Iron Man (song)
"Iron Man" | ||||
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Warner Bros. | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Rodger Bain | |||
Black Sabbath singles chronology | ||||
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"Iron Man" is a song by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in 1970 from the band's second studio album, Paranoid and as a single in the US in October 1971.
Background and composition
Upon hearing Tony Iommi's main guitar riff at rehearsal for the first time, vocalist Ozzy Osbourne remarked that it sounded "like a big iron bloke walking about", with "Iron Bloke" quickly becoming a placeholder title as the band developed the song. Iommi had created the riff "on the spot" in response to a bass drum beat drummer Bill Ward started playing, creating a mood of "someone creeping up on you".[2] While recording the song, producer Rodger Bain and studio engineer Tom Allom had tremendous difficulty capturing the "power and depth of the sound" of his bass drum in the studio due to the limitations of the microphones available at that time.[3]
The lyrics, composed by bassist and lyricist
Butler has been clear that there is no link between the song and the
The effect used to create Osbourne's distorted vocal in the song's intro has been a topic of conjecture. Some have speculated over the years that Osbourne's voice had been processed by a
Reception and legacy
The song peaked at number 52 on the
"Iron Man" was used in the end credits of
The professional wrestling tag team
Personnel
- Ozzy Osbourne – vocals
- Tony Iommi – guitars
- Geezer Butler – bass
- Bill Ward – drums
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[13] | Silver | 250,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
See also
- Self-fulfilling prophecy
- Ontological paradox
References
- ^ Hung, Steffen. "Black Sabbath - Iron Man". hitparade.ch.
- ^ Far Out Magazine. Archivedfrom the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
- ^ a b Dome, Malcolm (28 February 2019). "The story behind the song: Iron Man by Black Sabbath". Classic Rock. Archived from the original on 23 November 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
- ^ DiVita, Joe (13 June 2023). "Geezer Butler Reveals What Black Sabbath's 'Iron Man' Is Actually About". Loudwire. Archived from the original on 13 June 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
- ^ Carson, Nathan (6 September 2016). "Five Things Geezer Butler Wants to Do After Retiring From Black Sabbath". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 8 September 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
- AllMusic
- ^ "RPM 100 listing" (PDF). www.collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ^ "Black Sabbath". GRAMMY.com. 23 November 2020.
- ^ "The 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. 13 March 2023. Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
- ^ "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. 9 December 2004. Archived from the original on 9 March 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
- ISBN 978-3868526462.
- ^ "Check out the list as we slowly reveal the 40 Greatest Metal Songs ever!". VH1. Archived from the original on 18 November 2007. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
- ^ "British single certifications – Black Sabbath – Iron Man". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 10 April 2020.