About the Song
Released in 2001 on the album Down to Earth, “Running Out of Time” is one of Ozzy Osbourne’s most introspective and quietly powerful songs — a far cry from his wilder, heavier anthems. Instead of raging guitars and defiant energy, this track offers something deeper: a personal reckoning with the passage of time, the mistakes behind us, and the questions that linger as the clock ticks on.
The song opens with a haunting piano line, subdued yet stirring, almost like the slow opening of an old journal. And then comes Ozzy — not shouting, not snarling, but singing with a kind of weary honesty that can only come from a man who’s lived many lives in one. His voice carries the rough edges of age and experience, but there’s also something tender in the way he confesses: “I’m running out of time.”
This isn’t a song about fame or chaos. It’s about regret, mortality, and the longing to make peace with yourself before the final curtain falls. The lyrics — “I can’t find myself / I can’t change myself / I’m running out of time” — strike a chord with anyone who’s ever looked in the mirror and seen not just their reflection, but their past staring back.
Musically, “Running Out of Time” is simple and restrained, allowing the emotional weight to rise slowly like mist. The acoustic guitars, mellow drums, and orchestral undertones build a somber atmosphere — not dramatic, but contemplative. It’s the kind of track that feels like it was written in the quiet hours of the night, when no one else is around and the silence makes you think a little harder.
For longtime Ozzy fans, this song is a reminder that behind the icon, the antics, and the heavy metal legend, there is a man with a heart, with fears, and with stories still untold. “Running Out of Time” feels like one of those stories — an honest one, and perhaps one of his most human moments.
At its core, the song asks: “Have I lived the life I wanted to? And is there still time to change?” It’s a question that echoes far beyond music — it echoes in all of us.