BLACK SABBATH Lyric Analysis #5: "Wicked World"

"Wicked World" (Black Sabbath, 1970)

The world today is such a wicked place
Fighting going on between the human race
People got to work just to earn their bread
While people just across the sea are counting their dead

A politician's job they say is very high
For he has to choose who's got to go and die
They can put a man on the moon quite easy
While people here on Earth are dying of all diseases

A woman goes to work every day after day
She just goes to work just to earn her pay
Child sitting crying by a life that's harder
He doesn't even know who is his father

ghosts of athanasius wrote:: Sounds like the Fall!
Very biblical. You can kind of see why God didn't want Israel to have a king and the whole working mom thing is practically prophetic! I mean it was true when it was written but more so now. And we didn't have Maury to do the DNA testing then either

TrogDawn wrote:: Yeah, I think this one is pretty straightforward about the pitiful condition of humanity and the world we live in. Of course it is a pessimistic worldview, but it is called as the writer sees it.

Some of the phrasings/words he uses in some of the lines feel a bit awkward though. For instance, it seems the following lines:

A politician's job they say is very high

While people here on Earth are dying of all diseases

She just goes to work just to earn her pay

Child sitting crying by a life that's harder

could have been worded a little better, but I'm also a bit of an anal retentive/obsessive lyricist myself in that way, so it might just be me!

But I like the spin you added about the prophetic implications though, bro! Right on. I've always thought that Geezer might have a prophetic edge to him with his lyrics. For example, is "Hole in the Sky" somewhat prophetic about the hole in the ozone layer that didn't really become part of the public consciousness until years later? (I don't believe there's any future in cars could point to the role that auto exhaust plays in destroying the ozone) God certainly has gifted people with that particular gift and they are able to operate in it (i.e. some psychics) even though it hasn't necessarily been sanctified yet. Just a thought...

777Stryken777 wrote:: I guess I'm just selfish, but I tend to look at lyrics with a "what's in it for me?" kind of attitude.

"Wicked World" does remind me of what a crappy place this can be -- and reminds me that I need to be more thankful to the Lord for what He's given me, and the promise that I'm headed somewhere better.

LordTsebaoth wrote:: good way to look at it!

TrogDawn wrote:: I love the way art and music seems to speak to different people in different ways. The same pice of art or music can be interpreted as many different ways as there are viewers/listeners!

» BLACK SABBATH Lyric Analysis #1: "Black Sabbath"
» BLACK SABBATH Lyric Analysis #6: "Sleeping Village&quot
» BLACK SABBATH Lyric Analysis #7: "Warning"
» BLACK SABBATH Lyric Analysis #2: "The Wizard"
» BLACK SABBATH Lyric Analysis #4: "N.I.B."