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War pigs black sabbath3/15/2023 Perhaps Ozzy Osbourne said it best when asked if the band were into black magic back in 2002: This confused some, as their music often contains satanic themes concealing more peaceful messages that requires a deeper analysis to unveil, as we have done here. The overarching message here is one of peace, meaning that Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” aligns more with the hippie movement of the 1960s and 70s than their dark-toned music would seem to suggest. Satan is shown laughing in their faces, spreading his wings as he now rules over them for all of eternity. This verse serves as a warning to all the politicians, generals, and supporters of war that when it comes time to face their day of reckoning, such as when they die or when the world ends, by either their own doing or by the “Hand of God”, they will no longer be in control and they will beg for mercy.īy then, however, it’s too late. Oh, Lord, yeah Second verse to “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath. However, Ozzy suggests that while these politicians may have the power to start wars seemingly without consequence during this lifetime, judgement day will come and the “War Pigs”, both living and dead, will face punishment for the evil that they have sown upon the world.įollowing the bridge is a heavy-duty guitar solo that leads into the second and final verse, with lyrics that again touch upon the pending apocalypse and Day of Judgement: The lyrics here suggest that these politicians start wars just for fun, treating the people of their nations like pawns in a game of chess - relatively worthless and inconsequential when sacrificed. Wait till their judgment day comes, yeah Bridge to “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath. In the bridge, Black Sabbath take aim at the politicians who start these wars, but never have to actually fight in them, leaving that burden on the poorest of citizens: The lyrics provide cryptic images of burning bodies ignored by the unstoppable war machine bringing death and hatred to all the land, and corrupting the minds of all who aren’t strong enough to resist the sorcery. However, Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne certainly brought their own edge to rock ‘n’ roll, and CCR and the Dead didn’t go around biting the heads off of animals. Though they express it in the darkest way possible, because that’s the way they roll. In this way, Black Sabbath promote what is almost a pacifist sentiment, making them closer to bands like Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Grateful Dead than most metal bands. Rather than celebrating life and rebirth, black masses celebrate death and destruction. A black mass is essentially the opposite of a Christian mass. Sung in Ozzy Osbourne’s unique voice with the spirit of a solider marching off to battle, this verse brings in the comparison between generals and witches right away. Oh, Lord, yeah First verse to “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath. Now, let’s dig into these lyrics and check out the meaning of “War Pigs”, starting with the first verse: This was appropriate, as the song was released during the Vietnam War, and this was something that Black Sabbath were fully against. The band recorded a demo version of the song with the same instrumental arrangement, however the lyrics were much darker and focused on evil itself rather than the anti-war sentiment that ended up in the officially-released “War Pigs”.Īpparently, when they brought the original “Walpurgis” demo to Warner Bros, the label felt that the song was much too dark and Satanic, so the band changed the name to “War Pigs” and made it more of an anti-war protest anthem, but kept many of the Satanic images in the lyrics. According to bassist and principle lyricist Geezer Butler in a 2010 interview with Noisecreep, Walpurgis is essentially “Christmas for Satanists”. Originally, “War Pigs” was titled “Walpurgis” after the Christian feast of Walpurgis Night that celebrates Saint Walpurgis and his fight against pests, disease, and witchcraft. With civil defense sirens ringing out over thick guitars in the instrumental intro and lyrics that compare bloodthirsty, warmongering politicians with pure evil and Satanic worship, “War Pigs” is a completely badass song that has stood the test of time for more than half a century now. The record has shaped an entire genre of music, and contains many of the band’s most popular and influential songs. “War Pigs” opens Black Sabbath’s 1970 album Paranoid, which many consider to be the first-ever heavy metal album.
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