About the Song
Known for pioneering the heavy, sludgy sound of early metal, Black Sabbath shocked fans in 1972 when they released “Changes” — a sparse, piano-led ballad that stripped away distortion and darkness in favor of emotional vulnerability. Featuring a raw, haunting vocal performance by Ozzy Osbourne, the song was a stunning departure from the band’s usual doom-laden riffs, revealing a softer, more human side of the “Prince of Darkness” few had seen before.
Written by Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward, “Changes” originated from a simple piano melody played by Iommi in the studio. It evolved into a melancholic reflection on personal loss, reportedly inspired in part by drummer Bill Ward’s breakup. The lyrics are painfully direct: “I’m going through changes” becomes a refrain not of strength, but of sorrow. There are no metaphors to shield the hurt — only acceptance.
Musically, the track is stripped-down and elegant. The arrangement centers on Iommi’s delicate piano line, backed by Mellotron-generated strings that provide emotional lift without overwhelming the vocals. Ozzy’s performance is one of the most emotionally exposed moments of his career — fragile, honest, and haunting in its simplicity. It’s not a song of despair, but of transformation, of the inevitable passage through grief.
“Changes” has endured for generations not only because of its haunting beauty but because it humanized a band often associated with darkness and aggression. It showed that even the heaviest of icons bleed, mourn, and evolve. The song would later be reinterpreted by Ozzy as a duet with his daughter Kelly Osbourne in 2003 — a chart-topping version that introduced the classic to a new generation, though many still turn to the original for its quiet, devastating purity.
In the vast legacy of Black Sabbath, “Changes” stands as one of its most emotionally resonant and unexpected triumphs — a moment when the noise stopped, the curtain fell, and Ozzy simply sang the truth.