This song was released as the first track on Vol. 4 and it talks about losing childhood innocence as you get older. The first part of the song is called “Wheels of Confusion,” and the instrumental outro, “The Straightener.”
[Wheels of Confusion]
[Verse 1]
Long ago I wandered through my mind
In the land of fairy tales and stories
Lost in happiness I knew no fears
Innocence and love was all I knew
It was an illusion
[Verse 2]
Soon the days were passing into years
Happiness just didn't come so easy
Life was more than fairy tales and daydreams
Innocence was just another word
It was an illusion
[Instrumental]
[Bridge]
Lost in the wheels of confusion
Running through valleys of tears
Eyes full of angry delusion
Hiding in everyday fears
[Verse 3]
So I found that life is just a game
But you know there's never been a winner
Try your hardest, you'll still be a loser
The world will still be turning when you're gone
Yeah, when you're gone
[The Straightener]
[Instrumental]
Wheels of Confusion was written by Bill Ward & Ozzy Osbourne & Tony Iommi & Geezer Butler.
Wheels of Confusion was produced by Tony Iommi & Patrick Meehan.
Black Sabbath released Wheels of Confusion on Mon Sep 25 1972.