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Songfacts:  You can leave comments about the song at the bottom of the page.

This was the first Black Sabbath single. It came out 6 months after their first album.

Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler (from Guitar World magazine, March 2004): "A lot of the Paranoid album was written around the time of our first album, Black Sabbath. We recorded the whole thing in about 2 or 3 days, live in the studio. The Song 'Paranoid' was written as an afterthought. We basically needed a 3 minute filler for the album, and Tony came up with the riff. I quickly did the lyrics, and Ozzy was reading them as he was singing." (thanks, Tim - Miramichi, Canada)

This is about a man who is paranoid. The driving guitar and bass create a nervous energy to go along with Ozzy's lyrics.

This was used as the title to the second Sabbath album. The band wanted to call it "War Pigs," after another song on the album, but the record company made them use this instead because it was less offensive. The album cover was a literal interpretation of a "War Pig" - it showed a pig with a sword and shield.

The word "Paranoid" is never mentioned in the lyrics.

"The Wizard," a song from their first album, was used as the B-side of the single.

Black Sabbath waited 2 years before releasing another single, "Iron Man." They did not want to become a "Singles Band," with kids coming to their shows just to hear their hits. This also ensured that fans would buy the albums.

In England, this was re-released in 1980 to capitalize on the success of Black Sabbath: Live At Last, which was released earlier that year. The album was taken from a Sabbath concert in 1975 with the original band members.

Black Sabbath played this in their set at Live Aid in 1985.

Megadeth covered this on the 1994 Black Sabbath tribute album Nativity In Black.

This song is heard briefly during the film We Are Marshall. (thanks, Ricky - Los Angeles, CA)

This song is used in 2 music based video games: Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock for the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, Playstation 2, and Playstation 3, and also in the video game Rock Band for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. (thanks, Mike - A small town in, MA)

Comments:

This song i met when playing Rock'n'Roll racing, at my Super Nintendo back in 90's
- Moises, Brasil, Brazil

Dang, just when I got the begining riff to this song, my D string breaks. ARGH!
- Elsa, Los Angeles, CA

They just don't write music like this anymore. 70's ROCK is the greatest!
- Bryan, West Milton, OH

The lyrics almost read like a suicide note. I agree that it seems to be more about depression than paranoia. But then again, the title is "Paranoid".
- Scott, Boston, MA

Amazing song by an amazing band
- Patient X, Columbia, SC

My lifes soundtrack, if your gonna habitually smoke pot 9 years, youll relate BLACK SABBATH RULES
- Brian, Vancouver, Canada

the guitar tab is sweet
- Hunter, South West, MI

I agree with Fyodor who said, "Seems more about depression than paranoia." Am I Going Insane? (Radio) from the Sabotage album talks more about being paranoid.
- Justin, Virginia Beach, VA

In dazed and confused, another great hit. Tony Iommi had lost the tips of his middle and ring finger of his right hand the last day of his job at a sheet metal factory in Birmingham. Because he was a lefty guitarist he had to make himself metal finger tips that added to the somber sounds in Sabbath's songs. He was only 17 and remained in the band its entire lifespan.
- kevin, monroe, NY

I saw that it said that on the cover for their album parinoid they have a pig with a sheild and sword but i own the album and it looks nothing like that it looks like a regular person but all blurry from motin like when you move when your picture is taken
- cooper, north salt lake, UT

This dude's voice is off the hizzy! And this is a great headbanging song
- Charles, Somewhere in, Bosnia and Herzegovina

The first Sabbath song I ever heard.It "hooked" me in to all the other Sabbath stuff from there.No other song has ever had quite the same 100% effect on me.
- Conrad, Raglan, New Zealand

