Song Clearance Sheet
4 sources citedIron Man
Heavy Metal1970s77BPM
A majKey
More around 80 BPM → · More in A major →
Tempo/key via GetSongBPM →
The verdict
Documented Sampling History
Confirmed songwriters of record (the band; lyrics by Geezer Butler), no dispute found, and extensive legitimate licensing — including Marvel’s 2008 film and Kanye West’s “Hell of a Life.” (Despite the name, the song has no original connection to the Marvel hero.)
Used by independents?
No — no independent use documented so far; only major-label artists.
Quick Facts
Released1970
AlbumParanoid
GenreHeavy Metal
ProducerRodger Bain
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The songwriters of record — Black Sabbath (lyrics by Geezer Butler)
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
The current administrator — Not confirmed — needs a Songview/Discogs lookup
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
Yes — one of the most famous metal songs ever; licensed for Marvel’s 2008 “Iron Man” film and sampled by Kanye West (“Hell of a Life”). A 1998 live re-recording won the 2000 Best Metal Performance Grammy.
Do they allow reuse?
No standalone policy found, but extensive legitimate licensing across five decades.
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
Directly samples “Iron Man” on “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)Black Sabbath (Osbourne, Iommi, Butler, Ward) — lyrics by Geezer Butler
The recording (current administrator)Not confirmed
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
No actual connection to the Marvel hero
Despite the shared name, the song has no connection to the Marvel superhero (created 1963). Geezer Butler wasn’t even familiar with American comics — his parents didn’t allow them — and drew more on British comics like The Dandy (a robot character “Tin Lizzie,” which also gave Thin Lizzy their name).
Louder · read it →
A direct Kanye West sample
Kanye West directly sampled the track on “Hell of a Life” from “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.”
Media Fandom · read it →
A full-circle fictional twist
Marvel licensed the song for the 2008 “Iron Man” film’s credits and trailer; later comics retroactively imply Tony Stark named his superhero identity after the song, having been a Black Sabbath fan — and Stark wears a Black Sabbath T-shirt in “The Avengers” (2012).
Ultimate Pop Culture Wiki · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
—
Times sampled
A metal standard
Covers
—
First flip
Big names who used itKanye West
Who to Contact
BS
Black Sabbath (lyrics by Geezer Butler)
The confirmed songwriters of record
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
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References
Every source cited on this page — 4 in total
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full research (Batch 5)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending a separate manual keyfinder pass