BLACK SABBATH Drummer On War With Terrorism: 'We Need To Intensify Our Home Defenses'

January 31, 2003

BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward recently spoke with the St. Petersburg Times about the lyrical inspiration behind his new Internet-only solo single "Straws" (available for download from www.billward.com).

"The song represents my fear of a violent escalation toward war," Ward said.

"If we are in a war with terrorism, we need to intensify our home defenses. That begins at a local level. We need to administer jobs to everyone in every community so we all feel a part of some kind of action, which is to protect the safety of the United States."

Asked if he is a pacifist, Ward responded, "I'm not sure what a pacifist is. I'm nonviolent at all costs, but at the same time, I'm a human being. I know that people get angry. I've done that in my lifetime. I don't find fault with that. I think it's a natural human instinct. I know these things happen. There's not much I can do about that except take care of myself and my family as best I can.

"My position on this is not necessarily 'antiwar,' only because sometimes in the past, war has been inevitable, no matter how much people try to avoid it. Even though I abhor war — I don't think anyone really likes it — my stand on this is basically from the viewpoint of a husband and a father."

Ward intends to press 2,000 limited-edition CD singles by the end of January. The drummer says he will send half of them to heads of state, humanitarian and peace support groups, media outlets and fellow musicians. The song will also be featured on Ward's upcoming solo album, "Beyond Aston", due later in the year.

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