Rock and Roll – English Lyrics

• By: Led Zeppelin
• Album: Led Zeppelin IV

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw energy and timeless power of Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll." This iconic track offers a direct link to the foundational sounds of rock music, infused with the band's signature hard-hitting style. By exploring its driving rhythms and passionate vocals, you can truly grasp the spirit of rock and roll and appreciate how Led Zeppelin both honored and propelled the genre forward. Its straightforward yet impactful lyrics make it an excellent choice for understanding direct, declarative English in a musical context, while the song's overall impact showcases the universal appeal of pure, unadulterated rock expression.

[English]

It's been a long time since I rock and rolled

It's been a long time since I did the stroll

Ooh, let me get it back, let me get it back

Let me get it back, baby, where I come from

...

It's been a long time, been a long time

Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time

Yes, it has

It's been a long time since the Book of Love

I can't count the tears of a life with no love

Carry me back, carry me back

Carry me back, baby, where I come from

Whoa, whoa, oh

It's been a long time, been a long time

Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time

...

Oh, seems so long since we walked in the moonlight

Making vows that just can't work right

Oh yeah, open your arms, opens your arms

Open your arms, baby, let my love come running in

Yeah!

It's been a long time, been a long time

Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time

...

Yeah, yeah

Yeah, yeah

...

Ooh yeah, ooh yeah

Ooh yeah, ooh yeah

It's been a long time, been a long time

Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
rock /rɒk/ A1	verb - to move gently back and forth noun - a stone
roll /roʊl/ A1	verb - to move by turning over and over noun - a piece of bread
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole
stroll /stroʊl/ B1	verb - walk in a leisurely way noun - a leisurely walk
baby /ˈbeɪbi/ A1	noun - a very young child
come /kʌm/ A1	verb - to move toward someone or something
book /bʊk/ A1	noun - a set of printed sheets of paper held together inside a cover verb - reserve
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection verb - to feel deep affection for someone
count /kaʊnt/ A1	verb - to determine the total number of (a collection of items)
tear /tɪər/ A2	noun - a drop of clear salty liquid secreted from glands in the eye verb - to pull or rip something apart
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic matter
carry /ˈkæri/ A2	verb - to support and move (someone or something)
lonely /ˈloʊnli/ B1	adjective - sad because one has no friends or company
walk /wɔːk/ A1	verb - to move at a regular pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn noun - an act of traveling or an excursion on foot
moonlight /ˈmuːnlaɪt/ B2	noun - the light reflected from the moon
vow /vaʊ/ B2	noun - a solemn promise verb - solemnly promise to do a specified thing
arm /ɑːrm/ A1	noun - each of the two upper limbs of the human body from the shoulder to the hand
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - to move quickly on foot

Key Grammar Structures

• It's been a long time since I rock and rolled

  ➔ Present Perfect with "since"

  ➔ The present perfect "It's been" emphasizes that the period of not rock and rolling started in the past and continues to the present. "Since" indicates the starting point of that period. Note: In more formal English, the clause following 'since' would be in the past simple: 'since I **rocked** and rolled'. The use of 'rock and rolled' here is more colloquial.

• Let me get it back, let me get it back

  ➔ Imperative with "let"

  ➔ "Let me get it back" is an imperative sentence using "let" to express a strong desire or a plea. "Let + pronoun + verb" is a way to politely but firmly request permission or action.

• Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time

  ➔ Ellipsis and Repetition for Emphasis

  ➔ The phrase is an elliptical construction, missing the subject and auxiliary verb. The implied sentence is "It has been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time." The repetition of "lonely" emphasizes the duration and intensity of the loneliness.

• I can't count the tears of a life with no love

  ➔ Noun phrase with a prepositional phrase modifier

  ➔ "The tears of a life with no love" is a noun phrase. "Of a life with no love" is a prepositional phrase modifying "the tears". Within the prepositional phrase, "with no love" further modifies "life", indicating a quality of that life.

• Making vows that just can't work right

  ➔ Relative Clause with 'that' and Modal Verb 'can't'

  ➔ "That just can't work right" is a relative clause modifying "vows". "That" acts as the relative pronoun. "Can't" is a modal verb expressing impossibility or inability. The phrase means the vows are impossible to keep or uphold properly.