Butler (shown above) was reading a lot of science fiction books at the time and was further inspired by then-current events such as the space race and increasing attention paid to pollution and other environmental concerns. He went on to tell Louder Sound about how he came to write the song's dark, futuristic lyrics: "I was fascinated by what might happen to a man who's suddenly transformed into a metal being. He still has a human brain, and wants to do the right thing, but eventually his own frustrations at the way humanity treats him drives this creature to taking extreme action. It's almost a cry for help."
Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward said of the song's legacy, "In America, if you go to most sports events you'll hear it at some point. It's now a part of the culture of the country. People recognize it as soon as it starts up. It's very musical, but also so theatrical. I think its popularity now is such that, in a way, it no longer belongs to Ozzy, Geezer, Tony [Iommi] and me, it's now everyone's song."
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