Geezer Butler Details The Making Of BLACK SABBATH's 'God Is Dead?' - "I Wrote It About A Person Who Thought It Was Completely Revolting To Think That Somebody Would Say That..."
April 1, 2014, 10 years ago
The Making Of Grammy-Winning Recordings series presents first-hand accounts of the creative process behind some of music's biggest recordings. The series' current installments present in-depth insight and details about recordings that won 56th Grammy Awards.
BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler reveals to Bryan Reesman the genesis behind the band's Grammy winning song, 'God Is Dead?':
Tony (Iommi) came up with most of the music, and then we all worked together to arrange it. Ozzy (Osbourne) always jams along to us, and he came up with the title 'God Is Dead?' He remembered the (1966) Time magazine (cover story titled) "Is God Dead?" — but he remembered it as "God Is Dead." I had a mini-argument with him about it. I looked it up online and showed him that it was "Is God Dead?" Then I read the Nietzsche philosophy about it.
I wrote it about a person who thought it was completely revolting to think that somebody would say that, and it sticks in his head and he keeps hearing it in his mind. So he turns violent in the end and sets out to murder everybody. It was also inspired by the shootings that were going on at the time in the States. People were saying that "God told them to do it," and stuff like that."
Read more at Grammy.com.
