Custard Pie - Led Zeppelin's Influences

LED ZEPPELIN'S INFLUENCES

Custard Pie

"Custard Pie" opens Physical Graffiti and it served notice that even after six albums, Robert Plant was still drawing heavily from the blues. Led Zeppelin's Sources of Inspiration includes Bukka White's "Shake 'Em On Down," which they describe as the "original source" to "Custard Pie". (It is interesting to note that Led Astray also includes Bukka White's "Shake 'Em On Down", but they suggest that Led Zeppelin used it in their song "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper") While it may be true that "Custard Pie" includes the phrase "Shake 'em on down", it's a stretch to say that Led Zeppelin owes much to Bukka White in this case. The source to which Plant owes the greatest debt for "Custard Pie" is "Drop Down Mama" by Sleepy John Estes with Hammie Nixon, recorded in 1935. The opening lines of "Custard Pie" echo those of Sleepy John Estes's "Drop Down Mama". In fact, the entire first verse of "Custard Pie" is drawn from "Drop Down Mama". In the second verse Plant uses a cut-and-paste approach to country blues lyrics, lifting lines alternately from "Help Me" by Sonny Boy Williamson and "Shake 'Em On Down" by Bukka White before moving on to "I Want Some of Your Pie" by Blind Boy Fuller. Sonny Terry later recorded this song as "Custard Pie Blues." It's interesting to look at Robert Plant's lyrics line-by-line to see how freely he was drawing on classic blues lines.

Drop down, baby, let your daddy see		Drop Down Mama
Drop down, mama, just dream of me		Drop Down Mama
Well, my mama allow me to fool around all night long		Drop Down Mama
Well, I may look like I'm crazy, I should know right from wrong		Drop Down Mama
See me comin', throw your man out the door		Drop Down Mama
Ain't no stranger, been this way before		Drop Down Mama
See me comin', mama, throw your man out the door		Drop Down Mama
I ain't no stranger, I been this way before.		Drop Down Mama

Put on your night shirt and your morning gown		Help Me
You know by night I'm gonna shake 'em on down		Shake 'Em On Down
Put on your night shirt Mama, and your morning gown		Help Me
Well, you know by night I'm gonna shake 'em on down		Shake 'Em On Down
Your custard pie, yeah, sweet and nice		I Want Some of Your Pie
When you cut it, mama, save me a slice		I Want Some of Your Pie
Your custard pie, I declare, it's sweet and nice		I Want Some of Your Pie
I Like your custard pie		I Want Some of Your Pie
When you cut it, mama... mama, please save me a slice		I Want Some of Your Pie

Chewin' a piece of your custard pie		I Want Some of Your Pie
Drop down		Drop Down Mama

The lyrics of "Custard Pie" pay homage to the sly sexual images of country blues. Musically, "Custard Pie" is distinct from any of the blues classics it references. In a couple of cases, however, Robert Plant draws so heavily on the source that "Custard Pie" goes beyond homage, particularly "Drop Down Mama" and perhaps "I Want Some of Your Pie". While Plant's lyrics may vary a bit from those of the original songs, the source material is readily identifiable here. Sleepy John Estes and perhaps Blind Boy Fuller should have been credited much in the same way that Led Zeppelin credited Memphis Minnie for "When the Levee Breaks". For reference, here are the complete lyrics for "Drop Down Mama" by Sleepy John Estes and "I Want Some of Your Pie" by Blind Boy Fuller.

Drop Down Mama
Sleepy John Estes

Now, drop down, baby, let your daddy be
I know just what you're tryin' to pull on me

Chorus:
Well my mama, she don't allow me to fool 'round all night long
Now I may look like I'm crazy, poor John do know right from wrong

Go 'way from my window quit scratchin' on my screen
You's a dirty mistreater I know just what you mean

Chorus

Some of these women sure do make me tired
Got a, a handful of "Gimme", a mouthful of "Much obliged"

Chorus

Woman I'm lovin', one teeth solid gold
That's the onliest woman a mortgage on my soul

Chorus

See me comin' put your man outdoors
You know I ain't no stranger, has done been here before

Chorus

I Want Some Of Your Pie
Blind Boy Fuller

Says, I'm not jokin' and I'm gonna tell you no lie
I want to eat your custard pie
Chorus:
You gotta give me some of it (3X)
'Fore you give it all away

I'm not breakin' but you understood
everything I do, I try to do it good
Chorus

Now, your custard pie is good and nice
when you cut it, please save me a slice
Chorus

Says, I don't care if I live right cross that street
you cut that pie please save me a piece
Chorus

Oh, it's good for a man 83
you know good well it good enough for me
Chorus

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Recommended Listening

		Sleepy John Estes - I Ain't Gonna Be Worried No More

		Blind Boy Fuller - The Essential Blind Boy Fuller

		Bukka White - The Complete Bukka White

		Sonny Boy Williamson - His Best

Compilations of Original Versions

"Shake 'Em On Down" by Bukka White is included on all of the compilations except The Early Blues Roots of Led Zeppelin, but "I Want Some of Your Pie" by Blind Boy Fuller is only on The Early Blues Roots of Led Zeppelin.

The Blues and Folk
Roots of
Led Zeppelin's Music.
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