Paranoid (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Paranoid


Cover size =
Caption = The 1972 re-release cover
Artist = Black Sabbath
from Album = Paranoid
A-side = Paranoid
B-side = Rat Salad
Released = 1970
Format = 45 RPM
Recorded = 1970
Genre = Heavy metal
Length = 2:52
Label = Vertigo
Writer = Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward
Producer =
Certification =
Last single = "The Wizard"
(1970)
This single = "Paranoid"
(1970)
Next single = "Iron Man"
(1970)
Misc =
prev = "War Pigs"
prev_no = 1
next = "Planet Caravan"
next_no = 3"Paranoid" is a song by Black Sabbath that appears on the band's second album "Paranoid". Supposedly, the members of Black Sabbath put together this song in 15 minutes based on a solo by Tony Iommi. This song was only meant to be a "filler", but became one of Black Sabbath's most well known songs: the band members were sent back to the studio to record one more song because the record company deemed the album was too short, and planned to quickly record a filler song, but eventually wrote and recorded "Paranoid". The record company changed the album's name from "War Pigs", as it was originally intended, to "Paranoid" out of fear of a backlash from supporters of the Vietnam War.

"Paranoid" was released as a single and received regular airplay on mainstream radio. The single, with " [The Wizard] " on the B-side, was released in the UK in July 1970 and it reached the number 4.

Lead singer Ozzy Osbourne continued to play this song in concert during his career as a solo artist.

"Paranoid" was ranked #34 on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal Songs. ["VH1 40 Greatest Metal Songs", 1-4 May 2006, "VH1" Channel, reported by [http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/the_greatest/103446/episode_this_list.jhtml VH1.com] ; last accessed September 10, 2006] In March 2005, "Q" magazine placed it at number 11 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. Rolling Stone ranked it #250 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

In Pop culture

*"Paranoid" is heard in the movies "Dogtown and Z-Boys", "We Are Marshall", "Almost Famous", "Sid and Nancy", and "Dazed and Confused" and Oliver Stone's "Any Given Sunday". The song was also included in the soundtrack for "Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2" (the live version from "Tribute") and used as background music in the game "Rock N' Roll Racing", as an instrumental due to programming limitations.

*"Paranoid" is heard playing in the "Supernatural" episode "Phantom Traveler" as Sam Winchester and Dean Winchester are coming out of a men's suit store, and continues as they impersonate Homeland Security agents.

*"Soittakaa Paranoid!" ("Play Paranoid!") is the Finnish equivalent to requests for "Free Bird". Juho Juntunen, editor of Finnish rock magazine "Soundi", used to humorously shout the phrase from the audience in various gigs. This manner spread widely and it's now common to hear someone shout "Soittakaa Paranoid!" in any gig in Finland, even if they do not know where the joke originated, or have never heard the song.

* A slow, acoustic version by Gus Black is heard in episode 6 of season 1 of "Californication", a TV series. It is used when Hank Moody and the nameless girl are listening to Hank's vinyl records.

* The song is featured as a playable track in the video games "GuitarFreaks", "Rock Band" and "".

Cover versions

* Megadeth have covered Paranoid for the tribute album "Nativity in Black". The song also appeared on Megadeth's "Hidden Treasures" album, in which cover versions and tracks from movie soundtracks were included
* Type O Negative covered the song for the re-release of their faux live album "The Origin of the Feces"
* KoЯn - The song has been confirmed for their upcoming cover album "Korn Kovers"
* Queens of the Stone Age
* The Dickies (1979)
* Eighth Deadly Sin covered the song for their first EP "Darker Than Black"
* Vince Neil
* Mystic Prophecy covered the song on their album "Satanic Curses"
* Sopor Aeternus
* Silverchair
* 3rd Strike
* Steel Pole Bath Tub, on their "Lurch" EP
* Quo Vadis
* Rage
* Ruder Than You covered the song in a ska version for their "Horny For Ska" album.
* Master
* Big Country
* Gus Black
* Auf der Maur
* Twat
* Wayne Static
* Debauchery
* Björn Again on their "Live in Royal Albert Hall" CD
* Piersi have covered Paranoid live on the album "My już są Amerykany" but with alternate lyrics (about a motorcycle rider) and in Polish
* Random Insanity (2008)

Legacy

Paranoid often enters into lists regarding the 'best' metal or hard rock track. It is typically associated with both Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath due to its popularity. After Osbourne left the band in 1978, he continued to perform this track (normally at the end of the set). Various different live versions have been recorded with Osbourne. This is due to the changes in band lineup since the original Blizzard of Ozz in 1980. Popular live versions featuring various guitarists including Randy Rhoads, Brad Gillis, Jake E. Lee and Zakk Wylde were all recorded and later released.

Randy Rhoads - Tribute (audio)

Brad Gillis - Speak of the Devil (audio or VHS/DVD)
Jake E. Lee - Bark At The Moon (Live) (VHS) [http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=JSHOkb4D5u4]
Zakk Wylde - Live & Loud (audio or VHS/DVD), Live at Budokan (audio or VHS/DVD)

The song is regarded as a classic by many guitarists and is a popular choice of song when first learning.

Notes