Band70s MusicBlack Sabbath
Paranoid – Black Sabbath – 1970
Did You Know?
Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler, who wrote the lyric, explained the song’s meaning: “Basically, it’s just about depression, because I didn’t really know the difference between depression and paranoia. It’s a drug thing; when you’re smoking a joint you get totally paranoid about people, you can’t relate to people. There’s that crossover between the paranoia you get when you’re smoking dope and the depression afterwards.”
Although this was the first Black Sabbath-penned single, the band’s debut single was actually a cover of Crow’s “Evil Woman Don’t Play Your Games With Me” a few months before the “Paranoid” release. “Paranoid” was much more successful. It was released six months after their self-titled first album and had a huge impact in their native UK, going to #4 and becoming one of their signature songs.
For more authoritative information on Black Sabbath and their discography, you can visit their Wikipedia page.
Watch Video
Lyrics Paranoid – Black SabbathÂ
Finished with my woman ’causeShe couldn’t help me with my mindPeople think I’m insane becauseI am frowning all the time
All day long I think of thingsBut nothing seems to satisfyThink I’ll lose my mindIf I don’t find something to pacify
Can you help meOccupy my brain?Oh yeah
I need someone to show meThe things in life that I can’t findI can’t see the things that makeTrue happiness, I must be blind
Make a joke and I will sighAnd you will laugh and I will cryHappiness I cannot feelAnd love to me is so unreal
And so as you hear these wordsTelling you now of my stateI tell you to enjoy lifeI wish I could but it’s too late
