A Black Sabbath classic that turned into one of the biggest war protest songs was initially created out of lyricist and bassist Geezer Butler’s fear that he would be called into war after watching his brothers go into the Army.
He later revealed “War Pigs” was initially supposed to be the name of the album, but the label pushed for another track that turned into Paranoid.
“The song was written as ‘Walpurgis,’ which sounds a little like ‘War Pigs.’ But ‘Walpurgis’ is sort of like Christmas for Satanists. And to me, war was the big Satan,” Butler told Noise Creep in 2010. “It wasn’t about politics or government or anything. It was evil.”
“So I was saying ‘generals gathered in the masses/just like witches at black masses’ to make an analogy,” he added.
Ultimately, the record company decided the name sounded “too Satanic”, which resulted in a title change, but the lyrics stayed the same “because they were already finished.”
‘War Pigs’ Named Among the Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
Rolling Stone listed “War Pigs” at no. 31 on its list of the 100 greatest guitar solos of all time.
“The band’s classic 1970 anti-war anthem ‘War Pigs’ opens with doomy guitar drone and air-raid sirens to set the scene, but it’s Iommi’s highly evocative solo that truly captures the song’s apocalyptic vibe,” Rolling Stone wrote.
“Known for eschewing technical displays in favor of creating cinematically heavy atmosphere, Iommi opens the solo with his trademark sludgy minor-key blues, but his raw, improvisational style leads to a chaotic, disorienting barrage of bent notes and sustained feedback that captures the fear and confusion of the time and vividly brings Geezer Butler’s brutal lyrics to life.”
The song made it to No. 15 on Billboard’s Hot Rock and Alternative list, resulting in the band’s third-highest song on the chart behind “Paranoid” at No. 8 and “Iron Man” at No. 12.
Related: Map Shows US States Facing the Most Snow This Winter
