DESCRIPTION:
From '' Animalia ''
Label: Eskimo Recordings -- 541416 501505
Format: CD, Album
Country: Belgium
Released: Jul 2006

Tracklist
01. Star Whores
02. Heroine
03. Iron Man
04. Give It Up
05. Blazer
06. Can't Control The Boogie
07. Involvement
08. Animalia
09. Cadillac And Mac
10. Superdope
11. Get Down Syndrome
12. Wired And Tired

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"Iron Man" is a song by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath from their second studio album Paranoid released in 1970. It was 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.

The title of the song was conceived by Ozzy Osbourne. Geezer Butler took to writing the lyrics around the title. The song was originally entitled "Iron Bloke". Upon hearing the main guitar riff for the first time, Osbourne remarked that it sounded "like a big iron bloke walking about". The title was later changed to "Iron Man".

Despite the song's title, it bears no connection to the Marvel super hero character Iron Man. Butler wrote the lyrics as the story of a vengeful villain. The lyrics tell the story of a man who time travels into the future of the world, and sees the apocalypse. In the process of returning to the present, he is turned into steel by a magnetic field. He is rendered mute, unable verbally to warn people of his time of the impending destruction. His attempts to communicate are ignored and mocked. This causes Iron Man to become angry, and have his revenge on mankind, causing the destruction seen in his vision.

Awards and chart position

In 2000, almost 30 years after the original studio version was released, a live version of the song won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.
The song won spot #310 in Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
The song was awarded the #1 spot on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal Songs in 2006.
The song peaked at #52 on The Billboard Hot 100 in 1972.
The song returned to the charts in 2008 peaking at number 5 on Billboard's Hot Ringtones chart.

Personnel

Ozzy Osbourne -- vocals
Tony Iommi -- lead guitar
Geezer Butler -- bass guitar
Bill Ward -- drums

Covers

The Cardigans covered the song on their 1996 album First Band on the Moon.
Electric Eel Shock from Japan recorded an up tempo version on their 2005 album Beat Me they also often open live shows with the intro.
The Bad Plus covered the song on their 2004 album Give.
Sir Mix-A-Lot (backed by metal band Metal Church) covered the song with new lyrics on Mix-A-Lot's 1988 album Swass
NOFX recorded a cover of the song which was released years later on their 1992 compilation, Maximum Rocknroll (album).
Irish band Therapy? covered the song for the 1994 Black Sabbath tribute album Nativity in Black. Vocals on the track were provided by Ozzy Osbourne, who sang on the original.
Busta Rhymes used the song on his 1998 album, E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front, as the backing for the song This Means War, keeping the original chorus.
Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids covered the song on their 1990 demos, albeit with the lyrics altered to make reference to the Son of Sam murders.
Metallica covered the song when Black Sabbath was introduced in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.
Eddie Vedder has, on occasion, such as at the Reading Festival 2007, played the song on ukulele.
Kanye West samples the song on his song Hell of a Life on his album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

In other media

It is featured in 2008 video game Iron Man.
It is featured in 2010 movie Cheeseburger.
It is featured in 1999 movie Detroit Rock City.
It is featured in 2005 biographical movie Dogtown and Z-Boys.
Live performance of it was featured in the program Beat-Club.
Shorter,but faster cover version is featured in 2005 music video game Guitar Hero.
It is featured in the episode For Better or Verse of American TV series Beavis and Butt-Head.
Instrumental sections of it are featured at the beginning of the credits of 2008 movie Iron Man.
Instrumental sections of it are featured in the television commercials for the 2008 movie Iron Man.
It is featured in the episode That Wrestling Show of American television period sitcom That '70s Show.
It is featured in the episode The Deer Hunters of American Family comedy-drama series Gilmore Girls.
It is featured in the episode Anthology of Interest I of American animated science fiction sitcom Futurama.
Main character Dewey Finn plays its guitar riff to the other character Zack Mooneyham in 2003 movie School of Rock.
It is featured in the episode The Death of Tristan Taylor of Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Abridged Series,popular parody of the anime Yu-Gi-Oh!.