Robert Plant recently spoke about why he allowed Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” (1970) to be used in the notorious comedy “School of Rock” (2003), starring Tenacious-D singer Jack Black. Songs from his former band are rarely heard in films.
Led Zeppelin split in 1980 after the death of drummer John Bonham. Since then, they have reunited several times, most recently in 2007, though only for one-off appearances. Plant often plays Led Zeppelin songs on his solo shows. However, just last year he said he wasn’t particularly happy with the idea of bringing the group back together.
“Jack Black made it a great feast”
When asked in a recent interview with Vulture, Plant explained why he agreed to the use of the song in the Richard Linklater-directed film, along with a clever song reference: “My answer is: Why not? Our songs don’t come from Valhalla. That wasn’t the goal either. I like the idea of taking the hammer to another time.”
Plans goes on: “Jack Black turned this into a great feast.” He added that despite a “killer guitar riff,” “Immigrant Song” isn’t an easy song for kids. He explained: “Everyone understands him, young and old. It’s a great piece. Not just a little ridiculous, but really ridiculous. Considering we wrote it above the clouds as we left Iceland – a fantastically inspiring performance and an adventure that will never be written in books. Passing this on to the children is important. Send it up, send it down, just keep sending it. Just keep going, because there is no hierarchy.” In 2019, after more than 24 years, Plant played the piece live again, here is the video.
Explaining that getting permission to use the song in the film was a matter that seemed “instantly appealing,” the singer praised Black: “All my grandkids could play Jack Black’s riffs. I think ‘School of Rock’ was the right thing to do to dissect our myth for a while. Because it’s all a myth. And none of that matters. I’ve seen the film and I think it’s funny.”
Led Zeppelin are notoriously picky about the use of their music in film and television, which is why the song’s inclusion on School of Rock was particularly notable. The DVD and Blu-ray editions of School of Rock include an additional scene in which, as the extras from the crowd cheer, Black addresses the surviving members of Led Zeppelin – Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones – Contacts and asks permission to use the number.
Jack Black sings “Immigrant Song”
The track from the Led Zeppelin III album (1970) was used in a scene in the film where substitute teacher Dewey Finn (Jack Black) drives his school band back to school after the Battle of the Bands. Black sings the song in the car and praises Summer (Miranda Cosgrove) for her idea of disguising the students as terminally ill children in order to be able to attend the fully booked event. Just last year, Black sang the song during a benefit for a youngster with a rare disease.
Listen to Led Zeppelin III, which also includes Immigrant Song, here: