The Natural History of Drug Abuse: A Content Analysis of Black Sabbath

• In Event: Perspectives on Drug Use, Abuse, & Desistance

Abstract

Heavy metal music is distinguished for its deep sound and lyrical fixation with dark themes including war, destruction, doom, and human misery. Such subjects permeate the music of Black Sabbath, the band generally regarded by musical historians as the original pioneers of heavy metal. One theme - drug abuse - is especially dominant in the songs of Black Sabbath. Indeed, numerous songs explicitly characterize drug abuse, and biographical accounts of band members indicate concurrent personal experiences and struggles with drug addiction. However, no comprehensive content analysis of the lyrics of Black Sabbath has ever been conducted. This paper presents results of a content analysis of all songs containing lyrics written and recorded by Black Sabbath, as defined by the majority-founding-member criterion. The present analysis included 74 songs across 10 albums recorded from 1968 to 2013. Two independent raters coded primary and secondary themes for each song, discussed similarities and differences, and came to consensus using a third rater to resolve discrepancies. The results, discussed within the context of contemporary etiological and neuroscience research, tell a personal and insightful story of the natural history of drug use, from the initial thrills of experimentation to the horrors of full-blown addiction.

Authors

• Kevin Conway, National Institute on Drug Abuse

• Patrick McGrain, Gwynedd Mercy University

• Matthew Richter, Gwynedd Mercy University