"The Rover" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin. It is the second track on their 1975 album Physical Graffiti. The Rover was originally meant to be an acoustic piece, being written at Bron-Yr-Aur in 1970 and then recorded during the Houses of the Holy sessions in 1972. However, it was decided to hold the track off the Houses of the Holy album, and it eventually saw its way onto Led Zeppelin's next studio album Physical Graffiti. By this time it had obtained a distinctly heavier feel, with several studio overdubs having been laid by Jimmy Page in 1974.

The track opens with a drum beat from John Bonham, and throughout the song, Page plays a distinctive riff using a Phase Shifter effect. The song's lyrics seem to be somewhat up to interpretaton, although a theme throughout the song seems to be the need for unity.

The Rover was never played live, although the band played the opening bars during at least one show: the 23 June 1977 show at The Forum, Inglewood, Los Angeles, USA.

Sources

• Led Zeppelin: Dazed and Confused: The Stories Behind Every song, by Chris Welch, ISBN 1-56025-818-7
• The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, by Dave Lewis, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9