Stairway to Heaven (idea)

Both Jimmy Page and Robert Plant have attempted to dispel rumours that the song is about The Lord of the Rings since the song's release.

Those who insist that J.R.R. Tolkien's work of epic fantasy inspired the song generally do so on the following grounds:

• The "lady" referenced in the song's first line is to Galadriel
• The "tree by the brook" is Treebeard, and the "songbird" is Merry, Pippin, or both.
• The song's first line, "There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold", is remarkably similar to the first line of the poem that Bilbo wrote about Aragorn, which states "All that is gold does not glitter".

Plant does not deny the connection between The Battle of Evermore and the final battle in The Return of the King but insists that no connection exists between the LOTR saga and Stairway to Heaven.

A popular interpretation claims that the song is about a prostitute.