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)
Wheels of Confusion
Black Sabbath Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the land of fairy tales and stories
Lost in happiness I knew no fears
Innocence and love was all I knew
It was an illusion
Soon the days were passing into years
Happiness just didn't come so easy
Innocence was just another word
It was an illusion
Lost in the wheels of confusion
Running thru valleys of tears
Eyes full of angry delusion
Hiding in everyday fears
So I found that life is just a game
But you know there's never been a winner
Try your hardest, you'll still be a loser
The world will still be turning when you're gone
Yeah, when you're gone
The lyrics to Black Sabbath's song Wheels Of Confusion/The Straightener describe the journey of the singer through his mind, where he originally lived a life of innocence and love, free of fear and worries, inside the land of fairy tales and stories. However, this perfect world was just an illusion, and as the days went by, life became more complicated, and happiness wasn't as easily attainable. The singer confronts the difficult reality of life, a world of confusion with valleys of tears, angry delusions, and everyday fears. He discovered that life is just a game, and nobody ever really wins. The world continues to turn, even after one is gone.
The lyrics offer insight into the human struggle in coming to terms with the realities and illusions of life. The singer has to face the harsh truth of life but realizes it is still a journey worth taking. The song highlights the complexity of the human mind, where one can travel to places of happiness, only to be faced with the realities and struggles of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Long ago I wandered thru my mind
I once journeyed through my thoughts and imagination
In the land of fairy tales and stories
In a place where dreams and folklore reign
Lost in happiness I knew no fears
Untroubled, I lived without anxiety nor concerns
Innocence and love was all I knew
The only notions of relationships, thinking and emotions that existed to me were pure and unsullied
It was an illusion
But it was a fabrication
Soon the days were passing into years
Then, time moved quickly through seasons
Happiness just didn't come so easy
My joy was hard to attain
Life was more than fairy tales and daydreams
Reality exceeded just dreams and make-one believes
Innocence was just another word
Endlessly, my purity had vanished, ending up as only an expression
It was an illusion
The whole thing had only been an apparition
Lost in the wheels of confusion
Trapped inside the cycle of uncertainty
Running thru valleys of tears
Navigating through copious adversity
Eyes full of angry delusion
My vision clouded by rage
Hiding in everyday fears
Constantly evading regular, terrifying experiences
So I found that life is just a game
Eventually I discovered that existence is only a contest
But you know there's never been a winner
However, a victorious champion has never emerged
Try your hardest, you'll still be a loser
Even endeavoring your utmost might result in failure
The world will still be turning when you're gone
When you pass away, the planet will continue to revolve like it always has
Yeah, when you're gone
Yes, it's true even in death
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: FRANK IOMMI, JOHN OSBOURNE, TERENCE BUTLER, WILLIAM WARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
비정한세상
"Wheels Of Confusion / The Straightener"
Long ago I wandered through my mind
In the land of fairy tales and stories
Lost in happiness I knew no fears
Innocence and love was all I knew
It was an illusion
Soon the days were passing into years
Happiness just didn't come so easy
Life was more than fairy tales and daydreams
Innocence was just another word
It was an illusion
Lost in the wheels of confusion
Running through valleys of tears
Eyes full of angry delusion
Hiding in everyday fears
So I found that life is just a game
But you know there's never been a winner
Try your hardest, you'll still be a loser
The world will still be turning when you're gone
Yeah when you're gone!
Blade
Rodas Da Confusão
Há muito tempo atrás eu vagueava em minha mente
Na terra de contos de fadas e histórias
Perdido na felicidade eu não tinha medo algum
Inocência e amor era tudo que eu sabia
Isto era ilusão?
Rapidamente os dias foram virando anos
A felicidade não chegava mais tão facilmente
A vida foi levada dos contos de fadas e sonhos
Inocência era apenas mais uma palavra
Isto era ilusão?
Perdido nas rodas da confusão
Atravessando vales de lágrimas
Olhos carregados de ilusões nervosas
Escondendo-se nos medos do dia-a-dia
Assim eu descobri que a vida é apenas um jogo
Mas você sabe que nunca há um vencedor
Tente o seu melhor, mas você vai ser um perdedor
O mundo ainda estará girando quando você se for
Sim, quando você se for!
OSCAR D
Long ago I wandered through my mind
In the land of fairy tales and stories
Lost in happiness I had no fears
Innocence and love was all I knew
Was it illusion?
Soon the days went passing into years
Happiness just didn't come so easy
Life was born of fairy tales and daydreams
Innocence was just another word
Was it illusion?
Lost in the wheels of confusion
Running through furnace of tears
Eyes full of angered illusion
Hiding in every daydream
So I found that life is just a game
But you know there's never been a winner
Try your hardest, just to be a loser
The world will still be turning when you're gone
Yeah when you're gone!
kevin horn
I’m 76 ,and enjoy after dinner sitting back with a beer and listening to this track.
Ava8i Newman
Hell yeah
Ted Nugent
Well yeah. The old acid days come back. Dont they?😉
Chloe Hardy
Keep rockin' old timer ✌
Indigo Wendigo
Listening to metal during your twilight years sounds like an interesting experience. :p
michael holmes
pint here for you Kev....... Birmingham UK
zacatecas2002
I discovered Black Sabbath in 1977 when I was 14. I thought someday I would outgrow them. I was mistaken.
DC. Scott
Same mate, and I'm 57. Still get goose bumps listening to certain Sab songs.
Ted Nugent
Well yeah but I thought I would outgrow droppin acid and I just dropped 4 hits last year man.
HIDQUIP
I discovered them when I was twelve, even at 15 liking several bands out of tons of metal genres, Black Sabbath is still in my top 10 favorite bands