Fairies Wear Boots
Encyclopedia
"Fairies Wear Boots" is a Black Sabbath
song from their 1970
album
Paranoid
.
In the liner notes to Black Box: The Complete Original Black Sabbath (1970-1978)
, Tony Iommi
states that the song title comes from when "Geezer
and Ozzy
were smoking outside and witnessed fairies in the park, running around wearing boots. As far as Tony knows, it didn't come from an attack from skinhead
s." Afterwards, they wrote the lyrics to "Fairies Wear Boots." Geezer Butler states in the documentary film "Classic Albums
: Black Sabbath's Paranoid" that the song was indeed inspired by an encounter with skinhead
s, who the band members then derogatorily referred to as "fairies" for the song.. The song contains an instrumental
at the beginning called "Jack the Stripper".
An earlier version of "Fairies Wear Boots", taken from a session for the BBC
's John Peel
Sunday Show dated April 26, 1970, is on the bonus disc of the Ozzy Osbourne release The Ozzman Cometh
.
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...
song from their 1970
1970 in music
- Events :*January 3**Davy Jones announces he is leaving the Monkees**Former Pink Floyd frontman Syd Barrett releases his first solo album The Madcap Laughs....
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...
Paranoid
Paranoid (album)
Paranoid is the second studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Released in September 1970, the album was the only one by the band to top the UK Albums Chart, and as a result is commonly identified as the band's magnum opus...
.
In the liner notes to Black Box: The Complete Original Black Sabbath (1970-1978)
Black Box: The Complete Original Black Sabbath (1970-1978)
Black Box: The Complete Original Black Sabbath is a collection of the first eight albums by the heavy metal band and a DVD. The set contains the albums recorded with original singer Ozzy Osbourne, who was fired in 1979 after completion of the band's Never Say Die! tour and a DVD of 4 videos...
, 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...
states that the song title comes from when "Geezer
Geezer Butler
Geezer Butler is an English musician and songwriter. Butler is best known as the bassist and lyricist of heavy metal band Black Sabbath. He was also involved in Heaven & Hell from 2006 to 2010.-Career:Butler formed his first band, Rare Breed, with old friend John "Ozzy" Osbourne in the autumn of...
and Ozzy
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
were smoking outside and witnessed fairies in the park, running around wearing boots. As far as Tony knows, it didn't come from an attack from skinhead
Skinhead
A skinhead is a member of a subculture that originated among working class youths in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, and then spread to other parts of the world. Named for their close-cropped or shaven heads, the first skinheads were greatly influenced by West Indian rude boys and British mods,...
s." Afterwards, they wrote the lyrics to "Fairies Wear Boots." Geezer Butler states in the documentary film "Classic Albums
Classic Albums
Classic Albums is a documentary series about pop and rock albums that are considered the best or most distinctive of a well-known band or musician or that exemplify a stage in the history of music.-Format:...
: Black Sabbath's Paranoid" that the song was indeed inspired by an encounter with skinhead
Skinhead
A skinhead is a member of a subculture that originated among working class youths in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, and then spread to other parts of the world. Named for their close-cropped or shaven heads, the first skinheads were greatly influenced by West Indian rude boys and British mods,...
s, who the band members then derogatorily referred to as "fairies" for the song.. The song contains an instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
at the beginning called "Jack the Stripper".
An earlier version of "Fairies Wear Boots", taken from a session for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
Sunday Show dated April 26, 1970, is on the bonus disc of the Ozzy Osbourne release The Ozzman Cometh
The Ozzman Cometh
The Ozzman Cometh is a compilation album by Ozzy Osbourne released in 1997. It is his second greatest hits collection and its initial, limited edition 2 CD pressing contained five previously unreleased songs...
.
Cover versions
- AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
all-female metal band Phantom BluePhantom bluePhantom Blue was an all-female American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1987. Phantom Blue were the first and only female artists to be signed to Mike Varney's Shrapnel Records, only three months after forming....
covered the song on their 1995 album Prime Cuts & Glazed DonutsPrime Cuts & Glazed DonutsPrime Cuts & Glazed Donuts is a collection of previously recorded demos released by manager Mark Dawson and Linda McDonald of the American all-female heavy metal band Phantom Blue. Song writers Michelle Meldrum and Nicole Couch and bassist Kim Nielsen-Parsons were no longer in the band...
. - American thrash metalThrash metalThrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
band Flotsam & JetsamFlotsam and Jetsam (band)Flotsam and Jetsam is a thrash metal band that formed in Phoenix, Arizona in 1982.-1981-1986: The beginning:The band's original name was "Paradox" founded by Drummer Kelly David-Smith and two other guitarists, until 1982 when bassist Jason Newsted joined. Jason had come to Phoenix with his band...
recorded the song in 2008 and included it on the remastered version of their fifth studio album, Drift. - American glam rockGlam rockGlam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
band Toilet BöysToilet BoysToilet Böys are an American rock and roll band from New York City, USA. The band's original line-up is made up of Miss Guy, Sean Pierce, Electric Eddie, Rocket, and Adam Vomit. Toilet Böys have toured world-wide supporting musical acts such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nashville Pussy, Orgy, The...
include the song on their EP Sinners and Saints. - Rose Hill DriveRose Hill DriveRose Hill Drive is an American rock band. The group is often aligned with other innovators in the revival of traditional hard rock and early metal–psychedelic...
, an American power trioPower trioA power trio is a rock and roll band format where the traditional power trio has a lineup of guitar, bass and drums, leaving out the rhythm guitar or keyboard that are used in other rock music to fill out the sound with chords...
, covered "Fairies Wear Boots" at the 2007 Hyde Park Calling festival. - American jam bandJam band-Ambiguity:By the late 1990s use of the term jam band also became ambiguous. An editorial at jamband.com suggested that any band of which a primary band such as Phish has done a cover of be included as jam band. The example was including New York post-punk band Talking Heads after Phish performed...
Widespread PanicWidespread PanicWidespread Panic is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. The current lineup includes guitarist/singer John Bell, bassist Dave Schools, drummer Todd Nance, percussionist Domingo "Sunny" Ortiz, keyboardist John "JoJo" Hermann, and guitarist Jimmy Herring...
covered the song during their summer 2007 tour and opened the 10-31-2010 NOLAween show in tribute to Ozzy who was playing at the nearby Voodoo Experience.