 Early lyrics drew on the band 's blues and folk roots , often mixing lyrical fragments from different songs . Many of the band 's songs dealt with themes of romance , unrequited love and sexual conquest , which were common in rock , pop and blues music . Some of their lyrics , especially those derived from the blues , have been interpreted as misogynistic . Particularly on Led Zeppelin III , they incorporated elements of mythology and mysticism into their music , which largely grew out of Plant 's interest in legends and history . These elements were often taken to reflect Page 's interest in the occult , which resulted in accusations that the recordings contained subliminal satanic messages , some of which were said to be contained in backmasking ; these claims were generally dismissed by the band and music critics . Susan Fast argues that as Plant emerged as the band 's main lyricist , the songs more obviously reflected his alignment with the West Coast counterculture of the 1960s . In the later part of the band 's career Plant 's lyrics became more autobiographical , and less optimistic , drawing on his own experiences and circumstances . 
