Jazz Singer reacts to Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell

Tonight Black Sabbath takes the stage with their song Heaven and Hell! I was particularly interested when i found out that Ronnie James Dio was the vocalist for this song, as i recently listened to Rainbow and their song Stargazer and it is AMAZING!
This song was great! The things that stood out to me was the bass, the transitions and the message of the lyrics and how they were delivered! I'm interested in knowing more about the song, the band and how RJD's time with Sabbath compared to the Ozzy Osborne's
#Blacksabbath #Heavenandhell #Ronniejamesdio
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[@StreetCanv2]

listening to Dio gives me adrenaline rush. my heart beats faster.

[@M.Never.]

Dio and his cryptic lyrics ... he was very well read in mythology, had a sizable library with mythological literature and especially in the post Rainbow era, he mostly used to write in metaphors and symbolism. Unfortunately he knew so much more about it than I do ... so I consulted my lexicon of symbolism on the subject of dancing and the dancer. I found references to cosmic creative energy, in particular in Hinduism the dancing god Shiva is the destroyer/creator, whose dance symbolizes overcoming ignorance, destruction and liberation from illusions ("the closer you get to the meaning, the sooner you'll know that you're dreaming" ... "if it seems to be real it's illusion" ... "for every moment of truth there's confusion in life"). Plato's allegory of the cave also comes to mind. Things not being what they appear to be, what we suppose to be reality being an illusion, mythology and art as a way to the truth are themes coming up in other lyrics he wrote as well. To me it suggests that the dancer has to do with the aim of overcoming the illusions and the path to truth, but in order to get there you have to put in the effort and make sacrifices ("bleed for the dancer"). Also, notice the two verses, first "love can be seen as the answer, but nobody bleeds for the dancer" and then "fool fool, you've got to bleed for the dancer, fool fool, look for the answer" - so here we've got love which is the solution to confusing illusions and finding the path to the truth, but it comes at a cost we aren't prepared to pay ("nobody bleeds for the dancer") - as a result, we're stuck with our illusions and fall for the kings and queens that blind our eyes and steal our dreams with babble keeping up the confusion ("they 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"). I hope this makes any kind of sense at all, lol, but I really doubt there's some linear way of deciphering this and putting it into a simple sentence.

[@ThomasJ_Music]

Thank you so much for writing this for me! Very, very interesting!

[@gryphoncroat]

Brilliant👌🏻

[@coffeemaniac571]

Here is another attempt at figuring out the lyrics: www.obsessedwithconformity.com/4015/deconstructing-sabbaths-heaven-and-hell/

[@M.Never.]

@@coffeemaniac571 Interesting. It's difficult with Christian symbolism in Dio's lyrics, because while he was brought up a Catholic, he totally rejected that belief except as a source for moral guidelines. (He wasn't an atheist, strictly speaking, either.) If God, the devil, heaven or hell appear, they are likely metaphors for something else themselves. There are a couple of interviews where he's talking about religion here on YT, one of them is somewhere in one of the interview series with Eric Blair (I think it's in the second one, from 2002). PS: The first comment (by Lindell) on the page you linked is pretty spot on, in my opinion.

[@GabrielGarcia-qz8fu]

The line is about hypocrisy.

[@MJ-fh9hj]

The dancer is the little man, every day human who has to dance to someone elses tune, typical dio methaphore! Thanks!

[@t6c756]

This is a great way to say it.

[@vapaakommunismista7463]

Dancer is like cancer , communists.

[@kanitsomarkos]

thats only your point of view.... but thanks

[@krishero6524]

I've always heard it and thought that the dancer was the person in charge (English isn't my first language). Now the song (for me) gets like two meanings. But it's heaven and hell so maybe that was the point?

[@DigitalBath742]

@@vapaakommunismista7463 OK. You taken your meds today?

[@gordonblunt4259]

The dancer is love compassion, tolerance, empathy. People reject it, but we should be prepared to make sacrifices, bleed, for it.

[@DunkLV702]

That is awesome!

[@teijaflink2226]

Lol I thought of it as something bad instead.

[@ariedebruijn1189]

Ronnie James Dio: not only a top singer (one of the best the rock world has ever seen and heard) but also a wonderful human being!

[@KennethStCyr-dv6cm]

Born in my home State of New Hampshire BTW...

[@222MovieMan]

And he coined the devil hand sign in rock

[@ariedebruijn1189]

@@222MovieMan Indeed, not many people know that!

