When Robert Plant stepped up to perform “Stairway to Heaven” in 2023, it marked the first time in 16 years that Led Zeppelin’s frontman revisited the iconic song on stage. While fans were ecstatic to hear the legendary track sung by the man who helped define it, Plant’s motivation for the rare performance wasn’t nostalgia—it was charity. And truthfully, he’s not as attached to the song as many might expect.
Speaking with AXS TV, Plant reflected on the legacy of the track and how he views it today. He didn’t dismiss it entirely, but made it clear that his relationship with “Stairway” has changed over the years.
“It belongs to a particular time,” he explained.
“If I had been involved in the instrumentation, I’d probably feel that it’s a magnificent piece of music with its own character. My contribution was writing the lyrics and singing something about fate—something very British and almost abstract.”
Plant pointed out that the song was a product of his younger self—someone who saw the world very differently than he does now. “It came out of the mind of a 23-year-old,” he said. “And it landed in that same world—among other 23-year-old guys. But as you grow older, you start to feel that other moments in your life have more depth.”
Though he acknowledged that the song still holds beauty, Plant no longer sees it as the defining piece of his career. “So, as much as I like it,” he said, “I’m not wedded to that whole deal now.”
