same goal, you can go a completely different path to reach the final destination. In the song, a Piper is urging the woman to find salvation in nature rather than the material.

“And as we wind on down the road,

Our shadows taller than our soul,

There walks a lady we all know

Who shines white light and wants to show

How everything still turns to gold.”

Our woman and Zelle stick true to believing that money is one of the largest factors in their individual salvations. The shadows are the dark times and trauma we face and how it interferes with our morals and perhaps what path we would take if we had not had those experiences.

“And if you listen very hard,

The tune will come to you at last,

When all are one and one is all.

To be a rock and not to roll.”

But in the end death comes to us all, which brings us back to nature and the salvation it brings. This part makes me think of the freeing smile Zelle gives before jumping to her death as the river is her ‘exit’. A ‘rolling stone’ is a phrase used for people who are constantly on the move like Zelle. In using the exit only meant for her, she was finally a stationary rock.

Final thoughts

I’ve started a playlist of songs that remind me of Female Dancer, and this one is a bit of an outlier. While the original is a classic and Plants vocals are stunning (no question there!), I opted for the version by Kelly Blair Bauman.

This cover is faster, and has more of an almost psychedelic feel to it which works well for dancer who has been dousing herself in the manor’s perfume. Also, the thought of having Led Zeppelin on her playlist was amusing, but didn’t fully fit.

Whichever version you listen to, the lyrics still stand, and it’s worth playing while thinking of her lore!

[beyond-the-cipher]

Beyond the Cipher: Season 1 Episode 1

Norton Campbell and Mining Over the Years

Our first episode takes a closer look at Prospector/Fools Gold! In it we learn about his cannon personality, assumed nationality, and lore. Throughout our discussion about Norton we will take a look at the history of mining in Scotland, Appalachian Protest Songs, and the future of mining in an ever-changing world.

I’m interested to hear you think/ any suggestions you have going forward!

You can listen here: