About the Song
When Ozzy Osbourne, the self-proclaimed “Prince of Darkness,” takes on a protest anthem from the 1960s, you might expect sparks, distortion, and reinvention. But in his 2005 cover of “For What It’s Worth” — featured on the album Under Cover — Ozzy does something more surprising: he slows down, leans in, and delivers the message with a haunting sense of calm and clarity.
Originally written by Stephen Stills and recorded by Buffalo Springfield in 1966, “For What It’s Worth” became a defining voice of civil unrest and counterculture. Its iconic opening line — “There’s something happening here…” — signaled more than just a song; it captured the mood of a generation. By the time Ozzy approached the track nearly four decades later, the world had changed, but the undercurrent of confusion, conflict, and concern remained.
Ozzy’s version strips the song down to its emotional essentials. Gone are the jangly guitars and youthful urgency of the original. Instead, his arrangement leans into moody textures, deep grooves, and minor-key melancholy, giving the song a darker, more reflective edge. His voice — aged, weathered, and unmistakably human — lends gravity to every word. This isn’t the sound of rebellion; it’s the voice of a man who has seen it all, warning of cycles that repeat and truths that get buried.
What makes this cover so effective is Ozzy’s ability to step out of his own myth and let the song speak. There are no vocal acrobatics, no overproduction — just a sense of presence, a quiet intensity that reminds us the message still matters.
In a time when uncertainty seems just as present now as it was in the ‘60s, Ozzy’s “For What It’s Worth” feels like a candle held up in a long, dark hallway — flickering, yes, but steady in its reminder: stop, look around, and listen.