I think this song is about a man that thinks his wife/girlfriend is out to get him and he breaks up with her.I think this because the first line is "finshed with my women" thanks p.s the easiest riff ever invented
- cameron, arlington, TX

excellent song. probably be better if it was longer and less repetitive... but hey... they had ten minutes and now it's everyone's favourite...well personally i prefer evil woman =P
- Zac, Sydney, Australia

just wondering if anybody liked sabbath after ozy left
- justin, pulaski, TN

paranoid = awesome song Dudes!
- bob, perth, WA

i love this song i think that that song is te best ever and the first black sabbath song that i have ever heard
- michelle, minesota, MN

Neil of England, because I AM of the British dissent, that still doesn't mean I can't say I hope you repent U-T-T-E-R-L-Y for calling Ozzy a sellout...don't even THINK it, you'd better pray for forgiveness...
- Steven, West Carrollton, OH

Honestly Brandon, from Peoria, IL, the end part DOES indded sound liuke he says END YOUR but mabey I'm crazy but i knew it was "Enjoy" the first time I heard it...it could happen but I would not kill myself If Ozzy told me to.
- Nick Lamb, Sarnia, Canada

This song is amazing and absolutely sums up the feeling perfectly.
- Matt, Sactown, CA

i have heard that there was a series of suicides following the release of this song (or Megadeath's cover). This song was questioned because of the final lyric..."I tell you to enjoy live, i wish i could but it's too late"...apparently it was misquoted as "i tell you to END YOUR life, i wish..." If anyone else has more info on this please share.
- Brandon, Peoria, IL

Seems more about depression than paranoia. Exploits the adolescent feeling that one is all alone in the world and no one else can know what you're experiencing.
- fyodor, Denver, CO

One of greatest guitar riffs ever!
- Dalton, columbus, United States

Sabbath 4Eva!
- Dylan, perth, Australia

What i tried to say, was that i think this song is pretty much like a synonym to "good music"... Alright, i just didn't want you to get me wrong...
- oscar, Stockholm, Sweden

The main Riff in the beginning is from Zeppelins Dazed and Confused, right before they speed up. It is significantly faster on Paranoid though. Black Sabbath we're greatly Influenced by Zeppelin. Especially their first album Led Zeppelin I.
- Marlon, Brooklyn, NY

I just read that Britney Spears is recording an album of rock classics. She's doing Paranoid, Stairway To Heaven, Revolution (a duet with 50 Cent), and Born To Run (a duet with Kid Rock), among others. What's next? Maybe Axl Rose should do covers of Cher's greatest hits!
- Mickey, Langley, VA

This song discribes me totally
- Alexander, Newburgh, NY

I really like this BS song as it appears on my favourite movie, Dazed & Confused. The feeling of the song fits the title well.
- Sue, Wonderland

O Crap i am sooo sorry, i hate misinformation and i just gave u some. thank god mike was their to see my typo, it was not reagan it was nixon.
- robert, chicago, IL

I LOOOVE this song!!! haha and I love dancing to it! its awesome!! one of the few black sabbath songs that can be hyper and dancey.. the other songs I can find to be quite slow and a bit depressing, even though they are also extremely good!
- Krystal, Victoria, Canada

Paranoid: The story of a loser who isnt able to fit into real life.
- Ravyn, Hell, NY

robert from chicago i dont mean to critcize some one from my home town but why would Reagan be on the cover of war pigs? he wasnt president in 1970 Richard Nixon was... stick it to the man and rock on
- Mike, Chicago, IL

agreed.. this is the most popular song in sabbs catalog.. but not the best.. not even the best on the album....d hand of doom kicks butt.. and rat salad is a great drum sole.. .. by the way bill ward has some real good albums of his own.
- rip, daytona bch, FL

and speaking of making records longer. have you noticed how black sabbath makes the /s in their songs (eg. War Pigs/Luke's Wall, Fairies Wear Boots/Jack the Stripper) that was to make the records look like they were longer because most artists made a lot of 3 to 4 minute long songs while black sabbath could be 5 to 7 minute long. on paranoid (or war pigs) they still didnt have enough songs so geezer sat down wrote paranoid in a matter of a minute and they recorded it. and with that queen incident they were planning on doing Sweet Leaf to "fight the system" but they were not finished with the song at the time.
- robert, chicago, IL