[@fryke]

@@ariedebruijn1189 Only millions and millions. :)

[@jeffreygreer]

@@222MovieMan its actually his grandmothers, little 80 year old italian lady dio said she flashed when walking down the street it protects from someone giving you the evil eye, or you send it back to em, ronnie uses it as his gimmick and in reference to long live rock n roll

[@jordan9339]

At Heaven and Hell concert in 2007 my wife asked me with amazement "how does he do that" pointing at Geezer Butler. He is phenomenal. I'm so glad that I was able to see my favorite RJ Dio with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice.

[@RedGandalf]

If I remember correctly, Dio said that this was his favorite song he ever wrote.

[@kennethburridge862]

This is the way Dio explained the song : "That song was a chance for me to get all these things off my chest that I always wanted to say… It was a song that let me say the one statement that was most important to me. I've always felt to be somewhat of a spokesman for kids - for people who maybe lonely, looked down upon, because they like the wrong kind of music - and, more importantly, the kids who play in bands. So I made the statement that I always wanted to make, which is, 'The world is full of kings and queens, who blind your eyes then steal your dreams / It's heaven and hell.' And that all means beware of people who try to blind your eyes with promises… If you have those dreams, don't let anyone rob you of those wonderful ideas that you have by stealing them and putting them in their pocket, and leaving you lonely by the side of the road. So beware those kings and queens out there, who blind your eyes then steal your dreams. It was very important for me to be able to make that statement. And that statement has been something that I've tried to live with since that time." - Ronnie James Dio[5] In an interview for VH1's "Heavy: The Story of Metal", Dio stated that the song is about the ability of each human being to choose between doing good and doing evil; essentially, that each person has "heaven and hell" inside themselves. And yes the have had a few lead vocalists , the most prominent Ozzy, Dio and Ian Gillan (Deep Purple ) and the all made there mark on Sabbath and where all great in the concept. And Ozzy is back though his health is not on top.

[@gryphoncroat]

Brilliant👌🏻

[@colrhodes377]

Tony Martin was a vastly underrated singer in the band. You should check him out.

[@ronsilvia8127]

Heaven and hell is the mona lisa of heavy metal its a complete masterpiece. 👍👍👍✌✌✌🤘🤘🤘

[@sipo70]

I swear I can never ever get tired of listening to this fantastic (favorite song).

[@user-it1ju6br7p]

Tony Geezer Bill.Give them whoever singer you want and they will write masterpieces.Unmatched geniuses

[@karlfromtas]

Geezer simply dosent get enough credit for writing all the Ozzy era lyrics, all his stuff was powerful and thought provoking, Dio took the reins for his tenure as he was a sing/songwriter a true Artist

[@palantir135]

The moment Dio joins a band, the band sounds different than usual. They sound in fact the way Dio wants it. Black Sabbath, normally known for its heavy dark and low guitar tones, sounds very much like Rainbow when Dio sang there. The only thing missing is the virtuous guitar playing by Richie Blackmore. Dio is a magnificent hardrock singer, maybe the best so far.

[@tokrian]

The dancer is the archetypal representation of what is worth sacrificing for. Love could be seen as the answer, but nobody is willing to sacrifice.

[@timlee7038]

You're lucky you discovered this. I wish I could hear it again for the first time but, I still love it after the 7 millionth time.

[@uoabigaillevey]

This whole album is a masterpiece. Dio likes to sing in metaphores. He was considered a musical philosopher. The dancer in this song can mean many things.. it could be the ones who are not bound by the constraints of a heaven or a hell.. those who dance through life without a care. It can also refer to those who are into the arts.. dancing, painting, writing, musicians, etc. There are some good discussions about the meaning of this lyric archived online. You may enjoy his solo band as well. I would start with 'The Last In Line', personally... as it was this very song that actually converted me back in 1984/85 from a pop music fan into a metal music fan. Most people, however, start with his song 'Holy Diver' (usually not the MTv video b/c those might get blocked.. kinda hit or miss on that front) since it is more widely known as a definitive Dio megahit from the early/mid 80's. Do not get me wrong.. Ozzy IS the voice of Black Sabbath.. but to me, Dio is the better of the two vocally. I kinda separate them into Black Sabbath v1 (Ozzy) and Black Sabbath v2 (Dio) and I am almost completely unfamiliar with their third vocalist or their work with him.. but to me that would be Black Sabbath v3. Dio did return to Sabbath after several years solo for a single album.. then it was back to Ozzy again.. then Dio got together with the original lineup he had with them for this album and made a new band called.. coincidentally, 'Heaven And Hell' and they released 1 album 'The Devil You Know' before Dio tragically passed away in 2010 from stomach cancer. The world lost one of the best metal singers when Dio died.. but his legacy lives on through not only his music but through all those bands and vocalists which were inspired by his golden pipes.

