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.
Funeral Bell
Black Label Society Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Left behind, ain't nothing left to sell
Oh, ain't nothing left to sell
The hatred of your blood
So tortured, so insane
Dead ends, lost hope
Keep running through your veins
Oh
So high, and then I fell
Oh
Can't stop the ringing of my funeral bell
The loss of one's self
Inside the wheel of doom
Genocide is coming way too soon
Oh, way too soon
The undying fear
The strength of one's demise
Broke and strung out
You wave yourself goodbye
Oh, goodbye
Oh
So high, and then I fell
Oh
Can't stop the ringing
Oh
So high, and then I fell
Oh
Can't stop the ringing of my funeral bell
Oh
So high, and then I fell
Oh
Can't stop the ringing
Oh
So high, and then I fell
Oh
Can't stop the ringing of my funeral bell
The lyrics to Black Label Society's song "Funeral Bell" paint a bleak picture of a life consumed by addiction and despair, with no hope left for redemption. The opening lines describe a person who is "drinking, drugged up, completely shot to hell," and who has "left behind" everything they had in life - there is "nothing left to sell." The implication is that this person has dug themselves into a deep hole, unable to escape the cycle of addiction and self-destruction.
As the song continues, we hear a commentary on the larger societal forces that contribute to this person's downfall. The "hatred of your blood" suggests a feeling of being trapped by family legacy and expectations, while "dead ends, lost hope" speaks to the sense of hopelessness and despair that pervades this person's existence. The repeated phrase "running through your veins" emphasizes the idea that these problems are deeply ingrained and difficult to overcome.
The chorus provides a haunting, desperate refrain: "So high, and then I fell / Can't stop the ringing of my funeral bell." The image of a funeral bell ringing is powerful and unsettling, suggesting the inevitability of death and the sense that this person's fate has been sealed. The repeated "oh" at the end of each line adds to the sense of despair and hopelessness, as if the singer is resigned to this tragic outcome.
Overall, "Funeral Bell" is a powerful commentary on the dangers of addiction and the societal forces that contribute to it. The lyrics create a vivid picture of a life consumed by despair, with no hope of redemption or escape.
Line by Line Meaning
Drinking, drugged up, completely shot to hell
Being inebriated with drugs and spirits, totally destroyed
Left behind, ain't nothing left to sell
Nothing is left to give away in life, abandoned and forgotten
Oh, ain't nothing left to sell
What remains are just ruins with nothing worthwhile, no redeeming value
The hatred of your blood
The burden of the family legacy, carrying the pain and anger of forefathers
So tortured, so insane
Emotionally tormented and mentally deranged, consumed by troubles
Dead ends, lost hope
Paths to nowhere, no signs of progress or improvement
Keep running through your veins
Perpetually haunting, always present, inescapable
Oh, running through your veins
A constant reminder of the misery and desperation inside
The loss of one's self
A complete defeat of identity, losing oneself completely
Inside the wheel of doom
Trapped in a cycle of disaster and ruin, doomed to fail
Genocide is coming way too soon
Destruction and death looming ahead, impending disaster
Oh, way too soon
No time to prepare, caught off guard and unready
The undying fear
A fear that never recedes, a fear that stays through the end
The strength of one's demise
The power and determination of death, the deadly force that overcomes
Broke and strung out
Financially poor and emotionally drained, bankrupt and shattered
You wave yourself goodbye
Saying farewell to oneself, acknowledging the end of the road for oneself
Oh, goodbye
The final parting words, a sad farewell to oneself and others
Can't stop the ringing of my funeral bell
The inexorable tolling of death, the end that cannot be avoided
So high, and then I fell
Rising to great heights only to fall to the depths of sorrow and despair
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ZACHARY P WYLDE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind