About the Song
By the time Ozzy Osbourne released Scream in 2010, he was already a living legend — a survivor of rock’s wildest decades, a cultural icon, and a man who had lived through more lifetimes than most of us could imagine. And while Scream delivered plenty of the heavy riffs and sonic mayhem fans expected, one track stood out for its quiet intensity and introspective weight: “Time.”
Unlike the snarling defiance of tracks like “Let Me Hear You Scream,” “Time” is a brooding ballad, soaked in atmosphere and regret. With sweeping guitar textures, solemn piano undertones, and a vocal delivery that borders on mournful, Ozzy reflects not on demons or destruction, but on something far more chilling: the relentless passage of time and the inevitability of aging and death.
The lyrics don’t shout. They whisper. “Time, standing all alone / I bled for you, I wanted to…” — these aren’t the words of a madman. They’re the words of someone who’s been burned, burdened, and who knows the clock won’t stop ticking. There’s no rage here, just reflection. Ozzy sounds tired — not of life, but of running from its truths.
Musically, “Time” leans more into melodic rock than metal. It’s cinematic in its pacing, building gradually with strings, ambient guitars, and drums that feel like a slow heartbeat. It proves that even in his later years, Ozzy could still surprise us — not just with power, but with poignancy.
And that’s the magic of “Time.” It doesn’t need to be loud to leave a mark. It sits in that rare place between confession and resignation, where even a man once dubbed the Prince of Darkness lets his guard down and simply wonders aloud: What has it all meant? And how much is left?
For fans who’ve grown with Ozzy, this song feels like a quiet conversation — not with the rocker we idolized, but with the man behind the myth. And in that way, “Time” may be one of his most human songs yet.