I'm not going to pretend to have been a huge Ozzy fan, but I could easily have been. It's the road not travelled...
After all these years of myth-making, the TV show, the family, the self-mockery and the colossal caricature (not to mention biting the head off that bat), I readily accept that there are two types of people who know much more about Ozzy than I ever will: the dedicated heavy rock fans (I dabble, but I'm not a connoisseur) and those who know very little about music at all... but just enjoyed the Show. (And by that, I don't just mean The Osbornes.)
I'll let you in on a little secret through... whenever I come across an old Ozzy track I've not heard before, like the one above, I dig it. Because I've always had a soft spot for metal that isn't too metal. Really, it's just pop music with louder guitars.
If nothing else, Ozzy was a Show. And beyond that, he was the very best kind of rock star: one who never took himself too seriously... or at all seriously. That's the way he came across to me, anyway.
As is customary in this feature, I went looking for songs that might mention the dearly departed. And only then did I realise just how far Ozzy's influence stretches... and how much bigger he was in the States than in his home country. As you'd expect, some of these songs are quite loud...
We saw Ozzy on our first date
Our special song is Crazy Train
Making out in the middle of the pit
How come Slayer doesn't sing about this
If anything comes between you and me
Then heavy metal heaven, that's where we'll meet
I know metal is dead
But I want to bang my head
And throw my fists up into the air
I know Ozzy Osbourne's old but I don't care
But they're not all rock songs.
I'm a cross between Manson, Esham and Ozzy
I don't know why the fuck I'm here in the first place
Quite a lot of rappers mention Ozzy in favourable terms... perhaps for obvious reasons. But you might not expect him to pop up in a country tune...
Ever since I met you, girl, you been on my brain
I can't think of nothin' else but you all night and day
It's like I got a first-class seat up on Ozzy's train
And it's drivin' me insane
Maybe it's more to be expected in the place where country meets rock...
So I never saw Lynyrd Skynyrd but I sure saw Ozzy Osbourne
With Randy Rhoads in '82 Right before that plane crash
Punk rockers obviously tipped their hats to Ozzy...
Tipper, what's that sticker sticking on my CD?
Is that some kind of warning to protect me?
Freedom of choice needs a stronger, stronger voice
You can stamp out the source, but you can't stop creative thought
Ah, Tipper, come on
Ain't you been getting it on?
Ask Ozzy, Zappa or me
We'll show you what it's like to be free
"We came home and found our son
Lying dead on his bed of a gunshot wound
He had his headphones on
And there was an Ozzy record on the turntable
So, we called our lawyer"
And while I'm pretty sure this reggae hit from the 70s wasn't about The Prince of Darkness... it would be nice to imagine he might have been an influence.
Rasta Ozzy from up de hill
Decide fi check 'pon 'im grocery bill
An' when him add up de t'ings him need
De dunny done wha' him save fi buy likkle weed
Even ultra-cool Canadians love Ozzy...
Pop pop, fizz fizz
Ohhhhh what a sweet leaf it is
Like Ozzy Osbourne I was born to perform
Aww, zeah?
Now before we get to today's winner... here's Beck's tribute...
When it came to choosing my favourite Ozzy tribute song though, there was no contest. Especially as the lead singer of this band once left a comment on my blog. Here's B4S with a song about the passing of time, and all its sickening crimes...
She hates time, make it stop
When did Mötley Crüe become classic rock?
And when did Ozzy become an actor?
Please make this stop, stop, stop...
I only heard about his death last night so feel as if you might have had this one semi-prepared?
ReplyDeleteLike you I was never really a metal fan nor did I watch much of the TV show but we have all heard of Ozzy and he won't be forgotten in a hurry. The people of Birmingham are especially upset, understandably, and wasn't it great he was able to play there only a couple of week ago.
The likes of Ozzy don't come along very often. Amazed he made it to 76 really but if they make it through the raucous years and settle down to a healthier lifestyle, even hard rockers can have a long life.
I wouldn't ever pre-write an obit, I'm too superstitious about tempting fate. I just happen to have had a rare day off today. If Ozzy had died next week, he would have had to wait a lot longer for a eulogy.
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