Embedded Files
Song Name: War Pigs
Year of Release: 1970
Written By: Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Ward, Geezer Butler
Performed By: Black Sabbath
Key Lyrics: “Generals gathered in their masses/Just like witches at black masses.”
“In the fields the bodies burning/As the war machine keeps turning.”
"Politicians hide themselves away/They only started the war/Why should they go out to fight?/They leave all that to the poor."
"Time will tell on their power minds/Making war just for fun/Treating people just like pawns in chess/Wait till their judgment day comes."
Description: The song’s title originated from the word “Walpurgis,” which relates to a witch’s Sabbath. However, the record label thought that the title sounded too satanic and the band changed it to “War Pigs.” The song originated from an improvised jam session during one of their concerts according to guitarist Tony Iommi, and the song’s outro section, often titled “Luke’s Wall,” includes an air raid siren and the song is sped up. The band did not decide this; rather, their producer and sound engineer did
Why It Was Important: The song was written at a time where many men in the UK were concerned about being drafted into the Vietnam War despite mandatory service no longer being in place. One such man was Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler. Butler recalled being terrified of being called up and stated that the song was about the rich elites forcing poor people to fight wars for them, but vocalist Ozzy Osbourne stated that it was a generic anti-war song and that the band knew nothing about Vietnam. Like other songs of the era, the lyrics also call out class and wealth inequality, noting that poor people were being used as tools to fight wars started by other people.
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