2017-10-31 (Sweet Leaf - Black Sabbath)

Sweet Leaf - Black Sabbath (1971)

I have had Black Sabbath songs in the running, to write about, all month. Why Halloween? Why this song? I'll get to that in a minute. Black Sabbath are considered one of the original Heavy Metal bands. It is dark and it is heavy. They truly were pioneers. They had no reference point for Heavy Metal. They came on the scene the same year as Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, who many consider the inventors of Heavy Metal. But, when you follow the path of the genre from this point on, through Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Metallica, Megadeth and even hair metal bands like Motley Crue and G&R, they all have much more in common with Sabbath. 

In my teen years, I was introduced to Metal through Metallica -- and I rejected it, mostly. I mean, I rocked out to "One" and I had to agree with Jeff Cayton that the lyrics were deep and poetic. I also remember a few hazy afternoons at Cayton's listening to these guys (Sabbath) and this song ("Straight people don't know what you're about. They put you down and shut you out"). But, I never got into it... until... you guessed it, Widespread Panic. Panic is not a Metal band, but they are fans of Metal and they certainly can play it. Over the years (especially early on), they have played a lot of Metal covers and I guess because of the darkness of it, they liked to bust them out at Halloween. During my 3 year Halloween streak with Panic (1994-1996), they pulled Sweet Leaf out a couple of times - among others (Dirty Business, Maggot Brain, Cream Puff War, and Werewolves of London)

I know, it's a bit literal for poetry and basically cheesy from the start (cough, cough, cahacahacahcaha!!...). It's a love song, written to weed. But, then that guitar lick and Ozzy's voice - in command. Ozzy had (has) an ability to cut through the noise with screams of emotion, but also with clarity. And, the tempo change and solo starting around the 2:30 mark is the reason why. The reason why this song works. The reason why Panic played it at Halloween. 

Alright now
Won't you listen?

When I first met you, didn't realize
I can't forget you, for your surprise
You introduced me, to my mind
And left me wanting, you and your kind, oh yeah

I love you, oh you know it

My life was empty, forever on a down
Until you took me, showed me around
My life is free now, my life is clear
I love you sweet leaf, though you can't hear, oh yeah

Come on now, try it out

Straight people don't know, what you're about
They put you down and shut you out
You gave to me a new belief
And soon the world will love you sweet leaf, oh yeah baby

Come on now, oh yeah
Try me out baby, alright, oh yeah
I want you part of this sweet leaf, oh yeah
Alright, yeah, yeah, yeah, oh try me out
I love you sweet leaf, oh

Songwriters: Michael Butler / Ozzy Osbourne / Tony Iommi / William Ward  

Widespread Panic 10/31/94 Omni Orrington Grand Ballroom, Evanston, IL 1: Papa Legba > Fishwater > Hatfield, Makes Sense To Me > Me And The Devil Blues > Porch Song, Little Kin, Werewolves of London 2: Sweet Leaf > Machine > Barstools and Dreamers, Heroes, Space Wrangler > I Walk On Guilded Splinters > Maggot Brain > Blackout Blues, Coconut > Mr. Soul E: Let's Get Down To Business, Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys [First 'Let's Get Down To Business'; 'Maggot Brain' with spoken word introduction; 'Freebird' jam during 'Space Wrangler'; 'Linus and Lucy' by JoJo before 'Let's Get Down To Business'; From Good Homes opened]

Song Stats Song LTP Date LTP L3TP #/10 #/100 #/Ever BARSTL 10/23/94 5 13 1 10 381 BLACK 10/29/94 1 2 6 58 66 COCONU 10/31/93 126 179 0 0 208 DEVIL 10/05/94 20 9 0 6 138 FISH 10/28/94 2 2 6 63 333 GUILDE 10/07/94 18 36 0 3 63 HATFIE 10/28/94 2 2 5 54 273 HEROES 10/27/94 3 1 6 63 90 LEGBA 10/19/94 9 9 1 12 165 LGDTB 10/31/94 0 0 0 0 0 LSOHHB 10/14/94 13 12 0 7 93 LTKIN 10/28/94 2 2 6 73 141 MACHIN 10/23/94 5 8 1 11 299 MAGGOT 10/26/94 4 11 1 9 24 MRSOUL 10/27/94 3 4 2 15 156 MSTOME 10/28/94 2 2 5 44 294 PORCH 10/29/94 1 2 6 63 631 SLEAF 10/29/94 1 42 1 1 8 WEREWO 10/31/93 126 247 0 0 40 WRANGL 10/28/94 2 2 5 48 689 LTP (Last Time Played): L3TP (Last 3 Times Played): #/10: #/100: #/Ever:  Number of shows since song was last played. Average of last 3 LTP for song. Number of times played in last 10 shows. Number of times played in last 100 shows. Total number of times played.