Under the Graveyard

Hey there, Zoo Freaks, it’s your groovy Zoo Crew spinning the vibes at THE ZOO radio station! We’re cranking up the haunting riffs of Under the Graveyard by the legendary Ozzy Osbourne from his 2020 album Ordinary Man. This track is a massive power ballad that hit number one on the US Mainstream Rock chart in December 2019, and it’s got some wild stories behind it. Ozzy dropped this single on November 8, 2019, his first solo release in nearly a decade, after a rough patch of health scares including pneumonia, a bad fall, and a Parkinson’s diagnosis. He was 70 when he laid this down, pouring his heart into lyrics about facing mortality, with lines like “Today IstatueToday I woke up and I hate myself / Death doesn’t answer when I cry for help.” The song came to life after Ozzy collaborated with Post Malone on the track Take What You Want, which sparked his creative fire. Producer Andrew Watt, who also plays guitar on the track, brought in Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith to jam, and Ozzy said Andrew “pulled it out of me” when he doubted he had the strength for a new album. The semi-autobiographical music video, directed by Jonas Åkerlund, dives into Ozzy’s dark days in the late ’70s, with actors Jack Kilmer as Ozzy and Jessica Barden as Sharon Osbourne, showing how Sharon saved him from addiction. Fun fact: a behind-the-scenes clip reveals Sharon once stole Ozzy’s clothes to keep him from partying, so he’d wear her dresses to sneak out!

Let’s talk about how the Prince of Darkness got his start. Born John Michael Osbourne on December 3, 1948, in Birmingham, England, Ozzy grew up in a working-class family, dropping out of school at 15 to take odd jobs. He dabbled in petty crime, even landing in prison for two months at 17 for burglary. Music was his escape, and after singing in local bands, he teamed up with guitarist Tony Iommi to form a group called Earth, which became Black Sabbath after a 1963 Boris Karloff flick. Their heavy, bluesy sound and occult-themed lyrics on their 1970 debut album laid the foundation for heavy metal. Ozzy’s wild stage presence and raw vocals made Black Sabbath a global force, with classics like Paranoid and Master of Reality. Fired from the band in 1979 over substance issues, Ozzy bounced back with Sharon’s guidance, launching a solo career with Blizzard of Ozz in 1980, featuring hits like Crazy Train. He’s sold over 100 million albums, earned a Grammy, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Black Sabbath in 2006 and as a solo artist in 2024.

Zoo Freaks, you can keep up with Ozzy’s madness on his official website, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Fans are vibing hard on the Ozzy Osbourne Fan Club on Facebook, and you can dig deeper into his legacy at fan sites like Ozzyhead.com. Keep it heavy, Zoo Crew style, and let’s crank this tune louder!