Heaven and Hell – English Lyrics

• By: Black Sabbath
• Album: Heaven & Hell

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the poetic and dark English lyricism of Black Sabbath. This song is perfect for learners who want to explore metaphorical language and philosophical concepts while listening to classic heavy metal composition.

[English]

Sing me a song, you're a singer

Do me a wrong, you're a bringer of evil

The Devil is never a maker

The less that you give, you're a taker

So, it's on and on and on

It's Heaven and Hell

Oh, well, yeah

The lover of life's not a sinner

The ending is just a beginnin'

The closer you get to the meaning

The sooner you'll know that you're dreaming

So, it's on and on and on

Oh, it's on and on and on

It goes on and on and on

Heaven and Hell, I can tell

Fool, fool

Well, if it seems to be real, it's illusion

For every moment of truth, there's confusion in life

Love can be seen as the answer

But nobody bleeds for the dancer

And it's on and on, on and on and on

And on and on and on and on and on...

They say that life's a carousel

Spinning fast, you gotta ride it well

The world is full of Kings and Queens

Who blind your eyes and steal your dreams

It's Heaven and Hell, oh well

And they'll tell you black is really white

The moon is just the sun at night

And when you walk in golden halls

You get to keep the gold that falls

It's Heaven and Hell, oh no

Fool, fool

You've got to bleed for the dancer

Fool, fool

Look for the answer

Fool, fool, fool

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
singer /ˈsɪŋər/ A1	noun - A person who sings.
evil /ˈiːvl/ B1	adjective - Profoundly immoral and wicked.
taker /ˈteɪkər/ B2	noun - A person who takes something, especially something offered.
sinner /ˈsɪnər/ C1	noun - A person who transgresses against divine law.
dreaming /ˈdriːmɪŋ/ A2	verb - Experiencing images or fantasies during sleep.
illusion /ɪˈluːʒn/ B2	noun - A false idea or belief.
confusion /kənˈfjuːʒn/ B1	noun - Lack of understanding; uncertainty.
bleeds /bliːdz/ B2	verb - To lose blood from the body.
dancer /ˈdænsər/ A1	noun - A person who dances.
carousel /ˌkærəˈsel/ C1	noun - A merry-go-round at a fair.
spinning /ˈspɪnɪŋ/ A2	verb - Turning or causing something to turn or whirl around quickly.
blind /blaɪnd/ A2	verb - To make someone unable to see.
golden /ˈɡoʊldən/ A2	adjective - Made of or resembling gold.
fool /fuːl/ A2	noun - A person who acts unwisely or imprudently.

Key Grammar Structures

• The less that you give, you're a taker

  ➔ The + comparative, The + comparative structure

  ➔ Using "The less" and the following clause establishes a proportional relationship between giving and being a taker.

• The closer you get to the meaning

  ➔ Adjective in comparative form + subject + verb

  ➔ "Closer" is the comparative form of "close", used to describe the degree of progress toward the meaning.

• If it seems to be real, it's illusion

  ➔ First Conditional (Real possibilities)

  ➔ The "If" clause sets a condition, and the main clause states the result using the present simple.

• You've got to bleed for the dancer

  ➔ Have got to (Modal for obligation)

  ➔ "Have got to" is an informal way to express strong necessity or obligation.

• The world is full of Kings and Queens

  ➔ Adjective + Preposition combination

  ➔ The adjective "full" is commonly followed by the preposition "of" to indicate contents.

• They'll tell you black is really white

  ➔ Reporting verb with object + that-clause (omitted 'that')

  ➔ The verb "tell" is used here to report someone's false claim, with the conjunction "that" implied.

• You gotta ride it well

  ➔ Slang contraction (Gotta = have got to)

  ➔ "Gotta" is used in informal English to replace "have got to," indicating necessity.

• The ending is just a beginnin'

  ➔ Present Simple for universal truths

  ➔ The simple present is used to make a philosophical statement that is presented as an unchanging fact.