Spiral Architect by Black Sabbath

Album: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)

Get the Sheet Music License This Song

Sabbath bass player Geezer Butler, who wrote most of the their lyrics, had the words for this song come to him in a dream. He woke up the next morning and wrote them down. Later that day he called lead singer Ozzy Osbourne and read them to him - Ozzy was very impressed. >>
Suggestion credit:
Chris - Philly, PA
Wil Malone arranged the strings on this track. Other artists he's worked with include Todd Rundgren and Iron Maiden.
Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi originally attempted to play bagpipes on this track by simply going out to a music store, buying some, and bringing them back to the studio. The experiment was not a success: after struggling to fill the instrument's bladder with air, the band tried using a vacuum cleaner to inflate it. No luck there either. Tony was not destined to become a bagpipe player in a single day, and after wasting a bit of valuable studio time they scrapped the idea. (Source: Iron Man: My Journey through Heaven and Hell with Black Sabbath.)
Geezer Butler told Kerrang this song contains his favorite lyrics on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. He explained: "I had written them on my front lawn watching the sun come up, and it was a particularly good time in my life."

Comments: 4

Cindy from Pure DeliriumAttention people (or haters) who call Sabbath Satan worshippers...listen to this song!! Whenever i listen to this song I think of ozzy sitting cross legged in a field of grass and flowers, looking up at the sky, eyes closed and the wind blowing gently through his beautiful long (70's hair haha) ...ahhhhhhhh Sabbath freakin Rules!!!
Kieran from Brisbane, AustraliaSome of the most amazing lyrics I've ever heard. Sheer poetry!
Laura from Perth, Australiagreat song---the beginning guitar and the drone of the bass seems to reflect a bit of The Who's 'pinball wizard'...the beginning part particularly.
Andrea from Savona, Italyi'm not that sure about it, cause i heard in an ozzy's interview that he called geezer by phone asking him if he had any new lyric for a song but geezer had not.
just one hour later geezer phoned ozzy back and red the spiral's lyric.

ozzy was impressed and asked geezer where the hell he cought it. geezer stated that he wrote it lying down on his garden by the time between their the two phone calls. ozzy laughing said: can i buy you garden?

see more comments

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.

Jesus In Pop Hits: The Gospel Songs That Went MainstreamSong Writing

These overtly religious songs crossed over to the pop charts, despite resistance from fans, and in many cases, churches.

Trucking Songs That Were #1 HitsSong Writing

The stories behind the biggest hit songs about trucking.

Jello BiafraSongwriter Interviews

The former Dead Kennedys frontman on the past, present and future of the band, what music makes us "pliant and stupid," and what he learned from Alice Cooper.

La La Brooks of The CrystalsSong Writing

The lead singer on "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "Then He Kissed Me," La La explains how and why Phil Spector replaced The Crystals with Darlene Love on "He's A Rebel."

The Girl in That SongFact or Fiction

Billie Jean, Delilah, Sara, Laura and Sharona - do you know who the girls in the songs really are?