BLACK SABBATH

War Pigs

Generals gathered in their masses,
just like witches at black masses.  
 Evil minds that plot destruction,
sorcerers of death's construction.
In the fields the bodies burning,
as the war machine keeps turning.
Death and hatred to mankind,
poisoning their brainwashed minds...Oh lord yeah!

Politicians hide themselves away
They only started the war
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that role to the poor

Time will tell on their power minds
Making war just for fun
Treating people just like pawns in chess
Wait `till their judgement day comes, yeah!

Now in darkness, world stops turning,
as you hear the bodies burning.
No more war pigs of the power,
hand of god has struck the hour.
Day of judgement, god is calling,
on their knees the war pigs crawling.
Begging mercy for their sins,
Satan, laughing, spreads his wings...Oh lord, yeah!

This is really the only song of Black Sabbaths that I like.  It is still hard to get beyond the band's name, Black Sabbath, which is a midnight celebration undertaken by witches, demons, and the like.  It was celebrated annually, although medieval practitioners of witchcraft held sabbaths on Candlemas (Christian feast of the presentation of Christ on February 2), Roodmas (feast of the cross on May 3), Lammas (referred to as loaf-mass is the Anglo-Saxon festival of the wheat harvest on August 1), and All Hallows Eve (or Halloween or All Saints Eve, the time in the Christian year dedicated to remembering the dead, martyrs, and saints).

The word sabbath is the Jewish word for "day of rest," so that is innocuous enough.  Wikipedia explains that "The English word "sabbat" is of obscure etymology and late diffusion, and local variations of the name given to witches' gatherings were frequent.^[1] "Sabbat" came indirectly from Hebrew שַׁבָּת (Shabbath, "day of rest"). In modern Judaism, Shabbat is the rest day celebrated from Friday evening to Saturday nightfall; in modern Christianity, Sabbath refers to Sunday, or to a time period similar to Shabbat in the seventh-day church minority. In connection with the medieval beliefs in the evil power of witches and in the malevolence of Jews and Judaizing heretics (both being Sabbathkeepers),^[2] satanic gatherings of witches were by outsiders called "sabbats", "synagogues", or "convents."

 Sometimes confused with the occasions on which a "black mass" was held

"Heaven and Hell," 1980.  Title track of the "Heaven and Hell" album.  This song is ". . . the first Black Sabbath album to feature vocalist Ronnie James Dio (1942-2010), who replaced original vocalist Ozzy Osbourne (1948-. . .) in 1979."

Sing me a song, you're a singer
Do me a wrong, you're a bringer of evil
The Devil is never a maker
The less that you give, you're a taker
So it's on and on and on
...it's Heaven and Hell, oh well

The lover of life's not a sinner
The ending is just a beginner
The closer you get to the meaning
The sooner you'll know that you're dreaming
So it's on and on and on
Oh it's on and on and on
It goes on and on and on, Heaven and Hell
I can tell, fool, fool!

Well, if it seems to be real, it's illusion
For every moment of truth, there's confusion in life
Love can be seen as the answer
But nobody bleeds for the dancer
And it's on and on, on and on and on....

They say that life's a carousel
Spinning fast, you've got to ride it well
The world is full of Kings and Queens
Who blind your eyes then steal your dreams
...it's Heaven and Hell, oh well

And they'll tell you black is really white
The moon is just the sun at night
And when you walk in golden halls
You get to keep the gold that falls
It's Heaven and Hell

No no fool, fool!
You got to bleed for the dancer!
Fool, fool, look for the answer!
Fool, fool, fool!