Bark at the Moon

The Zoo Crew is spinning "Bark at the Moon" by Ozzy Osbourne, a track from his 1983 album of the same name, and the Zoo Freaks are howling along! This song, a heavy metal classic, has some wild stories behind it. According to Songfacts, the title came from a crude joke Ozzy used to tell, with the punchline "eat s--t and bark at the moon." The riff, crafted by guitarist Jake E. Lee, caught Ozzy’s ear immediately, and he declared it the album’s title track on the spot. However, controversy swirled around the songwriting credits. Jake E. Lee and bassist Bob Daisley claimed they wrote most of the album, including this song, but were denied credits due to a contract enforced by Ozzy’s wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne. Lee later shared in a 2013 Ultimate Classic Rock interview that Ozzy would often show up drunk, pass out, or leave, leaving Lee and Daisley to flesh out the tracks. Despite this, Ozzy admitted in the liner notes of The Ozzman Cometh that Lee co-wrote the title track.

The music video for "Bark at the Moon" was Ozzy’s first, a groundbreaking moment in the early days of music videos. Directed by Mike Mansfield, it drew inspiration from Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, showing Ozzy as a mad scientist transforming into a werewolf, with makeup by Rick Baker, famous for An American Werewolf in London and Michael Jackson’s Thriller. A 2024 post on X noted that Baker’s work on "Bark at the Moon" predated "Thriller" by a month, highlighting Ozzy’s early adoption of cinematic visuals. The video was shot in part at Holloway Sanitorium near London, and Ozzy claimed in a Songfacts interview that they found a pickled fetus in a jar at the location, adding to the eerie vibe. Lyrically, the song explores a ghostly werewolf seeking revenge, a nod to Ozzy’s love for horror themes, as his band Black Sabbath was named after a horror movie.

Tragically, the song was linked to a dark incident. In 1983, a Canadian man named James Jollimore allegedly killed a woman and her two sons after listening to "Bark at the Moon", sparking media claims that Ozzy’s music was Satanic. This echoed earlier accusations about his song "Suicide Solution", which critics wrongly claimed encouraged suicide. Ozzy faced lawsuits and backlash, but he maintained his music was about storytelling, not inciting violence. On a lighter note, the song’s iconic riff and solo made it a fan favorite, with a Reddit thread praising Jake E. Lee’s “defining moment” and its inclusion in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, introducing it to new generations.

Ozzy Osbourne, born John Michael Osbourne on December 3, 1948, in Birmingham, England, kicked off his career as the frontman of Black Sabbath. Formed in 1968 with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward, the band pioneered heavy metal with albums like Paranoid and Master of Reality. Their dark, heavy sound, inspired by Birmingham’s industrial grit, set them apart. Ozzy’s distinctive wail and wild stage presence made him a standout, but his heavy drug and alcohol use led to his firing from Black Sabbath in 1979. Devastated, Ozzy spiraled until Sharon Arden, his future wife and manager, pushed him to go solo. With guitarist Randy Rhoads, he released Blizzard of Ozz in 1980, featuring hits like "Crazy Train". The album went multi-platinum, cementing Ozzy as a solo star. His career, spanning over 100 million album sales, includes 13 solo albums and multiple Black Sabbath reunions, earning him Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions in 2006 with Sabbath and in 2024 as a solo artist.

Stay connected with Ozzy Osbourne through his official website, where you can find news, tour dates, and merch. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and X for updates and behind-the-scenes content. Fans can dive deeper at Ozzypedia, a fan-run wiki, or join discussions in the Ozzy Osbourne Fans Facebook group. The Zoo Freaks can keep rocking with Ozzy’s legacy, from his werewolf howls to his metal anthems!