In addition to many other revelations, Geezer Butler shares in his new memoir Into the Void: From Birth to Black Sabbath — And Beyond, the Black Sabbath bassist divulged what “Iron Man” is actually about.
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Even when pertaining to something specific or having a direct meaning, lyrics can be subjective. Who’s to say what a cluster of words means to one person, doesn’t have a uniquely different significance to another. So, when it comes to Black Sabbath’s track “Iron Man,” one might view it as as a song about vengeance, while another might deem it an anthem of empowerment.
Well, according to the man who actually wrote the lyrics, the song is actually about Jesus Christ.
Recalling his upbringing within the pages of Into the Void, Geezer wrote, ”I was raised a strict Catholic and enjoyed the rituals of Mass, Communion, confession and Benediction, as well as that intoxicating smell of incense and everyone dressing up in their Sunday best.”
Noting he now considers religion to be "inherited brainwashing.” Admittedly in his youth he was a bit of an obsessive, spending his "pocket money" on a multitude of religious items, adding "rosaries, crosses, medals, prayer books, pictures of Jesus" and "anything my pennies would stretch to.”
At one point, Butler even had the desire to be an altar boy, which after a long waiting list did finally became an option. However, never came to fruition due to accidentally oversleeping and missing his audition.
So there you go, not that you asked, but no you know how Jesus figures into the song lyrics of one of the most satanically regarded bands.
Speaking to that exact matter, Butler expressed, "Initially, Ozzy would put a scratch vocal line on top of the music, which involved him making up any old lyrics on the spot. Then I’d take over," Butler says, continuing, "There was nothing Satanic about my lyrics on ‘Paranoid,’ most were still grounded in reality.”
Offering other examples, he note, “'War Pigs' was an anti-war song and 'Hand of Doom' was about drug addiction. 'Electric Funeral' was about the threat of nuclear war.” Reiterating and further explaining that “'Iron Man' was based on Jesus Christ,” and “the notion that he was a hero one minute and persecuted the next. But instead of forgiving his persecutors, in our song 'Iron Man' seeks revenge.”
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