[@saschaschneider6355]

Spot on. Their other vocalists were actually pretty damn good but there was nothing magical about them, it was pretty generic metal. They had the likes of Ian Gillan, Glen Hughes and Tony Martin as vocalists, which all are excellent singers. It just did not turn out to be memorable. Solid but not special.

[@uoabigaillevey]

@@saschaschneider6355 Thank you for filling in the missing pieces of my lore lol. I really should listen to those albums outside of the main ones I am familiar with but I find it difficult to even imagine Sabbath without Dio or Ozzy lol.

[@saschaschneider6355]

@@uoabigaillevey if you want to try something beyond Ozzy and Dio I'd recommend the title track off Headless Cross with Tony Martin. But beyond that... I've recently tried to listen to the whole discography and frankly, I got bored and gave up... It's not really inspired anymore, very more-of-the-same-ish

[@uoabigaillevey]

@@saschaschneider6355 Yeah.. Although my brother gave me the entire discography I just can't bring myself to do it. LOL Instead, I chose to go with some newer music. Recently got into a band called 'Benediction' with the album 'Scriptures' If you do not mind a harsher vocal style than Slayer they are a good listen. Bought the album after hearing only 3 songs off of it lol. kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6SqfaipeM6Fp7c Just this morning I bought another album.. this one by a band called 'Hell Fire' that has a very diverse sound.. with music that is thrash-based.. sounding like Exodus or early Metallica but with vocals ranging from James Hetfield-style to Lemmy style to Dio style.. even one song had a Mercyful Fate style that reminded me of Night of the Vampire. That album is called 'Mania' if you want to give it a check. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWrclqGdna1kgas That album was posted by a channel that does full albums from newer bands that have an older-metal sound.. from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and/or Thrash music from the 80's... worth diving into the channel if you want to check out other stuff.

[@saschaschneider6355]

@@uoabigaillevey Thanks for the recommendations but I don't even like the vocals on Slayer. I'm more of an old school, early metal guy. Sabbath, Priest, NWOBHM, that's my jam. I'm not even that much into Thrash, I'm more on the melodic side of things.

[@snixelpig]

This band is totally different with Dio. Its the best version of Dio.

[@F13thvoorhees]

In my opinion, it was the best version of both. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Steele_Hard]

agree, the best BS era

[@Kotzgrinder]

The dio and the ozzy are arent really compareable. like said before, they sound completely diffrent, and both are great the way they do. But Dio for shure and without any doubt is the superior Singer.

[@raistlinrodriguez5696]

Personally I think Sabbath got better with Dio. Their music got more substance IMO. Check out Sign of the Southern Cross. Great song.

[@jimdomarus4650]

TOTALLY different MUSIC WITH ozzy,BOTH are GREAT singers AND SONG writer's

[@detrockcity3]

@@jimdomarus4650 what Sabbath song did Ozzy write?

[@laudanum669]

I have come to look at Sabbath as almost three different bands. The Ozzy era, the Dio era and the Tony Martin era, all are great and each in their own style. I didn't include Ian Gillen because it's my least favorite of the bunch.

[@ii-wt7jq]

@@detrockcity3 I don't think he wrote any by himself but he did help Geezer with some songs so he at least had a hand in it

[@briansullivan3424]

I've always interpreted "the dancer" not to be a who, but a what. The dancer is a personification of the beauty in life, passion, the thrill and exhilaration of what gets us out of bed in the morning. The dancer is all of us in our ideal state. I think the song is about how easy it is to fall into the patterns society expects from us, stifle our own ambitions, creativity, and all that makes life wonderful. People are willing to break their backs for their jobs to make pennies, but very few people bleed that same way for the things they truly value, the things more valuable than money. At the end of our lives, when we walk the golden halls, did we listen to those whose aim was to deceive us (they tell you black is really white, for example) for their own selfish gain, or did we join in the dance and celebrate our brief time in this life? Take Dio for example. He could've been WAAAAY more famous and wealthy if he decided to record music like Poison, Bon Jovi, or other pop metal bands of the 80s, but he really believed in his storytelling of fantastical worlds, myths, and grandiosity. The people that know his music absolutely love it because it is as genuinely Dio as can be. Not that he died a beggar or anything like that, but he isn't nearly as well known as Bret Michaels or Jon Bon Jovi despite being considerably more technically proficient... that being said, I think what he accomplished can't be bought. Ronnie James Dio always bled for the dancer.

[@jamesmcmahon412]

Great reminder about how leaving time for riffs to breath is good too. The power in this song lies in its restraint IMO.

[@thegorn68]

That eerie sounding, acoustic fade out ending STILL gives me chill bumps.

