| Song |
"Behind The Wall of Sleep" (also known as "Behind The Wall") is a song by English heavy metal Black Sabbath, released in 1970 as the third track on the band's self-titled debut album. The intro to this track is entitled "Wasp". On the North American version of the album, the song is merged with "N.I.B.".
About[]
This song is based on H.P. Lovecraft’s short story Beyond the Wall of Sleep. The story is about an otherworldly entity trying to communicate through a dying inmate in a mental hospital. His message was that “within the realm of sleep, humans can experience the vistas of many planes and universes which remain unknown to waking awareness.”[1]
John Peel Session[]
On Ozzy Osbourne's compilation album The Ozzman Cometh a live demo recording of the song was released on the limited edition first pressing of the album on the second disc (along with "Fairies Wear Boots").
This rendition is mostly the same as in the 1997 live album Reunion.
Live[]
The song was played live 198 times by the band. Its first live performance was on November 11, 1969 at Maida Vale Studios, London, England. The song was a staple of the band's first two tours but would disappear for a long time after The Paranoid Tour concluded, not being played until Osbourne and Ward rejoined the band in 1997. After this, the song would next be played in 2012, remaining a staple until the band broke up in 2017.
Lyrics[]
Visions cupped within a flower
Deadly petals with strange power
Faces shine a deadly smile
Look upon you at your trial
Chill and numbs from head to toe
Icy sun with frosty glow
Words that grow read to your sorrow
Words that grow read no tomorrow
Feel your spirit rise with the breeze
Feel your body falling to its knees
Sleeping wall of remorse
Turns your body to a corpse
Turns your body to a corpse
Turns your body to a corpse
Sleeping wall of remorse
Turns your body to a corpse
Now from darkness there springs light
Wall of Sleep is cool and bright
Wall of Sleep is lying broken
Sun shines in you have awoken
Static-X cover[]
"Behind the Wall of Sleep" was covered by American industrial metal band Static-X and released in 2000 as the third track on the tribute album Nativity in Black II. It was rereleased on July 20, 2004 as the twelfth track on the compilation album Beneath... Between... Beyond...
Metalrage.com writer @DemonDust wasn't a fan of the cover. He called it the "biggest disappointment" of Beneath... Between... Beyond... and said "there’s this one riff that keeps on going almost throughout the entire song and it starts to bug you after a while. Shame…"
References[]
| Black Sabbath | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Sabbath • The Wizard • Behind the Wall of Sleep • N.I.B. • Evil Woman • Sleeping Village • Warning • Wicked World | |||