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Song: Out On The Tiles
Album: Led Zeppelin III [released Oct 5, 1970 (US) | Oct 23, 1970 (UK)]
Single: N/A
Credited to: Jimmy Page, John Bonham, Robert Plant
Related Songs:
Traveling Riverside Blues - Robert Johnson (reference)

Lyrics:

As I walk down the highway, all I do is sing a song
And a train that's passin' my way helps the rhythm move along
There is no doubt about, the words are clear, the voice is strong, it's oh, so strong

Just a simple guy, and live from day to day
A ray of sunshine melts my frown, blows my blues away
There's nothin' more that I can say, but on a day like today, I pass the time away, and walk a quiet mile with you

Chorus:
All I need from you is all your love
All you gotta give to me is all your love
All I need from you is all your love
All you gotta give to me is all your love
Ooh, yeah, ooh, yeah
Ooh, yeah, ooh, yeah

I'm so glad I'm livin', (stop), gonna tell the world I am
I got me a fine woman, and she says that I'm her man
One thing that I know for sure, gonna give her all the lovin' like nobody, nobody, nobody, nobody can

Stand in the noon-day sun tryin' to flag a ride
People go and people come, see my rider right by my side
It's a total disgrace, they set the pace, it must be a race, the best thing I can do is run

(Chorus)
(well, alright)

Aw, yeah, aw, yeah, aw, yeah
All that the rhythm said was keep o-on
All that rhythm said was keep o-on
Ooh, yeah, ooh, yeah, ooh, yeah
Ooh, yeah, ooh, yeah, ooh, yeah
Ah-hah-hah-hah-hah-hah, yeah, yeah
Ah-hah-hah-hah-hah-hah-hah, yeah, yeah

Influences: The story is, Jimmy Page invented the riff to this song after hearing John Bonham sing a little ditty of his that may have been influenced by an old English drinking song. Here are the lyrics to Bonham's ditty:

I've had a pint of bitter and now I'm feeling better
and I'm out on the tiles
We're going down the rubbers and we're going to pull some scrubbers
because we're out on the tiles

Also, one of the lyrics in Out On The Tiles ("see my rider right by my side"), is similar to a lyric from Robert Johnson's Traveling Riverside Blues ("goin' to Rosedale with my rider by my side"), a song that Robert Plant was fond of quoting.



Traveling Riverside Blues - Robert Johnson

If your man get personal, want you to have your fun
If your man get personal, want you to have your fun
Best come on back to Friars Point, mama, and barrelhouse all night long

I got womens in Vicksburg, clean on into Tennessee
I got womens in Vicksburg, clean on into Tennessee
But my Friars Point rider, now, hops all over me

I ain't gon' to state no color, but her front teeth crowned with gold
I ain't gon' to state no color, but her front teeth is crowned with gold
She got a mortgage on my body, now, lien on my soul

Lord, I'm goin' to Rosedale, gon' take my rider by my side
Well I'm goin' to Rosedale, gon' take my rider by my side
We can still barrelhouse, baby, cause it's on the riverside

Now you can squeeze my lemon 'till the juice runs down my...
(Till the juice runs down my leg, baby, you know what I'm talkin' about)
You can squeeze my lemon 'til the juice runs down my leg
(That's what I'm talkin' 'bout, now)
But I'm goin' back to Friars Point, if I be rockin' to my head