[@dolphin8077]

The world is full of kings and Queens who blind your eyes and steal your dreams It's heaven and hell 🔥

[@erica.5583]

This song is a masterpiece. Pure magic. I’ve been listening to this song since day one, way back since 1981 or so.. actually the whole album is great and this is when I first heard of DIO. To answer your question, Ozzy left Black Sabbath because of after a long run of increasingly erratic drink and drug fuelled behaviour Ozzy Osbourne was finally sacked by his band members. It had been a difficult time musically for Black Sabbath, who'd been finding it hard to motivate themselves in the studio. This was exaggerated by the fact that Ozzy barely turned up to the studio at all. The frictions in the band came to head when Tony Iommi decided that he wanted to replace Ozzy. This was more of a release for Osbourne, who felt he wanted to go in a different musical direction anyway. The first song the sabbath and DIO worked on was actually “Children of the Sea”. It was magic from that moment on. The sound of Sabbath changed greatly and the music received mixed reviews. Eventually, DIO was accepted as the new voice of Black Sabbath and the rest is history.

[@natepepin09]

My interpretation of the dancer and the song is this: the song is about myth, morality, control, and how they interplay. Its how to escape the duality of heaven and hell. The dancer represents artists who creates and adds meaning to people's lives. People acknowledge that love is the answer, but in practice nobody puts their life on the line and bleeds for the dancer to defend that meaning. Others will create myths that control, either through gold that falls into the dancer's hands, or lies and propaganda, and they'll cast you into heaven based on categories that suit them. The answer the song argues is to bleed for the dancer, to defend the artist and the art, and to stop being a fool and following the puppet master. There is some allusion to the music industry controlling artists as well here, but it is also general too.

[@topherthered]

So back in the day Dio got asked about the lyrical content of Heaven & Hell a ton. On Head Banger's Ball he said the song was about choosing your own path. It was about religion telling you what is wrong or right. In several other interviews he described the dancer as the people who follow those instructions without thought. The true followers who give up their will to those on the pulpit.

[@GHOST5663]

Don't forget this song is forty years old - Still one of my favourites after I heard it on the Live Evil album in 1983. Check it out I guarantee you will like it.

[@ranjer2112]

My Favorite line is "The world is full of Kings and Queens, who blind your eyes and steal your dreams. It's Heaven & Hell".

[@waynelewis4466]

Terry Geezer Butler on the bass one of the best bass players I ever saw I seen him in 83 I seen this tour in 83 he was head-banging kicking ass on that bass

[@thomascornish9340]

Ian Gillam also was the lead singer for at least a couple of albums He was the singer in Deep Purple

[@Chillton]

Just on Born Again

[@ericdstraus]

I frigging LOVE Stargazer! Yeah it totally gets into your brain and you keep wanting to listen...love it!

[@jalkabre5904]

It doesn't get any better....the ending of Stargazer tugs on your emotions.

[@crusheverything4449]

Listen to it CRANKED on a nice pair of headphones to truly reap its full grandeur! Incredible!!

[@canuckeh782]

I saw this tour when I was 18 and I still love it

[@johnstarace8369]

Epic song. Enough said. When Ozzy Left Black Sabbath in 1980 Dio was asked by Tonni Iommi to join the band. It’s obvious that Dio’s lyrics and ideas influenced Sabbath in a different musical direction. Listen to the two albums (Heaven and Hell & Mob Rules) that RJD sang on and you’ll clearly hear the difference. After the two albums with Sabbath Dio started his solo career, and that was a long and unbelievable career of 20 years & 10 studio albums. Sadly Ronnie James Dio died in 2010 of stomach cancer, the rock world lost a legend, Rock In Peace RJD. 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘 \m/ Stay Metal \m/

[@brenthicks6164]

Dont forget the 1992 Sabbath album Dehumanizer with Ronnie on vocals

[@blakkmoon]

Dio gave a breath of life to Black Sabbath after Ozzy, Ozzy was alineanated, did an meteoric rising with his solo band. Dio efter Sabbath tour the world with his own band. live Dio sings an extra verse too.

[@ahmo2]

Who is the dancer? The dance of life. You dance it. You are the dancer.

[@jpdotcom23]

Dude, 'Holy Diver' is the second best song he's ever done, you gotta give that a listen. He started his own band after Black Sabbath, 'Holy Diver' was the first album.

