Everyone gets songs stuck in their heads that just won’t go away. They sneak into your subconscious. They are epic earworms that you find yourself humming uncontrollably, singing in the shower, or tapping the beat to with your foot or ballpoint pen when you should be working. Sometimes they even keep you awake at night. Whether they are current hits, one-hit wonders, movie soundtrack gems, holiday favorites, or songs from your youth, their catchy vocals, riffs, hooks, and choruses seem to linger for days.
Here, those songs find a home, no matter the genre. Here, those epic earworms are revisited, explained, and celebrated. Here, you may find the song that haunts you tomorrow. Here is today’s unescapable song of the day…and the story behind it.
Today’s Epic Earworm: Robert Plant — “Tall Cool One”
Music video for “Tall Cool One” by Robert Plant, Courtesy of Es Peranza/Atlantic
After the break-up of Led Zeppelin following John Bonham’s death, Robert Plant almost gave up music to become a teacher. Luckily for music fans everywhere, Phil Collins convinced Plant to embark on a solo career. As a solo artist, he continued to crank out hits, including today’s epic earworm, “Tall Cool One.” The song, off of Plant’s 1988 triple-platinum album Now and Zen, became his fourth single to top the Mainstream Rock chart.
Started As A Revenge Song
What’s funny about “Tall Cool One” is that it was originally intended to be a revenge song. No, it was not written to throw shade at an ex; it was written to throw shade at…the Beastie Boys! That’s right, Plant was angry that the Brooklyn rappers had sampled Led Zeppelin songs on their album Licensed to Ill without the band’s authorization. So, the plan was to include samples from the Beastie Boys in “Tall Cool One.”
There was just one problem with Plant’s plan. He and writing partner/co-producer Phil Johnstone couldn’t find anything of the Beastie Boys that they thought would work with the song. So, the pair instead decided to sample, you guessed it, Led Zeppelin as well. If you listen closely, you can hear samples from “Black Dog,” “Dazed and Confused,” “Whole Lotta Love,” “The Ocean,” and “Custard Pie. They also included lyrical call-backs to “Black Dog” and “When the Levee Breaks.” The two even brought in Zeppelin bandmate Jimmy Page to play a guitar solo on the song.
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