Ronnie James Dio himself cites it as his over-all personal favorite song of his career, the one that he feels most proud of.[citation needed]
In an interview for VH1's "Heavy: The Story of Metal," Dio stated that the song is about the ability of each human being to choose between doing good and doing evil, essentially that each person has "heaven and hell" inside themselves. When the song has been performed live by Black Sabbath, Dio or Heaven and Hell, it's usually stretched out with an extended guitar solo, audience participation, ad libbed lyrics and/or additional lyrics regarding angelic and demonic apparitions and personal judgment. There is also a bootleg version sung by Ian Gillan. Tony Martin also sang it many times live with Black Sabbath as well as with his solo band.
Keyboardist Geoff Nicholls, who was a session keyboard player during the recording of this album, is said to have been responsible for this song's famous bass line. The bassline closely resembles the bassline of "Mainline Riders" by Quartz, of which Nicholls was a former member.
"Heaven and Hell" was ranked #11 in Martin Popoff's book The Top 500 Heavy Metal Songs of All Time. Popoff put together this book by requesting thousands of metal fans, musicians, and journalists to send in their favorite heavy metal songs. Almost 18,000 individual votes were tallied and entered into a database from which the final rankings were derived.
The song was named the 81st best hard rock song of all time by VH1.
The studio version lasts almost seven minutes but live usually includes extended guitar solos, audience participation, additional lyrics, and combined with the song "Sign Of The Southern Cross".
* The American doom metal band Solitude Aeturnus covered the song for their album Adagio.
* Benedictum covered the song on their debut album, Uncreation (which also featured a cover of Black Sabbath's "The Mob Rules").
* It was also covered by Liechtenstein based gothic metal band Elis.
* The song was also briefly covered by Tenacious D for Dio's music video for the song "Push". At the beginning of the music video, Jack Black and Kyle Gass are shown standing on a sidewalk busking and singing "Heaven and Hell" with alternate lyrics. They stop when Dio walks up to them and tells them that he will pay them to play some Tenacious D songs.
* Thrash Band Overkill can be heard rehearsing the song at the end of their 1994 album W.F.O..
* A live version from Dio's A Special from the Spectrum was featured in the 2005 documentary Metal: A Headbanger's Journey.
* The song was featured in the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV.
Heaven and Hell
Black Sabbath Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do me a wrong, you're a bringer of evil
The devil is never a maker
The less that you give, you're a taker
So it's on and on and on, it's heaven and hell
Oh well
The lover of life's not a sinner
The closer you get to the meaning
The sooner you'll know that you're dreaming
So it's on and on and on, oh, it's on and on and on
It goes on and on and on, heaven and hell
I can tell
Fool, fool
Oh, ooh
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Well, if it seems to be real, it's illusion
For every moment of truth, there's confusion in life
Love can be seen as the answer, but nobody bleeds for the dancer
And it's on and on
On and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on
They say that life's a carousel
Spinning fast, you've got to ride it well
The world is full of kings and queens
Who blind your eyes and steal your dreams
It's heaven and hell, oh well
And they'll tell you black is really white
The moon is just the sun at night
And when you walk in golden halls
You get to keep the gold that falls
It's heaven and hell, oh no
Fool, fool
You've got to bleed for the dancer
Fool, fool
Look for the answer
Fool, fool, fool
The lyrics to "Heaven and Hell" by Black Sabbath are poetic and meaningful, invoking ideas of good versus evil and how life can be both beautiful and confusing. The opening lines address a singer as a bringer of evil, highlighting how even seemingly innocent things can hold negative aspects. The devil is not the creator but rather a taker, reflecting the idea that people who take without giving back are not true makers or creators. The chorus repeats the phrase "on and on and on, it's heaven and hell," emphasizing how life can be a never-ending cycle of good and bad, with no clear end in sight.
The next verse implies that those who love life are not sinners and that the end of life is only the beginning, implying that there is more to come after death. The closer one gets to understanding the meaning of life, the more they realize they are living in a dream-like state. The bridge suggests that sometimes love might seem like the answer, but it is not always enough, indicating that life is not straightforward, and there is often confusion. The final verse compares life to a carnival, suggesting that it is a fast-paced ride that one must learn to navigate. All around are kings and queens who distract and steal, leading to heaven and hell.
Line by Line Meaning
Sing me a song, you're a singer
If you can sing, then sing for me
Do me a wrong, you're a bringer of evil
If you harm me, then you're bringing evil
The devil is never a maker
The devil doesn't create anything
The less that you give, you're a taker
If you don't give, then you're taking
So it's on and on and on, it's heaven and hell
Life is a cycle of good and bad moments
Oh well
It is what it is
The lover of life's not a sinner
Those who love life are not sinners
The ending is just a beginner
Even when something ends, it can start again
The closer you get to the meaning
The more you understand about life
The sooner you'll know that you're dreaming
The quicker you will realize that life is like a dream
So it's on and on and on, oh, it's on and on and on
Life is a never-ending cycle
It goes on and on and on, heaven and hell
Life can be both good and bad
I can tell
I know this to be true
Fool, fool
Don't be foolish
Well, if it seems to be real, it's illusion
What you think is real may not be true
For every moment of truth, there's confusion in life
Even when you find the truth, there can still be confusion
Love can be seen as the answer, but nobody bleeds for the dancer
Love may be an answer, but it's not always easy
And it's on and on
Life continues
On and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on
Life can feel like an endless cycle
They say that life's a carousel
People say that life is like a ride
Spinning fast, you've got to ride it well
Life goes by quickly, so make the most of it
The world is full of kings and queens
The world is full of powerful people
Who blind your eyes and steal your dreams
These people can deceive you and take away your hopes
It's heaven and hell, oh well
Life can be good or bad
And they'll tell you black is really white
People will try to convince you of things that are not true
The moon is just the sun at night
Even when it's dark, the sun is still shining
And when you walk in golden halls
When you are in a position of power or wealth
You get to keep the gold that falls
You get to keep the rewards of your success
Fool, fool
Don't be foolish
You've got to bleed for the dancer
Sometimes achieving your dreams requires pain
Look for the answer
Search for the truth
Fool, fool, fool
Don't be foolish
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Michael Butler, Ronnie Dio, Tony Iommi, William Ward
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ferenc Zakharides
on Sweet Leaf
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