[@fryke]

To keep it short: Ozzy was the first (and currently last) singer of Black Sabbath. The band ousted Ozzy in the 70s, Ronnie James Dio came in and they did two studio and a live album (the production of which led to a falling out). Other singers followed, while Ronnie created his own band "Dio" together with his Sabbath drummer Vinnie Appice. Dio came back to the Sabbath realm twice. First in 1992 for the Black Sabbath album "Dehumanizer" (and its tour) and then later in the '00s under the band name "Heaven & Hell" (because Ozzy and Tony Iommi each held 50% of the "Black Sabbath" name at the time, so each of them couldn't use the name without each other) for reunion concerts and they released another album ("The Devil You Know") under that name shortly before Ronnie's death. They did a last tour together in the year before he died. And I'm glad that I saw them during the Dehumanizer and The Devil You Know tours. Wish I could've seen them more times. Heck: Wish Ronnie was still alive, of course. He's missed dearly.

[@diplaraspanagiotis1231]

The dancer according to Dio,is the art!!

[@StoneShards]

The "dancer" is the person who lives in immediate response to the flow of the world's "music", the sound of a life being lived. The purity of that experience commands respect from the onlooker who recognizes it as painful and joyous at the same time. We bleed for the dancer because we don't have the courage to live life with such ferocity.

[@gfinetti6124]

The greatest Singer...... Ever.

[@MetalED]

Love this song and I actually prefer Dio Sabbath to Ozzy Sabbath as well... They've had quite a few vocalists with some mixed results..one of my favorite songs that never gets any love is The Headless Cross with Tony Martin on vocals. Keep up the good work,bud...love ya channel.

[@jamesmason1347]

Over And Over Falling Off The Edge Of The World Sign Of The Southern Cross

[@josephbarr1659]

As a Sabbath fanatic, Dio Sabbath is my favorite. Tony Iommi admits that when Dio joined the band, the musical options really opened up. Previously, Tony and Geezer did all the writing. That all changed when Dio joined Sabbath. Dio will always be the greatest metal vocalist of my lifetime. Although Halford and Bruce Dickenson are right up there. 👍🤘

[@78vinyl97]

My interpretation of the 'dancer' is someone who is a puppet (marionette).when dio sings you've got to bleed for the dancer I think he's trying to say you have to feel sorry for whoever it is that's been fooled into believing everything they're told to.

[@briansullivan3424]

I've always had the total opposite interpretation, where the dancer is who we all strive to be... being free like a dancer instead of constrained by society's pressures, of those who deceive us and tell us that black is really white, etc. People often break their backs for what society has told us is important, but how many of us really work that hard for things that we've decided are important for ourselves? However, your interpretation is awesome. I definitely can see how that would make sense!

[@mix6809]

great reaction, tnx. amazing song, and about the dancer, i still haven't worked it out, and that is part of why i love this song so much...

[@mikewhitehead50]

everyone stumbles on the "bleed for the dancer" line, then the next part towards the end is "fool, fool... look for the answer" :D

[@robhendrikx2198]

The album Heaven and Hell, Dio's first with Sabbath is by far their best, imho. Heaven and hell, Die young, Neon knights, all superb songs. But years later, with Glen Hughes, they did good stuff also, like No stranger to love. Dio himself was always top, with Elf, with Rainbow, with Sabbath, and with Dio. The man is a legend. One of Bruce Dickinson's main influences, dare I say heroes.

[@tommys8705]

One of my favorite songs

[@acebrockton1828]

I believe when he says look for the answer and you've got to bleed for the dancer he's talking about compassion and love for the work that goes into the product an artist produces?

[@Bertilfly]

Dio left an indelible mark on whatever band he was in, whether it was Rainbow, Sabbath, Dio or H&H (essentially Sabbath redux). His songwriting and singing were singularly recognizable, melodic and HEAVY metal. That's why he is so sorely missed. Like all great talents (EVH, Freddie, Hendrix), he is often imitated, but never even CLOSE to duplicated. R.I.P R.J.D.

[@RafaelMartins-wq4bt]

This was the 1st Sabbath album with Dio on vocals. What a re-start that was.

[@bonkousmcnaughty4604]

Good reaction fella. You actually thought about the song and you got it as well. So many people who react to songs dont seem to get it. Will check out more if your reactions🖒

[@andrewgarin2486]

The Sign of the Southern Cross from Mob Rules 1981 is always a song I put on when I want the Dio/Sabbath sound....just a great song from the Dio era.

[@justinleach9684]

Heaven and Hell...a song about our world.

[@lifesabeach2597]

This was released my senior year in high school and I not only played the vinyl album to death I had the cassette in the car and listened to it while driving way too fast

[@nathanielkuga5340]

You should check out Tony martin era sabbath. Every era of the band is unique and great in unique ways

[@s.9070]

Also the born again album with Gillan, buz listen to the unmixed tapes then since they sound better than the finished product.

