The band is not to be confused with Zakk Wylde's solo project (sometimes known as Book of Shadows after its only album) or with Pride & Glory, Wylde's southern rock band.
History
In 1992, Ozzy retired after the No More Tears tour, which led Zakk to form his own solo band Pride & Glory, blending potent bluesy southern rock with heavy metal. In 1994 Ozzy decided to come out of retirement, and the numerous recording sessions for Ozzmosis took place. Around this time, Zakk was also offered the open guitar slot in Guns N' Roses and had a hard time deciding whether to tour with Ozzy or join Guns N' Roses. Neither project panned out. This gave Wylde the opportunity to record his own acoustic solo album, "Book of Shadows." After limited commercial success with Book Of Shadows, in 1998, Zakk and drummer Phil Ondich formed Black Label Society and recorded their debut album "Sonic Brew." Nick Catanese had been Zakk's touring rhythm guitarist since the Book Of Shadows tour (Zakk records all guitars on his albums). Craig Nunenmacher has been drumming for the band since 1919 Eternal (2001) following Phil's departure. Previous bass players include current Metallica bassist Rob Trujillo, former Megadeth 4-stringer James Lomenzo, and current Alice in Chains bassist Mike Inez, who also played with Zakk on the No More Tears, Ozzy tour.
The band had their song "Fire It Up" featured as a bonus song in the PlayStation 2 game Guitar Hero. Zakk Wylde has an avatar in the video game "Guitar Hero: World Tour", and the song "Stillborn" also appears.
Dirt on the Grave
Black Label Society Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sun is black ain't no return
Ashes fly ashes burn
Over and over ain't no need to learn
It's all dust on dust
It's all you and me
Out done completely out played
The choices you make and the choices that are
When hell is so close and heavens so far
Ashes fly and ashes burn
Over and over ain't no need to learn
The lyrics to Black Label Society's song Dirt on the Grave speak of the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. The repetition of the line "ashes fly ashes burn" creates a hauntingly powerful image of the impermanence of our existence. The mention of the sun being black indicates a sense of despair or hopelessness, as if everything is shrouded in darkness. The phrase "it's all dust on dust" suggests that everything is meaningless, and that humanity's accomplishments and failures alike will ultimately be swept away into the oblivion of time.
The chorus of the song, "just shovel some more dirt on the grave," is both literal and metaphorical. On the one hand, it speaks to the act of burying the dead. On the other hand, it represents the idea of moving on, of letting go of the past and accepting our own mortality. The final lines of the song, "when hell is so close and heaven's so far," further reinforce this idea of human frailty and the sense of hopelessness that can accompany it.
Line by Line Meaning
Ashes fly ashes burn
Life is fleeting and can be snuffed out at any moment
The sun is black ain't no return
Death is the end and there is no coming back
Over and over ain't no need to learn
We repeat the same mistakes and suffer the same consequences without ever truly learning
It's all dust on dust
Ultimately, everything returns to dust and fades into obscurity
It's all you and me
Our fate is intertwined and we will all face the same end
Out done completely out played
Death is the ultimate defeat, no one can escape it
Just shovel some more dirt on the grave
Just accept it and move on, there is no changing what has already happened
The choices you make and the choices that are
We are faced with choices in life, but some circumstances are beyond our control
When hell is so close and heavens so far
Sometimes life can feel like a constant struggle and it seems like the reward is always out of reach
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ZAKK WYLDE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind