Prior to the formation of Black Sabbath, Bill Ward and guitarist Tony Iommi played in a band called "Mythology", and joined vocalist Ozzy Osbourne and bassist Geezer Butler, who had played in a band together called "Rare Breed". Between 1970 and 1980, Ward played drums on every Sabbath album. He left the band for personal reasons in August 1980 during a tour for the album Heaven and Hell. He sat out one album (1981's Mob Rules) before returning for 1983's Born Again. He once again left the band following the recording of that album, due to ill-health. He was officially back in the band again in the summer of 1984, but the band did not record or tour then. Before the full-blown reunion, Bill Ward and the original Sabbath had re-united twice for short sets, firstly for Live Aid in 1985 and then at a Costa Mesa, CA Ozzy Osbourne show on November 15th, 1992. Sabbath, with ex-Judas Priest singer Rob Halford replacing the recently-departed Ronnie James Dio, opened the show for Ozzy in honor of it being his last show ever. Then the Ozzy Osbourne band (Ozzy, Zakk Wylde, Mike Inez, Randy Castillo and John Sinclair) did a full set before Ozzy was reunited with Tony, Geezer and Bill for four numbers. Ward made a brief return to the band for a South American tour in 1994, before finally rejoining the band for the two shows at the Birmingham NEC, England on December 4th and 5th 1997, which made up the 'Reunion' album. (When what was billed as the original line-up reunited for the Ozzfest tour in 1997 Mike Bordin played drums.) Ward then had to skip all but the last two band appearances in 1998 whilst he recovered from a heart-attack suffered during the tour rehearsals that May. As was the case in 1980, he was again replaced at short-notice by Vinny Appice, although this time it was always intended to be a temporary absence for Ward, health allowing. Thankfully he was well enough to return for good in 1999 and has remained with Sabbath ever since.
Ward has dealt with alcoholism and drug abuse during his career, as well as severe depression. After leaving the band, Ward made three suicide attempts.
In addition to playing drums, Ward sang lead vocals for two Black Sabbath songs; "It's Alright" (from Technical Ecstasy), and "Swinging The Chain" (from Never Say Die!).
Ward's drumming style is pretty unique in the fact that he often plays the same thing the bass or guitar is playing, while also keeping a rhythm. This technique helped emphasize the notes played by the guitar and bass and as a result, produced a more powerful sound overall. An example of his style can be heard easily in the song "Iron Man" off the Paranoid album. He is also characterized by playing quick drum rolls in between riffs and his powerful rhythm. ("Symptom of the Universe" is a good example of his unique style.)
Growth
Bill Ward Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Compelled, I made a start
The kind that comes when feeling torn apart
I daren't believe it
Drained through holes, just like you and me
Past the words of insincerity
I daren't believe it
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
But the truths let me in
Yeh yeh yeh yeh yeh yeh yeh yeh
Lift me up
Lift me up
Take me down to where the calm is
Where my lies deny the light is
Lift me up
Lift me up
Past the years and years of feeding
My distortions and my bleeding
'Cause I daren't believe it
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
I just didn't want to believe it
But the truths let me in
Truths let me in
Yeh yeh yeh yeh yeh yeh yeh yeh
I said I daren't believe it
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
I just didn't want to believe it
But the truths let me in
Let me in yeh
Yeh yeh yeh yeh yeh yeh yeh yeh
Growing up, I feared the boy
And who he was, I just ignored him
Weightless eyes, it's come to this
I have to trust what's healthy for him
Oh dear, is that my tear
Growing up, I watched the boy
He turned to freedoms that could numb forever
Then a kiss, a final kiss
Gave closure to what was
In not one minute
Oh my, home from the big lie
An imminent clear passage
Sends a chill into my back
And what's more threatening now
Is that there's no way to turn back
I, friend of mine, friend of mine
Don't know what to say, time out, time out
Don't know where we can go from here, Love
I'm friend of mine, friend of mine
Finally meeting you, time out, time out
Don't know where we go from here, love
OK
OK
When I was a child,
I heard you calling
When I was a child,
I took the heat
I heard you calling
But I couldn't stand up
On my two feet
And I kept watching you
I was watching you
And I'd follow all the things
You'd have to do
Yes all the time
I kept hearing you
I was hearing you
And I really liked an awful lot of you
Most of the time
And now I've learned
That when I'm ready to trust
I'll let you know
I said when I feel like I am ready to trust
I'll let you know
The lyrics of Bill Ward's song "Growth" seem to revolve around the themes of self-realization and personal growth. The first verse begins with the singer's realization that they were torn apart and in need of some kind of respite. The lake serves both as a physical location and a metaphorical one, representing a place of stillness and calm where the singer can come to terms with difficult feelings. As the song progresses, the singer acknowledges their own fallibility and realizes that they have been feeding themselves lies and distortions for years.