[@jonsmith6982]

I guess you already now Ronnie was into his jazz as well & played in jazz bands ,& had his first jazz band in 1957 Ronnie & the red caps .

[@reidarpalmgren93]

I've always thought the dancer references the artist, the dreamer in us all. Nobody bleeds for him, we all concentrate on material things, but we should.

[@littleblackshape9150]

Tony Iommi explained in 2020, "As soon as Ronnie got involved, the writing changed as well, because I was able to play a different way, for some reason. Whereas Ozzy would sing a lot on the riffs and follow the riff, Ronnie would sing in between stuff - he didn't always sing on riffs, and he'd sing on chords." - search.blabbermouth.net/news/black-sabbaths-tony-iommi-and-geezer-butler-remember-ronnie-james-dio-on-10th-anniversary-of-singers-death The music of Black Sabbath with Dio is in some parts reminiscent of classical music because Dio was a fan of classical music, especially Bach and Beethoven.

[@2heavenAndHell]

your reactions are solid. thank you.

[@lipptech1]

Black Sabbath had a final tour called THE END that ended @ 2015 and the band is formally retired and you will not be seeing them tour ever again and that is according to the band itself.

[@htoneninety-nine8726]

The dancer is the person pushing the message of love.

[@ultraman5168]

I always took that 'nobody bleeds for the dancer' line to be this; in life, we always seek to find refuge from our troubles within love and jubilation, but Dio is saying that 'nobody bleeds for the dancer', meaning that if all you have is love, it's not enough to survive the harshness of the world. But then he later turns around and says that 'you MUST bleed for the dancer'. I think this is Dio saying that, even though this isn't the way the world works, maybe that's our failing, and if we were better, love would be enough, and people would bleed for the dancers.

[@gavinsmith9016]

Dio did three studio albums with Black Sabbath (Heaven & Hell, Mob Rules and Dehumanizer) and one further album but the band was called Heaven and Hell rather than Black Sabbath (same line up as Mob Rules and Dehumanizer just different band name); this album is called The Devil You Know and was released about a year before Dio died. Check out Bible Black from that album. Live Dio sang the Ozzy songs but Ozzy has not sung a Dio Sabbath song to my knowledge. You can check out Dio singing Ozzy Sabbath songs on two Live Black Sabbath albums: Live Evil and Live at Hammersmith. There's also a great Live album under the band name Heaven and Hell (Live From Radio City Music Hall New York) this is the band doing only Dio composed Black Sabbath songs - it's fantatstic. Dio's first two solo albums are also great: Dio (the whole album is excellent) and Last in Line. There's some good ones after those two but things do get a bit patchy at times. There have been other singers in Black Sabbath, most notably Ian Gillan (of Deep Purple mark 2) for one album called Born Again. Also Tony Martin, Ray Gillen and Glenn Hughes (of Deep Purple mk 3) - I might of missed some!

[@crusheverything4449]

Gavin Smith - All correct, except the debut Dio album is Holy Diver.

[@willywonka7812]

The dancer is the lover of life. The one who lives for living, lives for love, lives for joy. Nobody kills and dies for them, but for money or artificial distinctions. The message of the song is that you need to fight for love. The best way to do this is by casting capitalists into active volcanoes

[@HKkim0930]

Ronnie is a dreamer. That's why we love him.

[@crusheverything4449]

Well, he could’ve been a dreamer...

[@stevevacek5155]

Check out Moriah Formica! She's a 20 yr old female rocker who was on the Voice a couple years ago. She has an incredible voice and plays a mean guitar as well as bass and strings. She does a cover of this which is really good along with covers of 80's icons like Skid Row, Steelheart, Queensryche, Dokken, Heart as well as Evanescence, Halestorm and Pat Benetar. Her originals are awesome - you will soon be hearing them on the radio with her new all-female band. React to Champion, I Hate, Better Off Alone, Save Me or her cover of Way Too Fast.

[@saschaschneider6355]

Love this song. I love how understated the instrumentals are for a large part of the song. Often it's just the rhythm section grooving and it's enough. and THEN they pick up the pace and it kick it. And Dio's voice suddenly has a gripping urgency. Also Iommi's guitar playing is fantastic, very laid back for large parts but kicks it when he needs to. "Nobody bleeds for the dancer" - my interpretation is that people want to be entertained but aren't willing to do anything for it. "Dance for us but you're on your own" And yes, the musical style changed a lot after Ozzy left. Dio followed him for a few albums. With Ozzy it was more of a classic horror story vibe and much more experimental. With Dio it was much more straight forward rockers in comparison. There were a few singers after Dio and he even returned for a while and left again. In the 2000s there even was a second Sabbath line up that called itself Heaven & Hell after this song, fronted by Dio again. I personally prefer Sabbath with Ozzy, because I like their vibe. There's no doubt that RJD was the much better singer but Sabbath with Ozzy was magic. It just fit. As for Ozzy era songs I'd recommend N.I.B., Sweet Leaf, Supernaut, Snowblind and The Wizard. As for Dio era Sabbath Neon Knights, The Mob Rules and The Sign of the Southern Cross. Also from their later album (Dio's 2nd stint) "I", and Time Machine. This album (Dehumanizer) was much much heavier than what they have done before.

