Love it ever since!
My dear friend,
If I suddenly asked “What is the song you love for the longest time?”, which name would immediately come to your mind? Is it a song from childhood? Did you love it right away or grow to appreciate it more as time went by? How did it secure a place in your heart, by being attached to a special memory, or by revealing hidden layers you never knew you had?
Well, to me, it was a familiar song. I had been listening to it for years before that faithful day, when I became unusually sensitive and was able to see for the first time, that rock music possessed a complex beauty that went far beyond its outward defiant attitude. It was the first long song I fell in love with, and also the song with many mysteries that to this day, I still can’t figure out all the enchantments behind: Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven.
Being exposed to rock at an early age, I treated this genre as a mental stimulant to get me through dreadful school years. Whenever I got overwhelmed by the piles and piles of homework, I would call on the Rock God for help and he always answered. Although once the music played, I paid more attention to it than the neatly written pages contained valuable knowledge from those books that I had been opening for forever, and as a result, I listened to music more seriously than I studied. But after a while, my concentration began to shift to the right subject. The energy that was just urging me to “screw everything, throw a tantrum’’, now gave me the strength to sit still and think. It’s not an exaggeration to say that without rock, my student life would have been insufferable!
As a little kid looking for a moral boost, I often chose simple songs with easy-to-follow tunes and fast tempos to listen to while studying. However, what really attracted me despite my childish understanding were complex songs that twisted and turned but somehow maintained a consistent thread from beginning to end – like Stairway to Heaven!
Back then, my father often bought classic rock CDs, which featured a collection of songs from various bands, grouped by similarities to create a diverse yet cohesive listening experience. Among them was a rather unusual one. The first track on that disc was “Stairway to Heaven,” followed by Deep Purple’s “Soldier of Fortune,” and then some simpler songs. I always found this arrangement a bit odd. Why start a party with two elaborate main courses, then serve appetizers? It really wasn’t a good idea. I felt sorry for the songs placed after those two masterpieces. They weren’t bad, but they were overshadowed by the complexity and depth of the first two tracks. Not a big fan of how they organized the songs, I rarely went with this CD, except for when I craved Stairway or Soldier.
I had a habit of humming along, even pretending to perform when my favorite music started playing. One moment I was belting from my chest, the next I made the guitar screamed. I held most of the positions in the band, even taking on a role that most rock bands don’t need: a conductor! The music was already good when I just sit still and listened, but pretended like I was actually playing made it ten times better!
However, on that day, something uncanny happened. My body seemed to be under the influence of some immobility spells. My eyes widened, staring into the void as my mind split in two. One intently followed the sound, while the other rummaged in confusion through a juvenile mind of only 12, 13 years old, trying to find something useful to decipher the strange signal that the song was transmitting to me. The signal seemed to sharpen my ears. I began to notice accents I had never heard before. Countless sounds echoed in my ears, making the already labyrinthine song even more haunting. Even my heart seemed to be affected by the sudden surge of excitement.
It was the first time I experienced something that surreal. Yet somehow, it didn’t feel strange at all. There was a sense of instant recognition, almost like finding a lost piece of myself. The “signal” apparently did not come from somewhere far away but arose from within. Its power was abrupt yet so mighty it stopped me from doing other activities to focus on it solely.
I always felt grateful to have gone through something like that. As I told you, I love rock music. Even before knowing about that “Oh wow!” experience, rock had found a place in my life. But it was only when I could view this old friend with fresh eyes (or ears, if you want to be exact), that I learned there was a whole world of untapped wonders right in heart of my mundane life. They are probably still waiting for the right moment to rise and reunite with me.
My musical journey changed a lot after that. Favorite artists, favorite songs kept emerging and changing. Some came and went as quickly as summer rains. Others were more enduring. But no matter how my taste in music changes, Stairway to Heaven is always “that song”. The first brick that laid the foundation for everything. A precious wine that the more time passes and my taste buds hone, the more I appreciate its immortal value. In it, there is always something beyond my reach, but at the same time so close, as if any moment now, the curtain will be lifted, and I will let out an “aha” because the truth is just so obvious.
I’m still waiting for that to happen. But even if I cannot solve this mystery, it’s okay! Beauty doesn’t need to be understood to be felt.
Saigon
August 15, 2025