Good Times Bad Times Lyrics
In the days of my youth, I was told what it means to be a man
Now I've reached that age, I've tried to do all those things the best I can
No matter how I try, I find my way into the same old jam
[Chorus]
Good times, bad times, you know I've had my share
When my woman left home for a brown-eyed man
But I still don't seem to care
[Verse 2]
Sixteen, I fell in love with a girl as sweet as could be
It only took a couple of days till she was rid of me
She swore that she would be all mine and love me 'til the end
But when I whispered in her ear, I lost another friend, oh
[Chorus]
Good times, bad times, you know I've had my share
When my woman left home for a brown-eyed man
But I still don't seem to care
[Guitar Solo]
[Chorus]
Good times, bad times, you know I've had my share
When my woman left home for a brown-eyed man
But I still don't seem to care
I know what it means to be alone
I sure do wish I was at home
I don't care what the neighbours say
I'm gonna love you each and every day
You can feel the beat within my heart
Realize, sweet babe, we ain't never gonna part
I feel good when I look into your eyes
About
The opening track of Led Zeppelin’s eponymous album featured the musical prowess held by all band members, ranging from the unique vocal performances to the different take on drumming, serving as the perfect introduction to what would become one of the most influential rock bands of all time.
“Good Times Bad Times” explores the themes of love and loss, featuring anecdotes that help to bring the feelings to life. The track was released to great reception, entering the top 100 song charts in several countries — some of its highest peaks were #17 in the Netherlands and #64 in Canada. Andy Greene of Rolling Stone wrote:
Jimmy Page’s guitar pounces from the speakers, fat with menace; John Bonham’s kick drum swings with anvil force; Robert Plant rambles on about the perils of manhood. Hard rock would never be the same.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
Guitarist Jim Page told Guitar World Magazine:
The most stunning thing about the track, of course, is [drummer John Bonham’s] amazing kick drum. It’s superhuman when you realize he was not playing with double kick. That’s one kick drum!! That’s when people started understanding what he was all about.
He later told Rolling Stone in 2012:
John Paul Jones came up with the riff. I had the chorus. John Bonham applied the bass-drum pattern. That one really shaped our writing process. It was like, ‘Wow, everybody’s erupting at once.’
Rolling Stone named the track the #6 Zeppelin song of all time, saying:
The first song on the first album introduces the band with a declaration of surly defiance (‘I don’t care what the neighbors say’), a stun-gun riff and a restless, syncopated drum pattern, which Page cited as evidence of Bonham’s ‘amazing technique.’ Though the lyrics are a standard evil-woman blues complaint, the message was as immediate as a car accident: Zeppelin intended to use four-piece dynamics in exhilarating new ways.
- 1.Good Times Bad Times
- 3.You Shook Me
