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The long and fascinating song 'Dazed and Confused' has an appropriately long and fascinating history. It is one of the songs often brought up as an example of the uncredited songwriting thievery for which Led Zeppelin is often criticized. Jimmy Page recognizes that 'it was made up of little pieces I developed when I was with The Yardbirds', but any criticism that is levelled at the group has difficulty standing up in the face of such brilliant results. That said however, Jake Holmes definately should have received a credit for the song.
Jake Holmes' original song 'Dazed and Confused' appeared on his 1967 album 'THE ABOVE GROUND SOUND OF JAKE HOLMES'. A psychedelic folk masterpiece, the song is about the paranoia of an acid trip - both lyrically and musically. Lyrics like 'I'm dazed and confused, hanging on by a thread/I'm being abused, I'd be better off dead' are surrounded by an atmospheric acoustic guitar and sitar-like lead guitar. An impressive and moody composition, this was something Jimmy was immediately attracted to - remembering his goals for Led Zeppelin, he described that he wanted 'above all an ambient band... that was the key thing about it.' The ambience in Holmes' song is amazing, and certainly a fine measure for Page to reach for - it is perhaps the definitive example of how Page could take a good song and make it truly great.
As the story goes, Jimmy was with The Yardbirds at a club in New York when they first heard and discovered Jake Holmes performing 'Dazed and Confused'. Impressed, Page and The Yardbirds rewrote the song together as 'I'm Confused'. Never recorded by The Yardbirds, this was nonetheless a regular inclusion in the setlists of their final days. It can be found on the live Yardbirds' album from the Anderson Theatre, which Page was unhappy with and withdrew from official release and can be found on various bootlegs.
Led Zeppelin's song grew from these sources (Jake Holmes, Yardbirds), and were combined with personal Zeppelin flourishes. The song begins with one of the constants from the original (along with the ambience): the now-famous bassline. John Paul Jones remembers his contributions to the song, 'This had already been well worked in The Yardbirds' days, so for me it was a case of just learning the parts. I think I did change the bass intro a little to suit myself and Bonzo.' The rhythm section carries them through the first verse, which has again been rewritten. Led Zeppelin returned the song to the original title, but now it was no longer about drugs, but on the more Zeppelinesque, bluesy topic of women. The firey arrangement allowed for the song to go in all sorts of directions, and to the credit of the band's talents, it never feels like the medley it is.
From the reverbed violin bow/guitar playing over a throbbing bass and Plant's calm moans to the crashing cymbals kicking off a speedy guitar solo, 'Dazed and Confused' has it all without losing focus, without disrupting it's ultimate realization as a Led Zeppelin song. This is even more impressive when it is revealed that the final version was the second take of the song, and the only overdubs are the violin bow. Bonzo sounds like 2 or 3 drummers throughout [4:58!] while Jones' bass just doesn't get tired. When it comes time for the guitar solo, Jimmy reaches back again into his bag of tricks and pulls out his solo from his lost classic Yardbirds song, 'Think About It'. This version is a bit more polished with a fuller sound, but it is unmistakably similar. It's not thievery if you steal from yourself, right?
And what did Jake Holmes and The Yardbirds think about Led Zeppelin reconstructing their riffs into an instant classic? Jake Holmes didn't mind at all; 'Let them have it' was his philosophy. Jim McCarty (The Yardbirds' drummer) also realized that the song had been 'adapted for the new band. There certainly wasn't any bad feelings.' Both Holmes and the other Yardbirds seem to realize that they couldn't let any selfish feelings tarnish Zep's new masterpiece.
I'm dazed and confused, does it stay does it go?
Why am I being choosed? Oh I'd just like to know
Give me a clue as to where I am at
Feel like a mouse and you act like a cat
I'm dazed and confused, hangin' on by a thread
I'm being abused, I'd be better off dead
Can't stand this teasin', I'm startin' to crack
If you're out to get me you're on the right track
Yeah I'm dazed and confused and it's all upside down
Am I being choosed? Do you want me around?
Secrets are fun to a certain degree
But this one's no fun 'cause the secret's on me
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