Trove Of Tunes – The Ozzy Way
A curious inquisition, a romantic weekend in a spaceship, and a power ballad for the ages—remembering Ozzy Osbourne, the man who always did it his way.
It was over 2 decades ago. I had picked up a CD titled ‘Hard Rock’ from a nearby record store. It had 157 assorted songs by Alice In Chains, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Metallica, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Scorpions, and many more. That was the first time I heard of Black Sabbath, and some of the songs from their first two albums. I can’t call myself a fan, but some of their songs feature and decorate my life’s always-spinning playlist. Tune in!
A Romantic Weekend In A Spaceship
I took a liking to N.I.B, Paranoid, Supernaut, War Pigs etc., when I heard some bands from across India covering them live. But the first Black Sabbath song that got me hooked was ‘Planet Caravan’ from the album Paranoid. a slow, psychedelic jam that feels like a campfire on the moon. The song was born spontaneously in the studio when guitarist Tony Iommi started playing a gentle, hypnotic guitar riff, Bill Ward joined in on hand-played congas, Geezer Butler added a fluid bass line, and Ozzy Osbourne began humming a melody. While Ozzy sketched the initial words, bassist/lyricist Geezer Butler penned the final lyrics. Butler later explained ‘Planet Caravan is about two lovers on the ultimate romantic weekend, floating through the universe in a spaceship together, rather than going down to the pub and having some chips back on earth.’ Maybe it was a time-out after War Pigs! The piece is an ethereal soundscape - gentle conga rhythms, a jazzy guitar play, a murmuring bass, and Ozzy’s distant vocals, all swirling together as if submerged in a dream.
More Than What Meets The Eye
After a little over a decade, Ozzy parted ways with Black Sabbath due to internal disagreements. I heard ‘Mr. Crowley’ for the first time during the ‘Back to the Beginning’ concert on July 5, 2025, when Ozzy performed the song as part of his solo set. ‘Mr. Crowley’ is one of the tracks on Ozzy’s debut solo album, ‘Blizzard of Ozz’, released in 1980. The song was inspired by Aleister Crowley, a British occultist, ceremonial magician, and writer from the early 20th century. Known as ‘the wickedest man in the world’, Crowley was a controversial figure and the subject of fascination across pop culture. The lyrics explore themes of deception, mysticism, and existential curiosity. With Don Airey’s haunting keyboard intro backed by Randy Rhoads’ guitar solo, the composition made a chart topper out of a curious inquisition.
A Ballad Of Internal Reflection
Ozzy’s duet with Lita Ford, ‘Close My Eyes Forever’ was a clear case of a few lyrics chased by intention and irritation to become a hit in 1988. The song featured in her second solo album titled ‘Lita’. The backstory takes us to a late-night writing session in a studio, during which both artists were drinking (heavily, by their own admission) and began casually working on lyrics together. What started as a spontaneous experiment evolved into a haunting power ballad about mortality, pain, and emotional despair. The song deals with themes of heartbreak, and the ultimate sleep; but it’s more about emotional exhaustion than a glorification of death. The dual vocals create a conversation between two tormented souls who are trapped in a cycle of pain. It’s a dark, introspective reflection on internal suffering.
Back To The Beginning
Villa Park, Birmingham, England – July 5, 2025, would be part of many a memory for years to come, especially amongst the lovers of heavy metal music – the last concert of one of the genre’s torchbearers. It was designed as a heavy metal extravaganza, with participation from the likes of Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Anthrax, Gojira, etc. One of the biggest talking points before the show was Ozzy’s ability to carry through a full set given his Parkinson’s disease. And he pulled through fine—seated on a throne, being grateful to the audience, and taking the 40,000 people present in person, and millions online, on one final ride on a crazy train. It wasn’t just another concert, it was an emotional ride both for the performers, and the fans.
According to me, the band’s distinct sound was always with Ozzy at the helm, Tony on guitar, Geezer on bass, and Bill on drums. Back in the late ‘60s, what got Ozzy into the band that was to become Black Sabbath, was the Public Address system (PA system) he owned. Talk about leverage!
He Did It His Way
On the night of July 5th, when Ozzy sang ‘Mama I'm Coming Home’, many of us had a lump in the throat. Seventeen days later, it felt like the emotion behind the lyrics set free. On July 22, 2025, Ozzy got into another arena, another train, maybe another caravan, leaving behind the echoes of ‘I love you all’.
Ozzy’s life was a reality of every professional’s dream of constantly reinventing oneself. Whether it’s his solo career; or ‘Ozzfest that helped propel bands like Slipknot, Korn, and System of a Down to stardom; or The Osbournes that brought out Ozzy’s human and humorous side; he played many hands, and took home all the winnings. A lot of musicians and commentators have been publishing some of their memories and moments with Ozzy since the day of his passing, and the 3 big themes that cut across all of them are his big-heartedness, his humour, and his ability to relate with personas—not just with people.
For the past few days, I’ve been imagining Ozzy Osbourne singing Frank Sinatra’s ‘My Way’. I don’t know why. Maybe the lyrics speak to his life. Maybe his voice would go well with the song. So, just to do something about that thought in my head, I dropped a search query, and the internet through back Anthony Vincent, and this version of Sinatra's My Way in Ozzy's voice.
In the end, if there’s ever a combination of a fitting tribute and a princely salute, Ozzy got one from the Band of the Coldstream Guards. Rest In Music.
Peace, Ozzy!
You can catch all the songs captured here, and more in my Trove Of Tunes curated in a Spotify playlist, here.
Cheers,
Shri