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)
Swinging the Chain
Black Sabbath Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To be a civil judge
All the songs are history now
'Bout rock stars and their grudge
Let us cast our minds back
To thirty years or more
You took up all the vandals
Will Hitler beat 'em all?
And we're sad and sorry
Really sorry that it happened that way
Yes we're sad and sorry
But why'd you have to treat us that way?
Compare ourselves with others
And cover them in sin
Oh, God what a terrible
A terrible state we're in
There must be some way out of here
A compromise that's right
If we cannot work it out
We're gonna have to fight
Yes we're sad and sorry
Really sorry that it happened that way
Yes we're sad and sorry
We cannot go on in those days
I'm talking about my brothers
Yeah, I'm talking 'bout sisters as well
I wish you good luck
Good luck!
Oh, but the world's still on fire
Chain the hope you take on, liar
This fire
We're on fire, we're on fire, yeah
The lyrics to Black Sabbath's song "Swinging the Chain" have a slight political and social commentary to them. The first few lines mention that it goes against his uniform to be a civil judge, which could be interpreted as speaking to the corruption within the justice system. Later on, the lyrics mention how all the songs are just history now about rock stars and their personal vendettas, shifting the focus away from these petty issues to something more significant. The next lines are a reference to World War II and Hitler, questioning if he will beat all the "vandals" - possibly referring to those who engage in war and destruction.
The chorus speaks of the regret and sadness in the current state of affairs, but also questions why they were treated that way. The lyrics then compare themselves to others, covering them in sin, and expressing desperation in finding a way out of "a terrible state we're in." The last few lines mention how the world is still on fire and chains the hope you take, potentially speaking to feeling bound and trapped by the current circumstances.
Overall, the lyrics of "Swinging the Chain" show a call for change and an end to corruption and destruction. It is a reflection on the state of affairs within society and how things cannot continue as they are.
Line by Line Meaning
It's against my uniform
I am not allowed to do certain things as per my job; my uniform restricts me.
To be a civil judge
I am not authorized to be a civil judge while in my uniform.
All the songs are history now
The songs about rockstars and their rivalries are a thing of the past now.
'Bout rock stars and their grudge
There were many songs written in the past about the animosity between different rockstars.
Let us cast our minds back
Let us think back to a time in the past.
To thirty years or more
Let us think back to a time thirty plus years ago.
You took up all the vandals
You controlled all the miscreants and vandals.
Will Hitler beat 'em all?
Some people believed that Hitler could conquer and rule over everyone and everything.
And we're sad and sorry
We feel upset and apologetic.
Really sorry that it happened that way
We are genuinely sorrowful about the way things occurred.
Yes we're sad and sorry
We are still upset and apologetic.
But why'd you have to treat us that way?
We are curious as to why we were treated poorly; we did not deserve it.
Compare ourselves with others
We compare ourselves to other people.
And cover them in sin
We find faults in them and point them out; we try to show they are guilty of wrongdoing.
Oh, God what a terrible
How awful this situation is.
A terrible state we're in
The situation we find ourselves in is dreadful.
There must be some way out of here
There has to be a solution to this problem and a way to escape this situation.
A compromise that's right
A solution that is both feasible and satisfactory for all parties involved.
If we cannot work it out
If we cannot come to a suitable agreement.
We're gonna have to fight
We will have to fight to reach resolution.
Yes we're sad and sorry
We are still upset and apologetic.
Really sorry that it happened that way
We are genuinely sorrowful about the way things occurred.
Yes we're sad and sorry
We are still upset and apologetic.
We cannot go on in those days
We cannot continue to live in or accept that past situation.
I'm talking about my brothers
I am referring to my male siblings or comrades.
Yeah, I'm talking 'bout sisters as well
I am also referring to my female siblings or comrades.
I wish you good luck
I am conveying my best wishes for a positive outcome.
Good luck!
I am wishing the best to all involved.
Oh, but the world's still on fire
Even with our issues, the world is still full of problems and chaos.
Chain the hope you take on, liar
Be cautious and skeptical of promises of hope from others who are deceitful.
This fire
This situation is intense and may lead to negative outcomes.
We're on fire, we're on fire, yeah
We are caught up in this difficult situation and must find a solution before things spiral out of control.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ANTHONY IOMMI, JOHN OSBOURNE, TERENCE BUTLER, WILLIAM WARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ferenc Zakharides
on Sweet Leaf
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