This is my favourite song. The live version is the best.
- Phil, Niagara Falls, Canada

Im sorry Will I must Disagree...this is definatley not there best song but meerly there most popular... And Junyi i must agree the Ozzy Years (1970 - 1978) were by far the best. Although i do believe Dio's voice has much more of a dynamic range yet for me Ozzy's voice suits the musicical style so much better... oh and just for a funny fact... Did u know that on their debut self titled album ozzys name on the inside cover is actually spellt "OSSIE" Not bad for a 17 yr old kid aye!
- Dyas, Cardiff, Wales

Ozzy was requested to do this by the queen, but only because, apparently, harry is a fan....Nazi's eh?
- Guisseppe, Bradford UK, England

this is a good song and all but its too short all this is in the album is filler. it took 10 minutes to record the song. when writing this song Geezer did not even no what it meant. he said people were always calling him paranoid so he took a wild guess. the original album was called War Pigs and had a picyure of Ronald Reagan and Henry Kissenger on it but the record company said that was unexeptable and without the bands permission put on a random picture of a blurred soldier coming out of a forest (which has nothing to do with the album).
- robert, chicago, IL

Matt, Hudon ' don't be so silly, the queen didn't request this song. In fact, I'm disgusted that Ozzy did that. Stupid queen, stupid royal family, stupid Ozzy for selling out and doing a show that celebrates the family that oppresses an entire nation. Paranoid? Not me mate.
- Neil, London, England

I actually like all songs composed during Ozzy's years there (My favourite band). They are much better than certain bands who do things electronically all the time, who play alternative metal, who did a collabaration with a another person and released an certain album....
- Junyi, Singapore, Singapore

They needed to have the full 4 side 4 side thing and they only had 20 minutes left in the studio so they wrote it in a couple of minutes and then performed it for the Studio and stuff like that. That is what I read. A very classic Sabbath. SABBATH RULES!!!!!
- Michael Picard, Lapwai, ID

I heard or read somewhere in a Black Sabbath interview that they went into a room with a bag of cocaine and wrote Paranoid in a matter of 10 minutes.
- Johnny, Portales, NM

You know, I was reading a song fact about the Megadeth cover and Dave Mustaine (singer and rhythm guitarist for Megadeth) said that Ozzy didnt like their cover of Paranoid, haha. Burn :)
- Kyle, Montreal, Canada

Awesome Song! One of my favorite Ozzy quotes is from "Paranoid": "Happiness I cannot feel and Love to me is so unreal"
- Michael, Chino, CA

The story of a loser who isn't able to fit in the real life.
- Steve, Bakersfield, CA

when it was written, they didnt even know what the word "paranoid" meant, all Geezer knew was that he was called it alot and it sounded cool
- Mark, Ridgeland, MS

Written in 5 minutes. The album cover (a blurry image of a spage age warrior) was desined to go withy the original name of the album "War Pigs". They changed it because Americans didn't waqnt to be reminded that they were losing the Vietnam War. By the time they changed the name of the album it was too late to change the cover.
- Tom, Trowbridge, England

this is Sabbath's best song
- Will, Portland, OR

Sabbath Rules!
- Joe, Duluth, MN

Ammazing song! The whole first side of the album is wicked! LISTEN TO BLACK SABBATH!
- Andrew, Bowmanville, Canada

i love this song!
- melanie, gatineau, Canada

I heard that this song was written by the band in a matter of 10 mins because they needed one more song to complete the album.
- Kirsten, Brampton, Canada

Originally, the band did not want to put the song on the album. It was sort of a left over track added at the last minute. It was a hit, and also became a staple song for almost all of Ozzy's solo concerts.
- Kristina, San Antonio, TX

This song was performed by Ozzy at the Queen's Jubilee. The song was requested by the queen of England herself.
- Mark, Hudson, MA