| Song |
"War Pigs" is a song by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath. It was first released in 1970 as the opening track on the band's second album Paranoid. The song's outro is entitled "Luke's Wall" on the US edition. It was released as a single in 2012 as advertisement for Paranoid's remaster.
About[]
The song talks about war and, like the hippies, Black Sabbath was totally against it, specifically the Vietnam War (occurring at the time), and although Geezer Butler has stated that:
“War Pigs" is totally against the Vietnam War, about how these rich politicians and rich people start all the wars for their benefit and get all the poor people to die for them.
And in an interview with Mojo in 2017:
Britain was on the verge of being brought into it, there was protests in the street, all kinds of anti-Vietnam things going on. War is the real Satanism. Politicians are the real Satanists. That’s what I was trying to say."
Ozzy Osbourne has said that:
The group knew nothing about Vietnam. It’s just an anti-war song.[1]
Trivia[]
"War Pigs" was originally titled "Walpurgis", dealing with a black mass which was based on the Dennis Wheatley novel "The Devil Rides Out" where a group of friends battled Satanists at a black mass on Walpurgis Night which Geezer Butler had read.
The original version was only recorded once on John Peel's radio show in 1970. According to some sources, the band and the record company were concerned with the recent events of the Manson killings. Not wishing to be seen as Satanists or dark occultists in any way, Geezer chose to rewrite the song into an anti-war statement.
The original version of the song can be found on Ozzy Osbourne's compilation album "The Ozzman Cometh" from that same session.
Ward's first memory of playing War Pigs live was at The Beat Club in 1968 where the band had to perform multiple gigs and they didn't have enough music written to fill the set, so they play long jam sessions. "War Pigs" was made from one of those sessions.
The Cross Purposes tour was the only tour after the song debuted to not include "War Pigs" as a permanent fixture, with the song only being played in the Monsters of Rock concerts, the final four gigs of the tour.
Lyrics[]
Generals gathered in their masses
Just like witches at black masses
Evil minds that plot destruction
Sorcerer of death's construction
In the fields, the bodies burning
As the war machine keeps turning
Death and hatred to mankind
Poisoning their brainwashed minds
Oh, Lord, yeah
Politicians hide themselves away
They only started the war
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that role to the poor, yeah
Time will tell on their power minds
Making war just for fun
Treating people just like pawns in chess
Wait till their judgement day comes, yeah
Now in darkness, world stops turning
Ashes where their bodies burning
No more war pigs have the power
Hand of God has struck the hour
Day of judgement, God is calling
On their knees, the war pigs crawling
Begging mercy for their sins
Satan laughing, spreads his wings
Oh, Lord, yeah
References[]
| Paranoid | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| War Pigs • Paranoid • Planet Caravan • Iron Man • Electric Funeral • Hand of Doom • Rat Salad • Fairies Wear Boots | |||