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| Song Interpretations |
| This is all unofficial of course...just my ideas on a few of Black Sabbath's most thought-provoking songs. Am I right or wrong? I guess it's all opinion! "N.I.B." - The classic tale of forbidden love...aww...except for the fact that one of the lovers is Satan! This song could be exactly what the lyrics say, but it might also be symbolic of a political idea, where an evil leader is able to sway the masses with empty promises and unholy charisma...kinda like Hitler. "Now I have you with me, under my power. Our love grows stronger now with every hour. Look into my eyes and you'll see who I am. My name is Lucifer...please take my hand!" "Wicked World" - A song that could be referring to our own U.S. Government. This song questions what is best for the human race, for example the ways we use our superior technology and science. What is more important...curing disease and providing security for our people, or space exploration and making nuclear weapons? You make the call... "A politician's job they say is very high...for he has to choose who's gotta go and die. They can put a man on the moon quite easy...while people here on earth are dying of old diseases." "Warning" - Your typical song about a lost love, one of Sabbath's most well arranged songs. What is the warning? Don't get involved with her! She's trouble! He got involved with her anyway, and the song is about the price he paid for it. "Now the whole wide world is moving, 'cause there's iron in my heart...I just can't keep from crying, 'cause you say we have to part...sorrow grips my voice as I stand here all alone, and watch you slowly take away a love I've never known..." "War Pigs" - The title pretty much speaks for itself...atrocities, arrogance, cover-ups, lies, and destruction caused by our government have destroyed the human spirit. The song makes you feel sickened with what the human race seems fixated upon. I find it ironic how we haven't really evolved from cavemen clubbing each other for some land or food, despite of our self-righteous behavior. "Day of judgement God is calling...underneath the war pigs crawling...begging mercies for their sins...Satan laughing spreads his wings..." "Iron Man" - A tale of a man's journey to the future and his return to warn of the impending doom. Do the people listen to him??? No, of course not, and they in turn suffer... "I am Iron Man!" "Lord Of This World" - Many people sell their souls to the devil to gain wealth and fame. They forget about love, friendships, and the simpler pleasures in life and throw everything they have away for power and money. In the end, however, this will only bring them pain. "You're searching for your mind, don't know where to start. Can't find the key to fit the lock on your heart. You think you know, but you are never quite sure. Your soul is ill, but you will not find a cure..." "Snowblind" - The ecstasy of a cocaine high...what can match it? Well, I wouldn't know since I don't take drugs, but Sabbath knows what it's about. However, getting high isn't all fun and games. Drugs entrap, enslave, and destroy the human spirit. Sabbath knew this, even though they were on cocaine throughout their career. "My eyes are blind, but I can see...the snowflakes glisten on the tree...the sun no longer sets me free...I feel the snowflakes freezing me..." "Cornucopia" - We are blessed with prosperity, and we are able to live anyway we choose. However, more and more, it seems that people are obcessed with material things, lust, money, power, etc. We are cursed with prosperity, and it won't be long before we find out that we have been wasting our time looking for material happiness. "Let them have their little game...illusion helps to keep them sane!" "St. Vitus' Dance" - Do you know what St. Vitus' Dance is??? It's a term for the effects of several diseases that causes your body to randomly twitch. This song has nothing to do with a disorder, but rather, is about winning a girl and how he have no clue as to how to go about it. We have no control over relationships, kind of like St. Vitus' Dance. "So you think you know what's going on inside her head...you think she wants your money, but it's you she wants instead." "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" - When one reaches the end of perceived reality, and sees what they have been told is all a lie, what happens? When a realization is found that your whole life is an illusion, what would a typical reaction be? Destroy the person that imposed the lies, but what happens when the person is yourself? (deep thoughts...eh?) "Nobody will ever let you know...when you ask the reasons why...they just tell you that you're on your own...fill your head all full of lies..." "A National Acrobat" - Believe it or not, one of the definitions of the word "acrobat" is someone who is constantly changing their beliefs and opinions, and "national" means to be loyal to a nation or a particular idea. Basically, this title is paradoxical since loyality in a subject prevents one from changing attitudes. The main theme of this song is rebirth, leading me to believe that the important question is "How can you change yourself into a better person yet remain loyal to all of your good characteristics?" "Treat your life for what it's worth, and live for every breath..." "Megalomania" - The definition of "Megalomania" is an obcession with wealth and grandeur. Many people who suddenly go from being poor to extremely rich forget what life is really about. They are obcessed with their fancy cars and huge houses, and when the party is over, they realize that their life is nothing but a living hell. I think Black Sabbath wrote this song in retrospect of what was happening to them at the time. They looked back on their careers and knew that this was what they were becoming. Thus, we have a great song. "How could this poison be the dream of my soul? How did my fantasies take complete control?" "Johnny Blade" - Did you ever know a person who lashed out at everyone else due to their own faults? Many people excuse their sad state of affairs by claiming to be a "victim of society". This is not true; you are what you make of yourself. Johnny Blade chose to be a loser on the streets, much like many people decide to throw their lives away by giving into their weaknesses. "You fool the people...who's fooling who? It's time to listen...the fool is you!" "Heaven And Hell" - It's what life is. We all have happy moments, and we also have hard times of loneliness and pain. There are people who want to keep us eternal pain. This life is a testing ground, a place to learn how to love. Material things won't matter in the big picture. It's how we live with others that will decide how happy we will be in eternity. "They say that life's a carousel, spinning fast you better ride it well! The world is full of kings and queens, who'll blind your eyes and steal your dreams...It's heaven and hell!" "Wishing Well" - Love is a weird thing. You can love a person with so much intensity, even if they don't feel the same way. Even though your love is not returned, you still want the best for that person, even if you are out of the picture. "I'll give you a star, so you know just where you are..." "Computer God" - Many years ago, people led simpler lives without computers. Now computers have become an essential part of our daily lives. But, what if all the computers on earth suddenly failed? The world would end as we know it. So, who really holds the power to control the "crystal soldiers" of technology. Not humanity! The computers control us and since they we need them to survive, we worship them as if they are a deity. "Take a look at your own reflection...right before your eyes, it turns to steel..." "TV Crimes" - A song talking about the hypocrisy of television ministers and faith healers, the guys that have turned religion into some side show where "miracles" are thrown around like debris in a tornado. If these guys are really all they claim to be, then I am the second coming of Jesus Christ. People should not be getting rich from faith. It is one big joke, and anyone gullible enough will eat it up, just to believe in something. "One night in the life of the lonely...there's a miracle on the screen...what did they see? Somebody to love!" "Letters From Earth" - A song written for Black Sabbath's fans. All sorts of people write to Black Sabbath from prison, school, or elsewhere, thanking them for their music. Sabbath reminds them that they are what it's all about. "It's a strange world, and now I'm a stranger...stranger than you know..." |