“Custard Pie” opens the 1975 double-LP Physical Graffiti
| Custard Pie | |
| by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant | Source |
| 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, but musically, “Custard Pie” is distinct from any of the blues classics it references. While Robert Plant’s lyrics may vary a bit from those of the original songs, the source material is readily identifiable here. In a couple of cases, 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”. 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”.
Drop Down Mama
by Sleepy John EstesNow, 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
by Blind Boy FullerSays, 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 awayI’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]
Thanks so much. Perhaps the lyric above should read, “I’m not braggin’ but it’s understood….”
There is no plagiarism in blues. They all steal melodies and lyrics and remake songs. Look up Muddy Waters “Hoochie Coichie Man” to Bo Didley “I’m a Man” to Muddy Waters “Mannish Boy.”
The only sin in blues is playing an exact copy of the song.
Good stuff, thanks. I was listening to Custard Pie and did a little googling to see where the lyrics came from. I figured they were based on something, but I had no idea Led Zeppelin had such a mix and match approach to lyrics in some songs.
Really fascinating, thanks for the info and especially the line by line breakdown.