What is this that stands before me?
Figure in black which points at me
Turn 'round quick and start to run
Find out I'm the chosen one
Oh, no

Big black shape with eyes of fire
Telling people their desire
Satan's sitting there, he's smiling
Watches those flames get higher and higher
Oh no, no, please God, help me

Is it the end, my friend?
Satan's coming 'round the bend
People running 'cause they're scared
The people better go and beware
No, no, please, no


Lyrics submitted by carlos_avdas, edited by oldfashionedaf, LHGL

Black Sabbath Lyrics as written by John Osbourne Anthony Iommi

Lyrics © Onward Music Limited

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Black Sabbath song meanings
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  • +6
    General Comment

    Like many above said, this is one of the scariest songs ever recorded. Scared the shit outta me when I first listened to it, unknowing. Also Sabbath werent all that big satanists. The satanist image was made up by their record company for publicity. But back to the song: Like one poster above said, the song was way ahead of its time. It had the scariness Marilyn Manson has today (only a lot scarier!) , the depressiveness of Nirvana, and the Heaviness of 80's Metal Bands like Slayer or Metallica but it fucking 1970! People mustve freaked out when they first heard this

    OpiumForThePeopleon October 28, 2005   Link
  • +6
    General Comment

    In my opinion this song is simply about the grim reaper coming for someones soul and they dont want to leave....just read the lyrics

    Shadow_Solider13on May 15, 2007   Link
  • +5
    General Comment

    this song is just plain scary. it even scared marilyn manson when he first heard this song. before black sabbath, almost every band was writing nice mushy crap. like oh flowers are pretty. but when black sabbath came, it was evil, evil, evil! yeah the first album was the scariest of all the other black sabbath albums and its the scariest albums ever. try hearing Black Sabbath while the light is turned off and candles are lit all around you.

    TheOzzmanon June 05, 2003   Link
  • +5
    General Comment

    This song is basically about messing with shit that you don't understand(i.e. the occult) and getting something much different than you expected. A young occultist accidentally summons Lucifer and pays the price. I absolutely love Ozzy's wails right before Tony grinds back into his heavy riff. It's as if he's looking the devil straight in the face, scared shitless. Oh, and the riff! Sweet God, the riff! An excellent use of the tritone; it makes the song sound so fucking evil and heavy! One of my all time favorite songs.

    Mirvsteinon July 27, 2007   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    sounds like fun! -P

    PandaBaby28on June 19, 2003   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    i love this song ! anything that deals with evil...like, hearing the bell toll in the distance, thunder and lightning, and satan smiling...gotta love it !

    xl5ronon May 26, 2004   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    The meaning of this song is pretty obious, its about the end of the world according to the christian bible.

    paalmartinon September 09, 2011   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    this song is way beyond ahead of its time. sorry but sabbath never topped this..... this is still one of the heaviest and darkest metal songs ever to this day.... this is pure doom metal. absolute genius

    Disposition_987on September 26, 2004   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    What's great is that you have to imagine when this song was released: 1970. Now imagine all the bands around in that era; Cream, Hendrix, Led Zep, and so on. Which is the odd one out out of all these bands? Sabbath, as they are the only one (and first one) singing about Satan! All bands up to this point had sang about lovely stuff and such, but Sabbath came along, being louder then pretty much everyone else, being heavier, flattening the fifth, so to speak, and singing about Satan taking over the Earth. Fantastic.. I'd say it's my favorite Sabbath song.

    the_haunted_angelon June 07, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This is from Mitches ozzyhead.com/bio1.htm"One night the band was asked by a witch to play at a satanic ceremony. The band declined and the witch cast an evil spell over the band. Being totally freaked out by this, Ozzy had his father make aluminum crosses for all four members of the band to keep evil spirits away from them. In a recent interview, Bill Ward said he is the only one that still has the original cross. Ozzy now has 14 karat crosses!"

    Sniperwulf 2on December 08, 2004   Link

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