There is no mainstream band that has ever struck the balance between imbuing real fear into its audience and entertaining them at the same time like the British-born heavy metal group Black Sabbath. Fronted by Ozzy Osbourne, who is known for biting the heads off animals on stage, the collection of musicians were dark-arts artists as much as they were chart-toppers.
As a result though, the band has become icons in the genre they helped create. And here below, we wanted to explore three of their most famous songs. A trio of tunes that have since stood the test of time. Indeed, these are three eternal heavy metal songs from Black Sabbath.
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“Iron Man” from Paranoid (1970)
A song that was first called “Iron Bloke,” as the main guitar riff reminded lead singer Ozzy Osbourne of a big iron fellow walking around, this song soon took on the more universal title. Since, it’s been used in the Iron Man movie franchise starring Robert Downey Jr. As for the song itself, it’s a looming, large, and heavy track Osbourne’s industrial vocals and the band’s thumping aesthetic. On the track, Osbourne sings of that titular iron bloke,
Has he lost his mind?
Can he see or is he blind?
Can he walk at all
Or if he moves will he fall?
Is he alive or dead?
Has he thoughts within his head?
We’ll just pass him there
Why should we even care?
“Black Sabbath” from Black Sabbath (1970)
The title song of the 1970 album by the band of the same name, this track looms like none other, hanging like a black rain cloud over a town or a monster on the horizon, coming toward civilization. The band knows that, in a way, it represents the sound of evil. And so it plays on that reality with this song, portending with each elongated note, each suspended phrase, that something bad is on its way. On the track, Osbourne sings,
What is this that stands before me?
Figure in black which points at me
Turn around quick, and start to run
Find out I’m the chosen one
Oh no
Big black shape with eyes of fire
Telling people their desire
Satan’s sitting there, he’s smiling
Watches those flames get higher and higher
Oh no, no, please God help me
“War Pigs” from Paranoid (1970)
Black Sabbath was busy in 1970, releasing two albums with hit after hit. And their 1970 single “War Pigs” was another that had a different title at first. Originally, the song was called “Walpurgis,” which was the name for the major holiday for Satanists. Bassist and lyricist Geezer Butler said the song wasn’t about politics at first. Instead, it was about the concept of evil, with war being the quintessential example of that. So when record execs preferred the title “War Pigs” to the original satanist name, the lyrics still fit. And on the song, Osbourne sings,
Generals gathered in their masses
Just like witches at black masses
Evil minds that plot destruction
Sorcerer of death’s construction
In the fields, the bodies burning
As the war machine keeps turning
Death and hatred to mankind
Poisoning their brainwashed minds
Oh lord, yeah!
Politicians hide themselves away
They only started the war
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that role to the poor, yeah
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Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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