[@crusheverything4449]

If you want HEAVY, listen to Buried Alive from Dehumanizer - possibly the heaviest tune ever recorded.

[@briacdavid2618]

Best metal singer ever and one of the greatest lyricist as well .... poetic, cryptic ... Dio gave us the keys to his world but we'll never find the keyhole , haha !!!! We love you Ronnie :)

[@thomasyoest6557]

@6:39 The line is "before the king the gold it falls".

[@MrTombre]

one of the songs ill never get tired of

[@f1saintsutd]

Great song. They had quite a few different vocalists over the years. Believe it or not, Ian Gillan of Deep Purple even did lead vocals on one of their albums! In later years after Ozzy and Dio, a lesser known and completely underrated vocalist, Tony Martin, did a few albums with them. He has an absolutely awesome voice and a fantastic range. One of my favourite Sabbath albums that is always overlooked is one with Tony from 1994, called Cross Purposes. Please react to The Hand That Rocks The Cradle from that album, you won't be disappointed!

[@Beatz-he5xe]

Aaahhhh...one of the classics played in Heavy Metal’ Heaven & Hell!!

[@ImDembe]

Black Sabbath was such a good group, Ward, Geezer and Iommi are so mezmerizing in the music sometimes and Dio and Ozzy was the icing on the cake. Children of the Sea is my fav song from this album.

[@Blacknight1812]

the world is full of Kings and Queens, who blind your eyes and steal your dreams.... So very true, just think of your boos or your incoming President. RJD was probably the best singer in the business, as good as Elvis in his heyday. We'll never see another like him. Long live his memory.

[@limitedmark]

Great channel , thanks. 😎

[@peterbolger6521]

love the maiden week great reaction

[@dolphin8077]

Yesss! It's Dio the most powerful voice of metal 🤘🏻🔥

[@TheMrPowerhouseman]

The dancer embraces without trepidation, loving the lover of life is always how i saw it... Yes ozzy came back... Subscribing

[@Dirkschneider]

I see the dancer as someone who us expected to solely exist for our entertainment and pleasure. The whole song has a medieval theme. In those days a dancer was probably equal to a jester or to a prostitute. People who were bleeding for others but no one bled for them. When talking about love as the answer you exclude the unloved people from the equation. The people who only give but doesn't get much in return.

[@mora1948]

Ozzy recommendations from me would be deep cuts in their discography. Where Ozzys voice was at its peak my request are Sabba caddabra off their album sabbath bloody sabbath or megalomania off their album sabotage. That album has Ozzys best vocal performance in my opinion. More songs off the album to react to are symptom of the universe And the writ

[@robertkaplan848]

And they will tell you black is really white,the moon is just the sun at night!You want to hear the holy grail, Ozzy solo with Randy Rhodes on 🎸 Mr Crowley!!

[@timwirasnik5878]

Masterpiece!

[@htoneninety-nine8726]

A GOAT.

[@stevensorrell1625]

My personal interpretation. "Love can be seen as the answer, but nobody bleeds for the dancer." Sure, we SAY 'Love is all you need.' Are you willing to suffer for it? Too many people want the good feelings but get scared when the bad times come with it. Put another way...Absolutely, we need the mind (Math, Science, Engineering, Planning) but what are we doing these things FOR? In America, we weren't willing to continue music, art, drama, and other classes and devoted it ALL to STEM studies. WE GOT WORSE in education, not better. Passion is why we live, but you MUST bleed for it.

[@StoneShards]

Iconic tune!

[@thomasbrogan9102]

Diggin' it.

[@TrevRockOne]

This whole album is great. Children of the Sea is my favorite song on it.

[@alejandrodecalblanco5113]

Dio stated that this song is about the meaning of life and his philosophy, which is that life is either heaven or hell and you choose how you want to see it. Dancing is art, the dancer gives everything for the audience but noone gives for them.

[@steadfastneasy26]

@NorthernEar "the dancer" is/are the peripheral people in our lives who make it more enjoyable without us even noticing (nobody bleeds for ...) ..... such as dancers.

