3 Bone-Crushing Rock Riffs From the 1970s With Supernatural Lyrics

Rock and roll and mythology go hand in hand. We call famous musicians “rock stars” and “rock gods”, giving cosmic agency to otherwise normal humans. And before social media, one could get away with rock myths because the world didn’t see countless photos or video clips of rock stars doing everyday things like the rest of us. So if you are indeed a rock god and you’re going to bring the hammer down with a bone-crushing riff, you may as well complete the myth with supernatural lyrics as heard in these enchanted classics from the 1970s.

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“Man On The Silver Mountain” by Rainbow

Over a classic riff by Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio sings about an omniscient figure who is the day, the night, and both the dark and the light. With Blackmore’s snaking guitar and Dio’s devilish howls, one doesn’t know if this silver mountain man is good or evil. He demands we listen, and with a bone-crushing riff like this as his theme, who wouldn’t throw horns at the feet of this rock god?

I’m the day, I’m the day,
I can show you the way,
And look, I’m right beside you.

“The Wizard” by Black Sabbath

This heavy metal tale was inspired by Gandalf from The Lord Of The Rings. J. R. R. Tolkien’s protagonist is a powerful wizard who possesses the Ring of Fire. “The Wizard” appears on Black Sabbath’s self-titled debut album, but the story isn’t as gloomy as you might expect from the band. Ozzy Osbourne may be known as the Prince of Darkness himself, but here the wizard banishes evil and brings joy to the people with his silent magic. Osbourne also blows a mean harp throughout the tune, thus transforming classic blues into heavy metal. Pure wizardry.

Evil power disappears,
Demons worry when the wizard is near.
He turns tears into joy,
Everyone’s happy when the wizard walks by.

“No Quarter” by Led Zeppelin

“No Quarter” opens with John Paul Jones playing psychedelic, yet ominous chords on his electric piano. It’s a warning, as whatever military strife lies ahead will be a perilous one. The title is something we now consider a war crime—showing no mercy to a beaten enemy. But in the world of Thor, the Geneva Conventions aren’t a thing. Robert Plant sings in the realm of Norse mythology, and Jimmy Page’s fuzzy riff places all the supernatural brutality inside a deep groove.

Close the door, put out the light,
Know they won’t be home tonight.
The snow falls hard, and don’t you know?
The winds of Thor are blowing cold.

Photo by Gus Stewart/Redferns