Iron Man (song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| ""Iron Man"" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Song by Black Sabbath | ||
| from the album 'Paranoid' | ||
| Released | 1970 | |
| Genre | Heavy Metal | |
| Length | 5:57 | |
| Label | Vertigo (UK) Warner Bros. Records (US) | |
| Producer(s) | Rodger Bain | |
| 'Paranoid' track listing | ||
| "Planet Caravan" (3) |
""Iron Man"" (4) |
"Electric Funeral" (5) |
"Iron Man" is a signature song of Birmingham heavy metal pioneers Black Sabbath. It was first released on their sophomore album Paranoid (1970) and 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.
Contents |
[edit] Composition
The lyrics of the song, which may be metaphorical, describe the titular character. It is unsure if he is still in full possession of his faculties. He is largely ignored by those who pass him by, even though he had made the sacrifice of being turned to steel "when he traveled time for the future of mankind." As Iron Man stares at the world, he plots his revenge and then acts it out. The song indicates that Iron Man may have died and come back to life ("vengeance from the grave" and "Iron Man lives again"); at any rate, Iron Man has become fed up with the way he has been treated by those he served and begins to "kill the people he once saved." Obviously, this Iron Man's behaviors set him far apart from the comic book superhero of the same name. The Maoist Internationalist Movement interprets "Iron Man" as being about a veteran of the Vietnam War [1].
[edit] Riff
The song is known for its signature riff:
[edit] Legacy
This song features one of the most popular riffs of all time. It is frequently used in television and movies, including:
- Beavis and Butt-head
- School of Rock
- Futurama
- The Simpsons
- King of the Hill
- Lords of Dogtown
- Detroit Rock City
At one point, "Iron Man" had different lyrics.
This song was the one-time entrance theme for the professional wrestling tag-team known as The Road Warriors (later known at the Legion of Doom). It was later used as the entrance theme for World Championship Wrestling commissioner Vince Russo.
This song appears in the PlayStation 2 game Guitar Hero. Additionally, in the version of the Freezepop song "Get Ready 2 Rokk" in the same game, the "Iron Man" riff is briefly used at the very end of the song.
The opening lyric to the Daft Punk song "The Brainwasher" includes a nod to the opening lyric of "Iron Man", using a similar distortion effect on the lyric "I am the brainwasher".
A remixed version of the song also plays during the main menu screen of the Xbox game Forza Motorsport'.
There is also a doom metal band that goes by the name Iron Man, a former Black Sabbath tribute band.
When Ozzy Osbourne recorded a heavy metal cover of the disco-era song "Stayin' Alive" for his 2005 boxed set Prince of Darkness, he added the lyric "I am Disco Man" to the end of the song, presented with the same distortion effect used on the lyric "I am Iron Man" from the opening of "Iron Man".
The song is referenced in Ozzy Osbourne's solo song Gets Me Through. The exact quotation is: "I'm not the kind of person/You think I am/I'm not the Antichrist or/The Iron Man"
The song is used during a scene in the movie Detroit Rock City, when the four main characters beat up two disco-loving Guidos as revenge for them destroying a Kiss 8-track tape.
More recently parts of the song have been used in a commercial for the Nissan Titan which began airing in mid-2006.
In one of his routines, comedian Brian Haley said that if "Iron Man" is played backwards, the song "Moon River" is what is heard.
T.Love's song Polish Boyfriend starts with electrically modified voise saying: I'am the polish boyfriend , what can remind of I'am Ironman words from Ironman's beginning.
[edit] Parodies
Bob Rivers used the Iron Man riff for his parody "I Am Santa Claus". Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne appeared in a video for the parody, watching a performance of the song on a television set until he destroys the set in disgust.
Alice in Chains also parodied the song in a short non-listed track (usually known as "Iron Gland") on their album "Dirt".
The song "Powdered Milk Man" by The Aquabats parodies the song's intro, where "I am Powdered Milk Man" is said instead of "I am Iron Man".
In The Simpsons episode The President Wore Pearls, after Lisa bursts into an elaborate song, Nelson exclaims "I have a song too!", and sings "I am Iron Man; do do do do do do do, vote for me!" to the tune of Iron Man.
There is a schoolyard ditty about an ice-cream man who runs over overweight children, sung to the tune of Iron Man;
"I am the Ice Cream man, runnin' over fat kids in my van. when i ring my bell, all the little fat kids run like hell."
[edit] Awards
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.
"Iron Man" was awarded the #1 spot on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal Songs in 2006 [1] .
