Back Into The Void

Figure in black—

into the void

from which you

rose

and lit

the fires of

a musical

revolution

in uncompromising

unfiltered

fashion

~

Back

back

back into the void

you go

~

No more tears

No more barks at the moon

No more screaming profanities

to millions around the world

now living and now dead

~

Your crazy train has

reached its final destination

~

On your blackened throne

in Birmingham your home

is our final memory

of you

~

The madman—

The vulnerable man

The human, prone to err

with a kind heart

The TV dad of notoriety

beyond your title —

Prince of Darkness

So many changes

but still so true

to who you were

and always will be

~

One of the greatest

Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy

Hail

*

Thanks for reading!

Author's Notes: Wasn't going to post any other stuff today, then was struck by inspiration for one of my musical heroes whose death was announced today.

RIP John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne - December 3, 1948 - July 22, 2025.

Black Sabbath - Ozzy Osbourne, along with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward, are widely considered to be the originators of heavy metal and if you listen to the first eight albums by the band, it's not hard to see why.

• Black Sabbath (1970)
• Paranoid (1970)
• Master of Reality (1971)
• Vol. 4 (1972)
• Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)
• Sabotage (1975)
• Technical Ecstasy (1976)
• Never Say Die! (1978)

My personal favourite is Master of Reality and I still believe that stands out, but the band in their early days were already setting a pretty high bar. It is the album that is most consistent.

The band formed in Birmingham in 1968 and were originally called Earth, but decided to change that for Black Sabbath. With Ozzy on vocals, Tony on guitar, Geezer on bass and Bill on drums, they didn't just follow in footsteps, they started something different to anything that had gone before. You can hear echoes of their influences, but the compositions and the heaviness, the darkness to it all was truly unparalleled at the time.

I was fortunate enough to see the band, finally, at the Glasgow SSE Hydro as part of their "13" tour on December 16, 2013. Unfortunately, it was not the original line-up, as Bill Ward was not behind the drums. However, it was still one of my all-time favourite gigs and it showed that even then they still had the ability to get a crowd going and were still heavier with better songs than many of their younger contemporaries.

Despite their connection to all thing dark, it's actually surprising for people to learn that not everything they wrote - in fact very little - was about Satan/Devil/Demons. While many songs, like the track Black Sabbath, was on the theme of the occult and evil, others covered a wide range of subjects from war and sociopolitical issues to drug use and personal struggles. Overall, rather than writing songs about more traditional light and positive subjects, they chose to cover the darker edges of what it is to be human.

Although each generation of bands and artists often offer something new and nostalgia can be damaging to progress, it's safe to say there are a lot of bands that would not exist or the development of heavy rock and metal would have taken longer had it not been for Black Sabbath.

No Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Metallica, Megadeth, Rage Against The Machine, Slipknot, and many others.

After leaving Black Sabbath, Ozzy had a successful solo career, consisting of 13 studio albums, showcasing his versatility as a singer and delving into different musical genres beyond the heaviness of Sabbath.

• Blizzard of Ozz (1980)
• Diary of a Madman (1981)
• Bark at the Moon (1983)
• The Ultimate Sin (1986)
• No Rest for the Wicked (1988)
• No More Tears (1991)
• Ozzmosis (1995)
• Down to Earth (2001)
• Black Rain (2007)
• Scream (2010)
• Ordinary Man (2020)
• Patient Number 9 (2022)

A selection of the songs referenced to in the poem.

Ozzy, had such a checkered, but interesting life and career, with many highs and lows, and a reality TV show that was one of the most popular of its kind.

Mostly, though, he will be remembered for that distinctive voice, laugh, and the ability to captivate audiences of thousands around the world with his music.