很久以前的一首歌，和我同一個年代出生。寫歌的Jimmy Page和Robert Plant早已經在今日嘻哈繞舌盛行的世代來臨之前古稀老去。LED ZEPPELIN也只剩掛在搖滾樂史上經典中之經典，那崇高的供位上的殘舊斑駁牌名。但值得存在的終究會存在，無論是以何種形式。即使它在Billboard前兩百名內盤踞數十載餘後隨時間退燒降溫而不再列名，如今依然存在於網路世代的各大搜尋引擎裏，並將持續其不朽以喚醒搖滾樂屬民們代代轉世的魂靈。
收錄這首歌的LED ZEPPELIN IV(第四)專輯我早在五年之前或更早以前就買了，卻一直櫥藏著。直到今年才「愛」上這首歌曲－－愛很難定義，這「愛」是指聽了以後有某種感覺從頭皮流竄到腳底，再匯聚溢濫胸窩的狀況。那感覺有時是酸的，有時是爽的，有時不酸不爽竟有點隱隱悶痛的。(又像某種愛的定義？)愛也很難一審讞定，有時初相遇時你不以為意的，再重逢時竟讓你恓惶悟憬，憐惜莫名－－幸好我收藏音樂專輯時都是小心翼翼地，一如過往的戀情。
起初，因為同組樂團的吉他手彈奏技巧中等，他挑選這首七分五十五秒的《STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN》來練團，是既不難彈又可以過足慢板的clean tone到快板的solo的演奏癮，而我可以飆假音，鼓手和貝斯更樂得可以趁著等待起奏的時間去上個小號或喝水休息。所以試聽它時沒人覺得它有什麼了不起，更談不上對它愛不愛的。
直到我把歌詞背得爛熟，在反覆練歌時，隨著一遍又一遍的吟唱，漸漸地將歌詞的含意與歌曲的韻律交融參悟之後，才領會到一種有如淋漓醍醐的美妙。也正是這美妙的感受，讓我對這首曠世名曲由喜戀而癡愛。尤其是歌詞中的幾句：「Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgivings」、「Our shadows taller than our soul」、「To be a rock，a natural]」…它們顛覆我長久以來對靈長之尊的迷思、驅使我窺探善與惡的哲理、讓我在組搖滾樂團的心態上豁然開朗。(我須要解釋這麼多嗎？每個人對事物的領悟都不相同－－於我是轟隆的雷鳴，於你卻可能只是嗡嗡的蚊吟。)
LED ZEPPELIN有多麼偉大以歷世？《STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN》有多麼雋永可傳世？我不願耗費詞句在這一類入門等級的問題。但是如同虔誠的宗教信徒助印所崇敬信奉的經書一般，將整首歌詞鍵入呈現於此，卻是我必須為之的事情。其動機不在於蔭積功德，其心態僅純粹虔敬頂禮。雖然鍵盤輸入對我而言是件不甚輕快的事，惟英打《STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN》的歌詞並不須要輕快。相反的，前半首應該速度放慢…慢…慢…慢…慢到一種近乎莊嚴神聖的態度，慢到所有牽曳生理規律的生活作息的生產事務的生存價值都等不及地拂袖而去的態度。如此，才不致於對這首鉅偉的搖滾詩歌有任何絲毫褻瀆…
There’s a lady who’s show , all the gitters is gold
And she’s buying a stairway to heaven
When she get there all she know . If the stores are all closed
with a word she can get what she came for
Woo woo woo ...
And she’s buying a stairway to heaven
There’s a sigh on the wall , but she wants to be sure
Cause you know sometimes words have two meaning
In a tree by the brook , there’s a song bird who sings
sometimes all of our thoughts are misgivings
Woo...it makes me wonder
Woo...it makes me wonder
There’s a feeling I get , when I look to the west
And my spirit is crying for leaving
In my thoughts I have seen , rings of smoke through the trees
and the voice of those who stand looking
Woo...it makes me wonder
Woo...and it makes me wonder
And it whispered that soon , if we all called the tone
Then the piper will lead us to reason
And the new day will dawn for those who stand long
And the forest will echo with laughter
.....
Woh oh oh...
If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow . Don’t be alarmed now
It’s just a spring clean for a May-queen
Yes , there are two paths you can go back . But in the long run
There’s still time to change the road you’re on
.....And it makes me wonder
.....Oh oh
Your head is humming and it won’t go . In case you don’t know
The piper’s calling you to join him
Dear lady can you hear the wind blow . And did you know ,
your stairway lies on the whispering wind . Oh woh...
(GUITAR SOLO)
And then we wild on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants show
How every thing still turn to gold
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock , a natural
And she’s buying a stairway to heaven...
當我一邊英打一邊聆聽至後半首的GUITAR SOLO時，Jimmy Page在音響喇叭的傳頌中縹緲顯靈，Robert Plant繼之在晦暗燭燈的投映裏朦朧現影。然後，我被某個崇拜他們的搖滾靈魂所附身－－狂敲猛擊出一串串字母！莫非是…John Bonham也來了？
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