BLACK SABBATH Lyric Analysis #2: "The Wizard"

**TrogDawn** · Subject: BLACK SABBATH Lyric Analysis #2: "The Wizard" Thu Jan 25, 2007 4:24 pm

"The Wizard" (Black Sabbath, 1970)

Misty morning
Clouds in the sky
Without warning
A wizard walks by
Casting his shadow
Weaving his spell
Flowing clothes
Tinkling bell

Never talking
Just keeps walking
Spreading his magic

Evil power disappears
Demons worry when the wizard is near
He turns tears into joy
Everyone's happy when the wizard walks by

Never talking
Just keeps walking
Spreading his magic

Sun is shining
Clouds have gone by
All the people
Give a happy sigh
He has passed by
Giving his sign
Left all the people
Feeling so fine

Never talking
Just keeps walking
Spreading his magic

**TrogDawn**

criss3o wrote:

Great song!

My veiws on this are rather simple! As many know Sabbath has been considered somewhat of a death knell to the peace and love generation! This song to me is kinda bridging that gap! Very LOVE oriented lyrical theme of a magic man spreding joy, put to heavy music and dark imagery! Personally I think it is brilliant!!!

theAcorn wrote:

And it may or may not be about a 'wizard.' It could just be someone that comes around that makes everyone feel better...

I don't know...

Neat idea, but some of these songs there probably wasn't too much to be made of them in the first place... like this one. Some of the other songs should produce threads the go for pages.

silentwitness9 wrote:

The most common theories are that it refers either to Gandalf from the LOTR series or a drug dealer.

criss3o wrote:

Hmmm! Interesting!

I don't know about the Lord of the Rings referance, but I can really picture them writing this about a drug dealer! That kind of falls right into my original thought!

Sounds very likely to me!!!

candlemass wrote:

Quote:

And it may or may not be about a 'wizard.' It could just be someone that comes around that makes everyone feel better...

Yea like "The Candy Man"

Gotta love the harp in this song!

theAcorn wrote:

yeah, the drug dealer thing sounds best...

TrogDawn wrote:

I actually read an interview with Geezer and he stated that the lyrics were in fact based on Gandalf. Again, it may have been in the Symptom of the Universe liner notes (if anyone has this collection, can you verify this for me?) If it wasn't there, I know I read it somewhere because I remember thinking "OK, that's what I thought". Since seeing the LOTR movies (I never read the books), I have viewed the song in that way (before reading Geezer's statement). Prior to any knowledge of Gandalf, I'm not sure what I thought the song was about other than it's literal meaning, but it continues to present the "village" feel of the entire album to me. More imagery of a small village back in the middle ages or maybe colonial times where people are simple and get frightened over things that may or may not be real (also similar to the movie The Village by M. Night Shyamalan) and this wizard visits every so often to put the peoples' minds at ease. (In reading commentaries about LOTR, it is actually thought that Gandalf and the other wizards are meant to be a kind of angelic type of being in this way.)

I've never personally took the lyrics to represent a drug dealer (this is the first time I've heard that idea, honestly!), and I think the same principle I stated about the first song ("Black Sabbath" ) holds true for this one: if you start with a negative premise, the lyrics will follow that premise but if you start with a positive one the same thing will happen. I have always maintained a certain sense of innocence when interpreting lyrics for some reason, and I'm actually grateful for that.

metal canuk wrote:

I was going to say that they might have to do with the Lord Of The Rings also. I would say that this theme was also prevalent with Uriah Heep's Magician's Birthday.

TrogDawn wrote:

Quote:

Uriah Heep's Magician's Birthday.

Yeah! I love the HEEP! They too had an EXCELLENT song also called "The Wizard"!

TrogDawn wrote:

Quote:

My veiws on this are rather simple! As many know Sabbath has been considered somewhat of a death knell to the peace and love generation! This song to me is kinda bridging that gap! Very LOVE oriented lyrical theme of a magic man spreding joy, put to heavy music and dark imagery! Personally I think it is brilliant!!!

Interesting analysis, criss!

candlemass wrote:

Remember the opening scene in LOTR, where Gandalf rides into the Shire and all the kids are laughing and happy and he shoots off the fireworks? Yea, I can see The Wizard being based on this! The only problem is, Gandalf talks!

TrogDawn wrote:

This is true! That would also kind of put the kaibosh on the drug dealer interpretation. Kind of hard to make "the deal" when you don't talk, eh?

So maybe it was "loosely based" on Gandalf?

candlemass wrote:

What about the movie Clerks, that one dealer never spoke, so perhaps the Wizard had a spokesman?

TrogDawn wrote:

Maybe it was his sidekick, the Gizzard?

Or maybe he had a pet lizard?

ghosts of athanasius wrote:

In the books, in his dealings with Shirefolk, Gandalf was more enigmatic so it could work. LOTR had a huge influence on many british musicians (Clapton, Bruce, Zep, and others)

I would be inclined to go with Gandalf

You should read the books. Excellent use of time

LordTsebaoth wrote:

Quote:

Kind of hard to make "the deal" when you don't talk, eh?

Well, not necesarily. I'm not saying the song is about a drug dealer, but I can see the 'never talking' line as a reference to the shady, disconnected 'front' attitude of the drug world in general.

Honestly, when it comes to drug users, there's a certain protocol or 'ettiquete' that must be observed when making reference to illegal transactions. I.E. check to make sure no-one else is listening, remember to speak in hushed tones if possible, and the idea that whenever possible, referring to the substance as 'that thing we were talking about' or some slang term rather than using it's actual name. The walls have ears. It's not that they 'aren't talking' necessarily, just that no one hears it.

Personally I've always seen the song as a metaphor. It's about a 'wizard' of sorts, perhaps a Gandalf figure, but I think it's also about the wizard's view of himself. Most drugs, especially coke and speed, are known for causing a sense of paranoia in most users. This lends itself to an 'outsider' attitude. Perhaps one doesn't LOOK different to other people, but in their mind, everyone is watching them, wondering why they aren't speaking, wondering why they are acting funny etc.

I've always thought of The Wizard as a description of this type of feeling--how people look at 'the wizard' and how 'the wizard' looks at those people and at himself. He may feel that he has some type of special 'power' or ability as a result of the delusional effect of substance abuse, but at the same time, he is distrustful of people even before they are distrustful of him.

Just my thoughts.

TrogDawn wrote:

These threads really show how differently we all can perceive the same thing. Quite fascinating, really!