After previous iterations of the group – the Polka Tulk Blues Band and Earth – the band settled on the name Black Sabbath in 1969. They distinguished themselves through occult themes with horror-inspired lyrics and down-tuned guitars. Signing to Philips Records in November 1969, they released their first single, "Evil Woman", in January 1970, and their debut album, Black Sabbath, was released the following month. Though it received a negative critical response, the album was a commercial success, leading to a follow-up record, Paranoid, later that year. The band's popularity grew, and by 1973's Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, critics were starting to respond favourably.
Osbourne's excessive substance abuse led to his firing in 1979. He was replaced by former Rainbow vocalist Ronnie James Dio. Following two albums with Dio, Black Sabbath endured many personnel changes in the 1980s and 1990s that included vocalists Ian Gillan, Glenn Hughes, Ray Gillen and Tony Martin, as well as several drummers and bassists. Martin, who replaced Gillan in 1987, was the second-longest serving vocalist and recorded three albums with Black Sabbath before his dismissal in 1991. That same year, Iommi and Butler were rejoined by Dio and drummer Vinny Appice to record Dehumanizer (1992). After two more studio albums with Martin, who replaced Dio in 1993, the band's original line-up reunited in 1997 and released a live album, Reunion, the following year; they continued to tour occasionally until 2005. Other than various back catalogue reissues and compilation albums, as well as the Mob Rules-era line-up reunited as Heaven & Hell, there was no further activity under the Black Sabbath until 2011 with the release of their final studio album and 19th overall, 13, in 2013, which features all of the original members except Ward. During their farewell tour, the band played their final concert in their home city of Birmingham on 4 February 2017. Occasional partial reunions have happened since, most recently when Osbourne and Iommi performed together at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Black Sabbath have sold over 70 million records worldwide as of 2013, making them one of the most commercially successful heavy metal bands. Black Sabbath, together with Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin, have been referred to as the "unholy trinity of British hard rock and heavy metal in the early to mid-seventies". They were ranked by MTV as the "Greatest Metal Band of All Time" and placed second on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" list. Rolling Stone magazine ranked them number 85 on their "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Black Sabbath were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. They have also won two Grammy Awards for Best Metal Performance, and in 2019 the band were presented a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Sabbath
Studio albums
Black Sabbath (1970)
Paranoid (1970)
Master of Reality (1971)
Vol. 4 (1972)
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)
Sabotage (1975)
Technical Ecstasy (1976)
Never Say Die! (1978)
Heaven and Hell (1980)
Mob Rules (1981)
Born Again (1983)
Seventh Star (1986)
The Eternal Idol (1987)
Headless Cross (1989)
Tyr (1990)
Dehumanizer (1992)
Cross Purposes (1994)
Forbidden (1995)
13 (2013)
War Pigs
Black Sabbath Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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 all to the poor
Yeah
Time will tell on their power minds
Making war just for fun
Treating people just like pawns in chess
Wait 'til their judgment day comes
Yeah
Now in darkness, world stops turning
Ashes where their bodies burning
No more war pigs have the power
Hand of God has struck the hour
Day of judgment, God is calling
On their knees, the war pig's crawling
Begging mercies for their sins
Satan, laughing, spreads his wings
Oh, Lord, yeah
The opening verses of Black Sabbath's song "War Pigs" present a powerful imagery of destruction and death, describing the generals gathering like witches at black masses, plotting for destruction and constructing the sorcerer of death. The fields are filled with burning bodies as the death machine keeps turning, poisoning the minds of mankind with death and hatred. The repetition of "Oh, Lord, yeah" throughout the song is an expression of desperation and the sense of pleading with a higher power for mercy and salvation from the horror of war.
In the following verses, Black Sabbath points the finger at politicians who hide away and start the war, leaving the poor to fight and suffer the consequences. The band criticizes the powerful minds who make war just for fun and treat people like pawns in a chess game. The song implies that eventually, these people will be judged for their actions, and they'll have to face their day of reckoning.
The final verses paint a picture of a world plunged into darkness, where the war pigs have lost their power, and the hand of God has struck the hour. The day of judgment has come, and the war pigs are on their knees, begging for mercies for their sins. Meanwhile, Satan, laughing, spreads his wings, suggesting that the cycle of war and destruction may never end and that, in some sense, it's a product of human nature.
Line by Line Meaning
Generals gathered in their masses
A large group of military leaders with evil intentions formed an alliance
Just like witches at black masses
These leaders meet in secret, like practitioners of dark magic
Evil minds that plot destruction
These leaders are filled with malicious thoughts and aim to cause chaos and devastation
Sorcerer of death's construction
They are like sinister wizards, concocting schemes to summon death and destruction
In the fields, the bodies burning
The result of their actions is a gruesome scene of burning corpses in the battlefield
As the war machine keeps turning
Despite the horror of the situation, war continues unabated
Death and hatred to mankind
These leaders are responsible for inflicting death and fostering hate towards humanity
Poisoning their brainwashed minds
They manipulate and poison the minds of their followers with false rhetoric
Oh, Lord, yeah
A plea to a higher power for salvation
Politicians hide themselves away
Elected officials responsible for the war are shielded from combat and danger
They only started the war
The politicians initiated the conflict without regarding the cost it incurs
Why should they go out to fight?
Why would they risk their own lives when others are fighting for their decisions?
They leave that all to the poor
They delegate the dangerous work to the less privileged members of society
Time will tell on their power minds
Their actions will inevitably catch up to them
Making war just for fun
The war is a game for them to play, devoid of any sense or purpose
Treating people just like pawns in chess
People's lives are seen as disposable, like game pieces moved around for fun
Wait 'til their judgment day comes
They will face consequences for their irresponsible and cruel decisions
Now in darkness, world stops turning
The war has brought a chaotic end to the regular flow of life
Ashes where their bodies burning
The once blooming fields are now reduced to ash and dead bodies
No more war pigs have the power
The leaders who have caused war and poverty no longer hold their positions of power
Hand of God has struck the hour
Divine intervention has brought the wrongdoers to justice
Day of judgment, God is calling
The long-anticipated day of judgment has finally arrived
On their knees, the war pig's crawling
The former leaders are now humbled, pleading for mercy and forgiveness
Begging mercies for their sins
They're asking for forgiveness for the terrible things they have done
Satan, laughing, spreads his wings
While they avoid punishment for their role in the war, the embodiment of evil, Satan, takes pleasure in their punishment
Oh, Lord, yeah
An appeal to a higher power for justice and fairness
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Michael Butler, William Ward, Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ferenc Zakharides
on Sweet Leaf
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