"Die Young" is a single by British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 heavy metal

Heavy metal music

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

 band Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...

 from their 1980 album

Album

An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...

, Heaven and Hell

Heaven and Hell (Black Sabbath album)

Heaven and Hell is the ninth studio album by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in April 1980. This is their first album featuring Ronnie James Dio, and first with producer Martin Birch.-Album information:...

.

The lyrics were written by Ronnie James Dio

Ronnie James Dio

Ronald James Padavona , better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio, which means God in Italian. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser...

, and concern consumerism and the futility of life in the modern era- the song title comes from the expressed desire to 'die young'. The song is notable for its middle section which features keyboard and soft high-register vocals.

It was performed live during almost all Dio era concerts and later on sometimes with Ian Gillan

Ian Gillan

Ian Gillan is an English rock music vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple. During his career Gillan also fronted his own band, had a year-long stint as the vocalist for Black Sabbath, and sang the role of Jesus in the original recording of Andrew Lloyd...

 and Tony Martin on vocals. Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi

Tony Iommi

Anthony Frank "Tony" Iommi is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as the founding member of pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and its sole continual member through multiple personnel changes.Iommi is widely recognised as one of the most important and influential guitarists in...

 customarily plays a lengthy instrumental introductory passage to the song when performing live with heavy atmospheric keyboard backing, a practice dating back to the Tony Martin era Sabbath. A live rendition can be heard on Live from Radio City Music Hall

Live from Radio City Music Hall

Live from Radio City Music Hall is a double album by the supergroup Heaven & Hell which was released in 2007. The set is a chronicle of the group's performance on March 30, 2007 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City....

, recorded in 2007 by Heaven & Hell, a band formed of past members of Black Sabbath from the Mob Rules and Dehumanizer era lineups.

In honour of ex-Vio-Lence

Vio-lence

Vio-lence was a thrash metal band formed in 1985 in the San Francisco Bay Area. They released demo tapes, one EP and 3 LPs between 1985 and 1993. Their most stable line-up was Phil Demmel and Robb Flynn on guitars, Deen Dell on bass, Perry Strickland on drums and Sean Killian on vocals.- 1985 -...

 manager Debbie Abono

Debbie Abono

Debbie Abono was an American manager of death metal and thrash metal bands during the 1980s and 1990s.-Biography:...

 and Ronnie James Dio

Ronnie James Dio

Ronald James Padavona , better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio, which means God in Italian. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser...

's passing, Machine Head

Machine Head (band)

Machine Head is an American heavy metal band from Oakland, California. Formed on October 12, 1991, the group was founded by Robb Flynn and Adam Duce. There have been 4 member changes since their inception. The current lineup of the band comprises Flynn , Duce , ex-Vio-Lence guitarist Phil Demmel ,...

's Robb Flynn recorded and released for free online a cover of Die Young. Abono managed Flynn and Machine Head guitarist Phil Demmel when they were members of the Vio-Lence

Vio-lence

Vio-lence was a thrash metal band formed in 1985 in the San Francisco Bay Area. They released demo tapes, one EP and 3 LPs between 1985 and 1993. Their most stable line-up was Phil Demmel and Robb Flynn on guitars, Deen Dell on bass, Perry Strickland on drums and Sean Killian on vocals.- 1985 -...

.

Track listing

UK 7" single (Vertigo #SAB 3)
A. Die Young

B. Heaven and Hell

Heaven and Hell (Black Sabbath song)

"Heaven and Hell" is the title track to Black Sabbath's ninth studio album, Heaven and Hell. It was written mainly by Tony Iommi, but as with almost all Black Sabbath albums, credit is given to the entire band. The lyrics were written entirely by then-newcomer Ronnie James Dio...

 (live)

Chart positions

Year	Chart	Position
1980	UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...	41