This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2008)

"Iron Man"
Single by Black Sabbath
from the album Paranoid
B-side	"Electric Funeral"
Released	October 1971
Format	45 RPM
Recorded	1970
Genre	Heavy metal
Length	3:33 (Single) 5:56 (Album)
Label	Vertigo Warner Bros. (US/Canada)
Writer(s)	Iommi, Osbourne, Butler, Ward
Producer	Rodger Bain
Black Sabbath singles chronology
"Paranoid" "Iron Man" "War Pigs"

"Iron Man" is a song by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath from their second studio album Paranoid released in 1970. It was later included on their initial greatest hits compilation We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll (1976), as well as all subsequent greatest hits compilations. Many musical acts have recorded cover versions of the song, and the song is frequently used and referenced during sporting events and in television shows and films. A live performance of this song was made for the program Beat-Club.

Contents 1 Writing and recording 2 Awards and chart position 3 Personnel 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Writing and recording

The title of the song was conceived by Ozzy Osbourne.^[1] Geezer Butler took to writing the lyrics around the title. To avoid copyright infringement involving the superhero of the same name,^{[citation needed]} he made it the story of a vengeful villain instead of a hero. Nonetheless, instrumental sections of the song would be used decades later in the 2008 feature film Iron Man at the beginning of the credits, and in the television commercials.

The lyrics tell the story of a man who time travels into the future of the world, and sees the apocalypse. In the process of returning to the present, he is turned into steel by a magnetic field. He is rendered mute, unable verbally to warn people of his time of the impending destruction. His attempts to communicate are ignored and mocked. This causes Iron Man to become angry, and have his revenge on mankind, causing the destruction seen in his vision.^[2]

[edit] Awards and chart position

• In 2000, 30 years after the song was first released, it won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.
• "Iron Man" also won spot #310 in Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.^[3]
• "Iron Man" was awarded the #1 spot on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal Songs in 2006.^[4]
• The song peaked at #52 on The Billboard Hot 100 in 1972.^[5]
• The song returned to the charts in 2008 peaking at number 5 on Billboard's Hot Ringtones chart.^[6]

[edit] Personnel

• Ozzy Osbourne - vocals
• Tony Iommi - lead guitar
• Geezer Butler - bass guitar
• Bill Ward - drums

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• "Iron Man" lyrics
• We are Iron Man! A lowbrow literary mystery., The Boston Globe

v • d • e Black Sabbath Ozzy Osbourne • Tony Iommi • Geezer Butler • Bill Ward Vinny Appice • Bev Bevan • Jo Burt • Bob Daisley • Ronnie James Dio • Ian Gillan • Ray Gillen • Glenn Hughes • Tony Martin • Neil Murray • Geoff Nicholls • Cozy Powell • Bobby Rondinelli • Eric Singer • Dave Spitz • Dave Walker Studio albums Black Sabbath • Paranoid • Master of Reality • Black Sabbath Vol. 4 • Sabbath Bloody Sabbath • Sabotage • Technical Ecstasy • Never Say Die! • Heaven and Hell • Mob Rules • Born Again • Seventh Star • The Eternal Idol • Headless Cross • Tyr • Dehumanizer • Cross Purposes • Forbidden Live albums Live Evil • Cross Purposes Live • Reunion • Past Lives • Live at Hammersmith Odeon Compilations We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll • The Sabbath Stones • Symptom of the Universe: The Original Black Sabbath 1970–1978 • Black Box: The Complete Original Black Sabbath (1970–1978) • Greatest Hits 1970–1978 • The Dio Years • The Rules of Hell Unofficial albums Club Sonderauflage • Live at Last • The Sabbath Collection • The Ozzy Osbourne Years • Under Wheels of Confusion • The Best of Black Sabbath Singles "Evil Woman" • "N.I.B." • "The Wizard" • "Paranoid" • "Iron Man" • "War Pigs" • "Fairies Wear Boots" • "Sweet Leaf" • "Children of the Grave" • "After Forever" • "Changes" • "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" • "Symptom of the Universe" • "Rock 'n' Roll Doctor" • "Dirty Women" • "Never Say Die!" • "Neon Knights" • "Die Young" • "The Mob Rules" • "Turn Up the Night" • "Trashed" • "No Stranger to Love" • "TV Crimes" • "Psycho Man" • "The Devil Cried" Videos Never Say Die • Black and Blue • The Black Sabbath Story, Vol. 1 • The Black Sabbath Story, Vol. 2 • The Last Supper • Inside Black Sabbath - 1970-1992 • Black Sabbath's Paranoid • Rock Review • In Their Own Words • Hangin' with Heaven and Hell Related articles Discography • Members • Heaven & Hell (tour) • Mythology • In These Black Days  • In These Black Days: A Tribute to Black Sabbath Vol. 1  • Nativity in Black • Born Again Tour 1983