Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” — Breaking Down The Powerful Meaning Behind the Iconic Song

Heavy metal rock and roll band Black Sabbath had a number of notable hits under its belt, but their 1970 song “War Pigs” is regarded by many as one of the greatest. Released during the Vietnam War, the song cleverly combines the terms “war” and “pigs,” though many people today, including new fans of the band, might not fully understand the meaning behind it or the message it was trying to convey.

Interest in “War Pigs” and many other Black Sabbath songs spiked in July 2025, after news broke that the band's lead singer, Ozzy Osbourne (aka the Prince of Darkness), passed away on July 22. In honor of him, let’s take a walk down memory lane and explore the key points of this iconic song that reveal its powerful meaning.

“War Pigs” is an anti-war song, though it’s said not to be explicitly about the Vietnam War, even though it came out while that conflict was happening. The term “war pigs” refers to politicians and others who support and fund the war but don’t actually go out and fight themselves. Being “a pig” means overindulging or exploiting something, and the song suggests politicians did exactly that with war, which is why the band compared them to “pigs.”

If you skim through the lyrics, like when they sing, “Politicians hide themselves away / They only started the war / Why should they go out to fight? / They leave that role to the poor,” the message is pretty straightforward.

“War Pigs” also compares war to evil, as heard in the lines: “Generals gathered in their masses / Just like witches at black masses.”

Then the song shifts to warn that those who push for war and make it happen, namely politicians and government leaders, will eventually face consequences for using people for their own gain instead of fighting themselves. The lyrics say: “Time will tell on their power minds / Making war just for fun / Treating people just like pawns in chess / Wait 'til their judgement day comes.”

Later, it talks about judgment day arriving for these “war pigs,” who will no longer have the upper hand. It even says Satan is laughing while spreading his wings. While this might sound like a satanic reference, it’s really a metaphor showing that those who let others die for their benefit will face judgment, and no, it won’t come from a higher (up) power.

While “War Pigs” will go down as one of Black Sabbath’s most powerful songs, it will never be performed again by the original lineup now that Ozzy has passed away in July 2025.

Ozzy passed away on July 22, 2025, his family confirmed in a statement to People. While they did not specify the exact cause of death, Ozzy had been struggling with Parkinson’s disease since his diagnosis in 2003.

He performed for the very last time on July 5, when Black Sabbath held their final concert titled “Back to the Beginning.”