What does Paranoid mean?

Black Sabbath: Paranoid Meaning

Album cover for Paranoid album cover

Song Released: 1970


Covered By: Weezer (2019)


Paranoid Lyrics

Finished with my woman 'cause she couldn't help me with my mind
People think I'm insane because I am frowning all the time

All day long I think of things but nothing seems to satisfy
Think I'll lose my mind if I don't find something to...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Jul 14th 2017 !⃝

    The song is clearly about depression.

    "People think I'm insane because I am frowning all the time"

    They are frowning all the time because they are upset or depressed.

    "All day long I think of things but nothing seems to satisfy
    Think I'll lose my mind if I don't find something to pacify"

    Can you help me, occupy my brain?"

    They can't think of something to make them happy and are asking for someone to distract them from whatever thoughts are depressing them.

    "I need someone to show me the things in life that I can't find
    I can't see the things that make true happiness, I must be blind"

    People who are depressed often can only see the bad and not the good and need someone to help them see differently.

    "Make a joke and I will sigh and you will laugh and I will cry
    Happiness I cannot feel and love to me is so unreal"

    This is how someone feels when they are severely depressed.

    "And so as you hear these words telling you now of my state
    I tell you to enjoy life I wish I could but it's too late"

    Again, expressing despair and hopelessness, the belief they will not find happiness in their life.

    Paranoid isn't about paranoia, it is about severe depression.

  2. anonymous
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    Jun 23rd 2023 !⃝

    Notice that the word paranoid is never even mentioned in this song lyrics. "Paranoia will destroy ya" as Crosby once sang applies to everyone who loses themselves to the devil. This had been preached to us by many with rock lyrics.BS-- SOS you hear these words telling you know of my state. I tell you to enjoy life I wish I could but it's too late. NIN--I used to be so big & strong. I used to know my right from wrong. I used to never be afraid. I used to be somebody. LedZep- take a good look at yourself & tell me what you see & baby do you like it? If you are still you don't do drugs kids. It is a trick.

  3. anonymous
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    Nov 2nd 2017 !⃝

    Its just a dipiction of a person who has taken too much alcohol and drugs and is as dead as a zombie!
    Brain dead, body dead, feel nothing, and cannot understand the 'normal' people around them.
    Who is 'normal' anyway!
    Heart like a rock. Feels like the world around them has no meaning.

  4. anonymous
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    Oct 7th 2016 !⃝

    I think that it's about a guy who feels like no matter what he does no one will be satisfied and wants help to know what he can do to please others. I'm just guessing though.

  5. kooljohn176
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    Mar 4th 2016 !⃝

    The word ''PARANOID'' made more normal and popular by BLACK SABBATH that was brought out to feel the fear of it's intensity at times that can be brought to the surface out of the suppressed subconscious beliefs of the unknown to be felt by the mind. According to OZZY it could have been about himself ore a man getting stoned and high ''to many times'' on pot and alcohol and then becoming depressed for to long on the way down. Now feeling ''paranoid'' only to frown in reality to protect his soul from the people that did not make sense to him in the way they do things according to his unmatured mind that was hijacked. Also not understanding the ways of his woman in his paranoid mind that thinks she likes to play her mysterious games with him that makes him also nervous and neurotic. Which in no way she can help his mind. Now he is afraid that it is to late for him 'cause he feels he is turning into an identity that doesn't feel anything anymore about what love is suppose to feel like. Well paranoia in these times can backfire and surface even to the top of some POLITICAL LEADERS by what we see in politics these days, where the WARMONGERS that lack emphaty for the average human being are getting scared that they will lose their power to create unnecessary wars of many kinds on us and the people around the world.

  6. anonymous
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    Jan 17th 2016 !⃝

    Good news for those of you, if the lyrics don't make sense, bad news for we who are psychopaths or sold our souls. Imagine you are not capable of emotions and love and read the lyrics, plain as day they describe the everyday existence of those with the affliction.

  7. anonymous
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    Sep 5th 2014 !⃝

    It is about being drafted to war and it's too late, and about how war depresses people. The entire album is about war.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  8. anonymous
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    Dec 17th 2011 !⃝

    it says get on something or get blowed

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  9. anonymous
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    Dec 8th 2011 !⃝

    This song's about one of the band members (I"m not sure which one), or one of the producers who suffered severe depression as a teenager.


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