and Words
There′s a lady who’s sure all that glitters is gold
And she′s buying a stairway to Heaven
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for
Ooh, ooh, and she’s buying a stairway to Heaven
There’s a sign on the wall, but she wants to be sure
′Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings
In a tree by the brook, there′s a songbird who sings
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven
Lyric excerpts from Musixmatch.
I arrived in Florida from Puerto Rico in the summer of 1978. When I first arrived, I spoke mostly Cantonese and Spanish. I studied English in Catholic school, but I failed that class. Upon arriving in Florida, I started learning English for real. In fact, I learned English through listening to music. I spent many hours listening to the radio on stations such as Y-100. It was in that way that I discovered bands like Led Zeppelin.
The prototypical Led Zeppelin song that dominated the airwaves is “Stairway to Heaven”. Naturally, the radio played many of their other songs, but “Stairway to Heaven” was by far their most distinctive. Yes, I found the song interesting, but many songs were interesting. The 80s filled my ears full of many distinctive sounds and experiences. You know how the adage goes, “You’re unique, just like everyone else.”
However, enthusiasts discussed Led Zeppelin in different circles. Many bands existed, but a handful of bands were discussed with a certain reverence. For their enthusiasts, to speak ill of them was its own form of heresy. Led Zeppelin was among them.
Years later, I study computer engineering at the University of Miami. While I attend classes at specified times and locations, this is only a fraction of the time I spend on campus. Occasionally, I’ll work on a project in a specified lab with special equipment, but this is generally the exception. Most days, I spend time between classes in a handful of designated locations. One generic computer lab sat immediately next to the main classroom on the fifth floor of the engineering building; it became a popular meeting place. This classroom hosted many of the higher-level electrical engineering classes.
A short walk away was the Richter library, centrally located on main campus. A large meeting room with dozens of long tables sat in a corner of the library, just off the main entrance. We called it ‘The Zoo’. It was brightly lit and perpetually chaotic. Some photocopy machines sat in their own side room, off this meeting room; they accepted coins or a pre-loaded ‘charge’ card for photocopies.
Tall windows lined two sides of The Zoo. Anyone who approached from that corner could easily see the occupants of the room. We would often use this room as the de facto meeting place. We spent many hours here doing desperate last-minute cramming before a big exam. Most such cramming sessions were helpful; others were futile. During finals, the library kept this room open 24/7.
When we arranged to meet, we needed to do so carefully. We operated in the late 80’s and early 90’s. We did not have cell phones nor readily available e-mail. If we committed to meet at a particular place at 3pm, we needed to show up. There was no way to alert nomadic classmates wandering around campus to meet at a different place or a different time.
The room seemed disproportionately occupied by engineering students. Eventually, we referred to each other by adjectives, for which type of engineering. We were relegated to our departments. I was ‘computer’ (engineering); others were electrical, mechanical, civil, etc.
Periodicals occupied the second floor of the library. A large desk separated the neatly filed periodicals in stacks of shelves. My friend Max, short for Marisela, worked behind the periodicals desk. She fetched the current issues of magazines at your request. She is of Mexican descent, somewhat soft-spoken, but funny. She’s electrical.
Off the side of this periodical desk sat a modest computer lab designated for word processing. On occasion, I’d abuse this policy. I repurposed that computer for programming assignments, but only when no one was actively waiting to use it. I carried the software that I needed to use in floppy diskettes in my backpack. Our backpacks became our lifeline during those days. I carried my projects and documents on floppy diskettes. Similarly, it held the stack of books and notes that I’d need for my classes.
Music was that last refuge. I carried a Sony Discman and a collection of discs in my backpack. Honestly, I’m not convinced that it was worth carrying that weight with me everywhere I went during the day, but it fed my soul and kept me sane. It seemed like a reasonable compromise.
Our collection of friends and classmates included a kaleidoscope of cultures. We had classmates from Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Panama, Malaysia, India, and yes, even the United States. We eventually started meeting at the tables along the perimeter of the third floor. I would often traverse that perimeter along the windows overlooking the warm Florida climate, looking for a familiar face.
On many such trips, I’d sit with my friend Gilberto; he’s electrical, of Cuban descent. I’m not sure that we ever even shared a class. That said, we got along fabulously. I’d often sit with him and another friend, Nelson. Nelson was Malaysian and spoke Cantonese. I’d talk to one in Spanish and the other in Cantonese to amuse myself.
Gilberto and I spent too much time discussing music. He was one of those Led Zeppelin zealots. Whenever discussing the epitome of anything (band, guitarist, vocalist, etc.), the answer was obviously Led Zeppelin. To me, that answer was always a discussion. Don’t get me wrong; Led Zeppelin was obviously an influential band that had an impact on the industry as a whole. There’s a ton of historical significance with this band; I won’t deny that.
However, would I say that it’s the greatest band ever? Will I claim that Jimmy Page is the greatest guitarist (even during his prime)? I’m not convinced. Is anything that they ever touched implicitly exceptional? I don’t ever consider anyone to have a musical Midas Touch; no, not even my favorite bands. I don’t dislike Led Zeppelin, much like I don’t dislike The Go-Go’s or U2. However, I’ve never purchased any of their music. As a student of modest means, I carefully chose the bands that would get my money; they weren’t among them.
And my simple counterargument for Led Zeppelin, in particular, is this. How seriously should I take a band that instructs me to “squeeze their lemon until the juice runs down their leg”?
I rarely hear ‘Stairway to Heaven’ these days. I don’t have it (nor any other Led Zeppelin song) on any playlist. However, when I do, it takes me back to those moments on the third floor of the Richter Library, as I spent countless hours between classes chatting with friends. I’d like to believe we spent most of that time studying.
I lost track of Gilberto since graduation. The likelihood of his reading this particular post is almost zero. However, if we should cross paths again, I’d certainly greet him with a great embrace. Then I’ll lean in and whisper in his ear, “Led Zeppelin is not the greatest band ever… not even close.” 🤣