The second verse focuses on the pain of growing up and the difficulty of reconciling with one's own past. The "boy" in question may represent a younger version of the singer, or it may be someone else entirely. Regardless, the singer is forced to reevaluate their relationship to this "boy" and the ways in which they ignored his needs in the past. The final lines of the song suggest that the singer is now ready to begin the process of trusting themselves and others again, but that it will take time and patience to get there.
Overall, "Growth" is a powerful and introspective song that asks the listener to confront their own demons and embrace the process of personal growth.
Line by Line Meaning
Near a lake
Starting at a peaceful place
Compelled, I made a start
Feeling like I had to start something
The kind that comes when feeling torn apart
Starting something when feeling conflicted inside
I daren't believe it
I couldn't believe it
Drained through holes, just like you and me
Emotionally drained, like anyone else
Past the words of insincerity
Seeing beyond the lies
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
I can't believe it
I just didn't want to believe it
I refused to acknowledge it
But the truths let me in
I finally realized the truth
Yeh yeh yeh yeh yeh yeh yeh yeh
Reinforcing the truth
Lift me up
Raise me up emotionally
Take me down to where the calm is
Bring me to a peaceful place
Where my lies deny the light is
Where I can hide my lies in the darkness
Past the years and years of feeding
Get past the years of indulging in bad habits
My distortions and my bleeding
My mental and emotional pain
'Cause I daren't believe it
Because I couldn't believe it
Let me in yeh
The truth finally got to me
Growing up, I feared the boy
As a child, I was scared of who I was
And who he was, I just ignored him
I refused to acknowledge who I was
Weightless eyes, it's come to this
Feeling lost and helpless
I have to trust what's healthy for him
I need to do what's best for myself
Oh dear, is that my tear
Realizing how emotional this process is
Growing up, I watched the boy
Reflecting on who I was as a child
He turned to freedoms that could numb forever
I indulged in things that were bad for me
Then a kiss, a final kiss
A goodbye to who I was
Gave closure to what was
Helped me move on
In not one minute
Suddenly
Oh my, home from the big lie
Realizing the truth after living in denial
An imminent clear passage
A clear way forward
Sends a chill into my back
Makes me nervous
And what's more threatening now
What's more concerning now
Is that there's no way to turn back
I cannot go back to my old ways
I, friend of mine, friend of mine
Referring to myself
Don't know what to say, time out, time out
I need a break from this
Don't know where we can go from here, Love
Unsure what the future holds
Finally meeting you, time out, time out
Finally meeting my true self
Don't know where we go from here, love
Uncertainty about the future
OK
Acceptance
When I was a child,
Reflecting on childhood
I heard you calling
Acknowledging my inner voice
I took the heat
I took the consequences of my actions
But I couldn't stand up
I couldn't face reality
On my two feet
Independently
And I kept watching you
I kept ignoring my true self
I was watching you
I was watching my inner voice
And I'd follow all the things
I followed bad habits
You'd have to do
I followed my ego
Yes all the time
All the time
And now I've learned
Now, I've grown
That when I'm ready to trust,
That when I'm ready to be myself
I'll let you know
I'll acknowledge my inner voice
I said when I feel like I am ready to trust
When I feel confident about being myself
Contributed by John B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Krzysiek Gajewski
Great music!
Allmanbrosfanatic
Bill ward is a legend.
Ocean Sage
So pure. Like if a sad David Bowie were singing with Pink Floyd and Genesis came in and laid down a few guitar and drum tracks later.
thepezdispenser
Damn, this reminds me of David Bowie in the 70s or something like that, pretty cool!
Trace Cronin
BWF!! Bill ward forever
Das OldenZen
yea, his mat is prog