Black Sabbath’s ‘Iron Man’ Powers Shaun White’s New Super Bowl Commercial
The classic Black Sabbath track “Iron Man” can be heard in a new Super Bowl commercial focusing on Olympic snowboarder Shaun White. It follows the release of a Kia ad starring Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and a Jack Ryan promo featuring Ed Sheeran’s take on Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower.” You can watch the Shaun White commercial above.
The action highlights the two-time gold medallist’s determination to prove himself once again after living through a bad patch in his career. “I’ve always watched the Super Bowl with friends and family,” White told Entertainment Weekly in a statement. “I remember being just as excited to see the fun commercials and mischief as the game or halftime show. So to be in my very own commercial is unreal.” The 60-second commercial will air during Super Bowl 52 on Feb. 4.
“Iron Man” appeared on Black Sabbath’s second album, Paranoid, in 1971. The title was chosen after frontman Ozzy Osbourne heard guitarist Tony Iommi’s riff for the first time and said it sounded like “a big iron bloke walking about.” Bassist Geezer Butler’s lyrics tell the story of a man who travels back in time to warn humanity of an approaching apocalypse, but is turned into iron during the journey and rendered unable to communicate. Frustrated, he unleashes the disaster he’d hoped to prevent. VH1 named it the best heavy metal song ever in 2007.