B-side "Snake Charmer" Format 7" | Released 1975 Length 4:38 | |
Writer(s) Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio Producer(s) Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio, Martin Birch | ||
"Man on the Silver Mountain" is the first single by Rainbow and the first track of their debut album, Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. Written by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and singer Ronnie James Dio, this song is, as Dio said, "a semi-religious one, a man on the silver mountain is a kind of God figure everyone is crying out to". This track became one of Rainbow's best-known tracks and was also a live favourite for any Rainbow line-up, and also the band Dio. When Ronnie James Dio died and was buried in Los Angeles, the words on his grave were "The man on the silver mountain Ronnie James Dio".
Reception
Brad Sanders of The A.V. Club wrote that although the song's lyrics are essentially meaningless, the way that Dio sings them "sounds awesome". After Dio's death, Rob Halford performed a cover of the song and said it "captures the things I personally love in metal tracks".