This is the title track to the first of three albums Black Sabbath recorded with Ronnie James Dio on lead vocals. Guitarist Tony Iommi considers it the defining song from that era.
"That was on our initial album, and that track has stood the test of time. Even Ronnie, when he went out on his solo thing, he'd always play 'Heaven And Hell.' It became a very popular song."
When Dio returned to Sabbath in 2006, they re-named the band Heaven And Hell after this song because they weren't going to play any Ozzy Osbourne-era songs when they toured. Heaven And Hell released an album in 2009 called The Devil You Know.
Black Sabbath vocalist Ronnie James Dio stated that the song is about each human being's ability to choose between doing good and doing evil, essentially that each person has "heaven and hell" inside themselves. Dio said it was one of his favorites.
Lyrics
Sing me a song, you're a singer Do me a wrong, you're a bringer of evil The Devil is never a maker The less that you give, you're a taker So it's on and on and on, it's Heaven and Hell, oh well The lover of life's not a sinner The ending is just a beginner The closer you get to the meaning the sooner you'll know that you're dreaming So it's on and on and on, oh it's on and on and on It goes on and on and on, Heaven and Hell I can tell, fool, fool! Well if it seems to be real, it's illusion For every moment of truth, there's confusion in life Love can be seen as the answer, but nobody bleeds for the dancer And it's on and on, on and on and on.... They say that life's a carousel Spinning fast, you've got to ride it well The world is full of Kings and Queens Who blind your eyes and steal your dreams It's Heaven and Hell, oh well And they'll tell you black is really white The moon is just the sun at night And when you walk in golden halls You get to keep the gold that falls It's Heaven and Hell, oh no! Fool, fool! You've got to bleed for the dancer! Fool, fool! Look for the answer! Fool, fool, fool!
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