[@DrTomMD]

I agree. Imagine the love the singer gets in a band, while the dancers in the background are so essential to the whole production but get little love or “blood”.

[@steadfastneasy26]

@@DrTomMD " ... the dancer .... " is not just dancers. It is all who serve roles that go unnoticed or unappreciated.

[@DrTomMD]

@@steadfastneasy26 True and totally compatible with what I said. I simply used a background dancer for a band as one metaphorical example when saying “imagine…“.

[@crusheverything4449]

The dancer is Satan.

[@steadfastneasy26]

@@crusheverything4449 The previous line would indicate that no, the dancer is not Satan. "Love can be seen as the answer but nobody bleeds for the dancer" This speaks of how people will hold their virtues out for the world to see while ignoring the things that the virtues represent. They speak of "love, love, love" while bypassing giving any of that love to people they do not know.

[@axandio]

The Dancer is the person LIVING life, doing the Dance... or maybe even the One that breaths life into us.... but eventually... we got to bleed..... give up the dance.... it's Heaven and Hell.

[@metal-adventures-joerg]

My ultimate Heroes are and always will be Iron Maiden (over 150 Shows in 30 countries)!!! No Matter What!!! But Ronnie James Dio is in a different League,unreachable!!! Forever!!!!

[@michellewheatley2007]

The arts never lead to war, the arts like art, 🎶🎵, 🩰 etc enrich our lives yet no one ever fights for those even though spend so much time warring, it's always over other things

[@t6c756]

I think of the 'dancer' as a metaphor for 'freedom,' e.g. 'dance like nobody is watching,' or how children can dance with abandon because they feel both safe and loved. And, to have freedom, you have to sacrifice or lose it - you have to bleed for it. You also need to defend it for others or lose it for yourself and get ruled by tyranny (of either heaven or hell, good/evil - good for who?). So, 'you've got to bleed for the dancer' means you have to fight encroaching tyranny to preserve freedom for yourself and others - the dancers.

[@donovanhaas7315]

I believe that he's referring to having empathy...you've got to bleed for the dancer. I've always felt there was a jewel of wisdom in Black Sabbath.

[@Amadeus-ms9lt]

1. Dio basically came in the 80s and appeared on a few albums (I think 3). 2. Yes, Dio's Black Sabbath was totally different from Ozzy's. Among other things, Ozzy's vocals followed the course of the music, whereas Dio's didn't follow the music so to speak. Listen carefully to Iron Man and you'll know what I mean. Dio has a lot of melody, emotion and groove in his voice. Ozzy too has emotion but his tone is different. After Dio there was another singer called Tony. 3. Final recent lineup had Ozzy. As far as I know, there's no reunion for Sabbath, but Ozzy is solo touring.

[@JB-gw8ee]

I think the dancer is a creative, artistic person whose art we enjoy but we don't know the blood, sweat and tears they've shed to get there.

[@robertleonard4995]

i think you need to check out black sabbaths born again album, as ian Gillian of deep purple is the singer... zero the hero is on that record.

[@2869may]

DIO ~ "All The Fools Sailed Away".....!

[@verneinnhel3279]

To answer your questions, these songs were half finished when Dio joined. They felt that Ozzy couldn't handle them. Geezer Butler, who up to this point, had written most of the bands lyrics, handed the job over to Dio. The first song they wrote together was "Children Of the Sea" (give it a listen - highly recommended).The first song they recorded was "Heaven and Hell." Iommi has stated in interviews that before Dio came on board, they would jam on riffs and Ozzy would just wail over it (usually just following the pattern of the riffs like in "N.I.B.") then Geezer would write the lyrics based on Ozzys vocal melodies. When Dio joined, he would sit in and observe the music, then leave and come back after writing lyrics. And that's how Black Sabbath Mk 2 approached their song writing. Ian Gillans style of writing in Sabbath mk 3 was similar to Ozzys in Sabbath mk 1 in that he would wail over the music and work out the lyrics afterwards.

[@troyevitt2437]

Ian Gillian technically would have been mk IV considering that Bill Ward was replaced by Vinny Appice by Mob Rules.

[@crusheverything4449]

Verne Innhel - Dio contributed more than just lyrics and vocal melodies, though. Ronnie was a true musician who understood theory and could speak that language with the instrumentalists with whom he wrote. For instance, the trademark ascending riff Blackmore plays in Stargazer was composed by Dio.

[@grassabrutta]

There is a very nice interview on YT with Tony Iommi in which he provides his own perspective on the differences between and contributions of Dio and Ozzy. That might be the thing for you to watch.