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 (US) | |
| Producer(s) | Rodger Brian | |
| '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] Riff
The song is known for its signature riff:
- Iron Man intro (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- Listen to the above.
- Problems listening to the file? See media help.
A common misconception, mainly by amateur guitarists, is that this song is played on the Low E string (this is also a misconception with the song "Smoke on the Water"). It is actually played using a power chord. The first fret it is played on in the open riff is the second, the first finger resting on the second fret while the third rests on the fourth fret. [citation needed]
[edit] Covers
It has been covered by:
- Swedish death metal band Mental Break
- Japanese heavy metal band Electric Eel Shock
- the punk rock band NOFX
- pop band The Cardigans on First Band on the Moon
- Rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot made a rap version on his 1988 album Swass
Rapper Busta Rhymes did a remix of the song with Ozzy Osbourne called This Means War for his 1998 album Extinction Level Event (Final World Front).
Osbourne also recorded the song with the group Therapy? for a Black Sabbath tribute album "Nativity in Black: Tribute to Black Sabbath", the same version which also in his Prince of Darkness box set.
The trio The Bad Plus also played a version on jazz instruments.
In 2006, when Black Sabbath was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, American metal band Metallica played this song along with "Hole in the Sky" in tribute.
[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
In the 2000s, "Iron Man" became a staple of American high school marching band music at football games. (King of the Hill illustrated this trend in flashback sequences showing Bill in his football stardom days.)
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 quoted 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".
Ozzy Osbourne recorded a new version with Therapy? for the 1994 album "Nativity In Black - A Tribute to Black Sabbath Vol. I". This version is often referred to as being recorded with Metallica (incorrectly) since Metallica covered Iron Man at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Metallica have never made a studio recording 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 opening to Iron Man is featured in a Nissan commercial.
Iron Man is the official song of the IronMan Poker tournament, a prestigious high stakes competition held in Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK.
[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".
[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] .
