An Ode to Ozzy

From a different perspective

So, what’s a Christian writer doing writing about Ozzy Osbourne, the so-called “Prince of Darkness?” I’m glad you asked.

Let’s get one thing straight. There is only one Prince of Darkness, and we know who he is and where he is. Anyone who ever took that Ozzy/Prince of Darkness stuff seriously needs a head examination.

I grew up loving heavy metal music. And I still listen to it from time to time. Someone close to my family once remarked to my mother that she and my dad should be careful and watch me closely, because I might get into the “wrong things”. My grades may go down, and I might end up with the “wrong crowd”.

I was a straight-A student throughout my school years, on the honor roll, never did drugs, never drank, slept around, went clubbing, etc. I tried smoking once, decided it was the most disgusting thing ever, and never did it again.

The problem with people who don’t like heavy metal music is that they are so quick to impose stereotypes on those of us who do. Trust me when I say I am the most boring person ever. My idea of excitement is a shopping trip to Five Below. No kidding.

Heavy metal music is supposed to leave its listeners in a drug-induced stupor with their brains exploding inside their heads. Thankfully, my brain is still intact. People like Ozzy and groups like Motley Crue and Iron Maiden are supposed to make people run to the hills, no pun intended. I listen to it because it’s energetic and entertaining, the same reason why I love to watch Batman reruns. You can’t take it seriously. It’s entertainment, nothing more.

I’ve been listening to Ozzy since I was a teenager, which was about the same time Noah built the ark. I’m old, and old enough to know better. I never took the hoopla of heavy metal to heart. I’ve never sacrificed anyone’s grandmother or eaten the head off a bat. I love Ozzy’s music. I’ve seen Ozzy in concert, and he was a great entertainer. If you take that Prince of Darkness/devil worshipping nonsense to heart, you need help. You can be a Christian and love heavy metal. And there are great heavy metal bands, like Stryper, that are Christian and sing songs that glorify our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Ozzy wrote great songs. He was a great entertainer. He introduced the world to some amazing guitarists. Ozzy was a legend. No doubt about it. He put heavy metal haters into a tailspin because he was able to get a rise out of them with his antics.

Not every Ozzy fan worships the devil, practices witchcraft, smokes weed, and thinks about killing people. Some of the most evil people in the world appear the most religious. We’re all rotten sinners according to God’s holy standards. Only Jesus Christ can save us.

Some people have called me a hypocrite because I call myself a Christian and still listen to heavy metal. Do they have the right to judge me? I pray several times a day, read and study my Bible, and try to encourage others in their Christian walk. Does it matter what I listen to, as long as I’m not taking it seriously?

People have said, “Do you think Jesus would want you to listen to that garbage?” I have told them that the talents they, and everyone else, have come from God. Go put on a Stryper CD and stop judging.

Ozzy’s music was part of the soundtrack of my life. I‘m sad that he’s gone now. He made the world more entertaining and funnier. I’ve never called him the Prince of Darkness. I’ve always thought of him as the Granddaddy of Great Guitarists. (Think Randy Rhodes, Zakk Wylde, Jake E. Lee). Music has always been a passion of mine, and honestly, the world is a little darker today.

This article may surprise some of my regular readers who come here for Biblical encouragement. I want to say, your opinion of me or my writing shouldn’t change. And isn’t that what being a Christian is all about, loving others?

Ozzy, flying high again. Rest in peace.