Single:
Paranoid entered the Australian singles chart* on 14 December 1970 and peaked at #26.
Album:
The song is on Paranoid which entered the Australian albums chart* on 4 January 1971 and peaked at #5.
Songwriters:
Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Ward
Producer:
Rodger Bain
Record label of Australian release:
Vertigo
*Kent Music Report / Australian Chart Book. See About.
Songfacts:
As the title suggests, this song is about a man who is paranoid. The driving guitar and bass create a nervous energy to go along with Ozzy Osbourne’s desperate vocal. Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler, who wrote the lyric, explained the song’s meaning to Mojo magazine June 2013: “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.”
Read more: www.songfacts.com/facts/black-sabbath/paranoid
Lyrics:
Finished with my woman
‘Cause she couldn’t help me with my mind
People think I’m insane
Because I am frowning all the time
Click for full lyrics
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