“Iron Man”
Single by Black Sabbath from the album Paranoid
B-side	"Electric Funeral"
Released	October 1971
Format	45 RPM
Genre	Heavy metal
Length	3:33 (Single) 5:56 (Album) Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... For other uses, see Black Sabbath (disambiguation). ... Paranoid is the second album by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and contains some of their most famous work, including the songs Iron Man, War Pigs, and the title track Paranoid. ... “B-Sides” redirects here. ... Electric Funeral was the fifth song off of Black Sabbaths second album Paranoid, released in 1970. ... 45 RPM is a collection of songs by The The. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Heavy metal redirects here. ...
Label	Vertigo
Writer(s)	Iommi, Osbourne, Butler, Ward
Producer	Rodger Bain
Black Sabbath singles chronology
"Paranoid" "Iron Man" "War Pigs"

"Iron Man" is a signature song of Birmingham, England heavy metal pioneers Black Sabbath. It was first released on their second 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. Many musical acts have recorded cover versions of the song, and the song is frequently used and referenced during sporting events and in television shows and films. Trailers for the 2008 feature film Iron Man have featured portions of this song. In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Vertigo Records was the name Philips Records chose in the sixties for its record label to counter the progressive labels of its rivals EMI (with Harvest Records) and Decca Records (with Deram Records). ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Frank Anthony Tony Iommi (born February 19, 1948, in Aston, Birmingham, England) is a guitarist best known for his tenure in the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. ... Ozzy redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Rodger Bain was the producer of Black Sabbaths first three albums and Judas Priests first one, Rocka Rolla. ... For other uses, see Black Sabbath (disambiguation). ... Look up paranoia in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the comic book character. ... War Pigs is an anti-war song by British heavy metal rockers Black Sabbath from their 1970 album, Paranoid. ... See also Birmingham, USA, and other places called Birmingham. ... Heavy metals, in chemistry, are chemical elements of a particular range of atomic weights. ... For other uses, see Black Sabbath (disambiguation). ... Paranoid is the second album by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and contains some of their most famous work, including the songs Iron Man, War Pigs, and the title track Paranoid. ... // Charles Wuorinen, aged 32, becomes the youngest composer ever to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. ... We Sold Our Soul for Rock n Roll was a compilation album by Black Sabbath. ... See also: 1970s in music. ... 2008 in film is expected to feature another battle of the sequels, as many properties release new installments, including: Rambo, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Lost Boys: The Tribe... Iron Man is an upcoming 2008 superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character of the same name. ...

Story

The song is about a person who travels through time to, or for the benefit of, mankind's future. On his way back, he is transformed to steel with "boots of lead" when he passes through a "magnetic field." Because of his new form, people reject him -despite his efforts for the benefit of mankind-, and as revenge, he tries to kill them. For other uses, see Steel (disambiguation). ... General Name, Symbol, Number lead, Pb, 82 Chemical series Post-transition metals or poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 6, p Appearance bluish gray Standard atomic weight 207. ...

It turns out the terrible event he tried to warn people of was him.

Riff

This section does not cite any references or sources. (March 2008) Please improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

The song is known for its signature riff: Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Riff is also an alternate spelling of Rif, a region of Morocco. ...

Other Releases

There have been many re-releases of "Iron Man". It was also a B-side for the 1981 picture disc single Paranoid. Look up paranoia in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Awards & Chart Position

• 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]
• Peaked at #52 in 1971

See also: 2000 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2000 Record labels established in 2000 // John Tavener is knighted in the New Years Honours List. ... The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance has been awarded since 1990. ... This article is about the magazine. ... ...

Notes