This song, which Ozzy said was actually about a serial killer, was the title track from Osbourne’s 6th solo album. The video was directed by Ralph Ziman, who also did videos for Vanessa Williams, Toni Braxton, Alice Cooper, L.A. Gun, and Faith No More.
The little girl at the end of the video is Kelly Osbourne.
Enjoy!
“Paranoid” kicks off with that racing riff that instantly puts you on edge, like you’re glancing over your shoulder waiting for trouble to catch up. It’s short, loud, and ridiculously catchy, but what really makes it stick is how alive it feels the whole way through, like the band is barely holding back all that energy. Alongside their other iconic single “War Pigs” from the same second studio album, Paranoid, these tracks are straight-up building blocks of what would become heavy metal—raw power, dark vibes, and riffs that redefined everything.
What I love most is how Tony Iommi’s guitar doesn’t just sit in the background—it drives the whole thing. The man lost the tips of his right-hand ring and middle fingers in a factory accident but came back playing like a bat out of hell, way better than dudes with all their fingertips intact. The riffs are sharp and urgent, but the solo is where it really takes off, because it sounds loose, clever, and aggressive all at once.
The guitar solo begins at about 1:23 in the original track, and that’s the moment the song really opens up and starts flexing. From there, Iommi keeps it simple enough that it feels memorable on first listen, but the phrasing has this gritty personality that makes it sound way bigger than the number of notes would suggest. It’s a great example of how a solo can be compact and still feel huge.
So if someone’s never heard “Paranoid” before, I’d tell them to start here and just let it rip. It’s heavy without being bloated, exciting without being messy, and the solo gives it that extra spark that makes the whole song feel iconic. Tracks like this and “War Pigs” are exactly why Tony Iommi earned his title as the “Godfather of Heavy Metal”—even if you’re not usually into older metal, this one has such a direct punch that it’s hard not to get pulled in.
Paranoid
Verse 1]
Finished with my woman
‘Cause she couldn’t help me with my mind
People think I’m insane
Because I am frowning all the time
[Verse 2]
All day long I think of things
But nothing seems to satisfy
Think I’ll lose my mind
If I don’t find something to pacify
[Bridge]
Can you help me
Occupy my brain?
Oh yeah
[Verse 3]
I need someone to show me
The things in life that I can’t find
I can’t see the things that make true happiness
I must be blind
[Guitar Solo @1:23]
[Verse 4]
Make a joke and I will sigh
And you will laugh and I will cry
Happiness, I cannot feel
And love to me is so unreal
[Verse 5]
And so, as you hear these words
Telling you now of my state
I tell you to enjoy life
I wish I could, but it’s too late
Great Guitar Solos Series
This song, which Ozzy has said is actually about a serial killer, was the title track from Osbourne’s 6th solo album. The video was directed by Ralph Ziman, who also did videos for Vanessa Williams, Toni Braxton, Alice Cooper, L.A. Gun, and Faith No More.
The little girl at the end of the video is played by Ozzy Osbourne’s daughter, Kelly.
Enjoy!
This was actually the second video that was filmed for this song. The first video was deliberately surreal and Ozzy felt that it didn’t represent what the song was about. Samuel Bayer was selected to direct the second video on the basis of his direction of the video for Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit.
Rest in peace, Ozzy.
We all knew it was coming but this one still hurts.
Ozzy Osbourne, RIP.
All aboard! Hahaha
Crazy, but that’s how it goes
Millions of people living as foes
Maybe, it’s not too late
To learn how to love, and forget how to hate
Mental wounds not healing
Life’s a bitter shame
I’m goin’ off the rails on a crazy train
I’m goin’ off the rails on a crazy train
I’ve listened to preachers,
I’ve listened to fools
I’ve watched all the dropouts
Who make their own rules
One person conditioned to rule and control
The media sells it and you live the role
Mental wounds still screaming
Driving me insane
I’m goin’ off the rails on a crazy train
I’m goin’ off the rails on a crazy train
I know that things are going wrong for me
You gotta listen to my words, yeah, yeah
Heirs of a cold war,
that’s what we’ve become
Inheriting troubles,
I’m mentally numb
Crazy, I just cannot bear
I’m living with something that just isn’t fair
Mental wounds not healing
Who and what’s to blame
I’m goin’ off the rails on a crazy train
I’m goin’ off the rails on a crazy train
I am Iron Man
Has he lost his mind?
Can he see or is he blind?
Can he walk at all
Or if he moves will he fall?
Is he alive or dead?
Has he thoughts within his head?
We’ll just pass him there
Why should we even care?
He was turned to steel
In the great magnetic field
When he travelled time
For the future of mankind
Nobody wants him
He just stares at the world
Planning his vengeance
That he will soon unfurl
Now the time is here
For Iron Man to spread fear
Vengeance from the grave
Kills the people he once saved
Nobody wants him
They just turn their heads
Nobody helps him
Now he has his revenge
Heavy boots of lead
Fills his victims full of dread
Running as fast as they can
Iron Man lives again
Writer/s: Anthony Frank Iommi, John Michael Osbourne, Terence Michael Butler, William Ward
Shot In The Dark was the ninth and final track on Ozzy Osbourne’s 1986 album, The Ultimate Sin. The video features a group of attractive women looking for a good time, which, in this video, means going to an Ozzy show.
Director Andy Morahan was a director who worked with everyone who was anyone in the 80s. He directed music videos for Pet Shop Boys, Wham, Luther Vandross, The Human League, Tina Turner, Cyndi Lauper, Wang Chung and others. Later he would move on to feature films and direct the infamous third Highlander film.
Enjoy!
If you are crying so much that you flood the room, it might be a good idea to take the song’s title to heart. The little girl at the end of the video is played by Ozzy Osbourne’s daughter, Kelly.
This song, which Ozzy has said is actually about a serial killer, was the title track from Osbourne’s 6th solo album. The video was directed by Ralph Ziman, who also did videos for Vanessa Williams, Toni Braxton, Alice Cooper, L.A. Gun, and Faith No More.
Enjoy!
It looks like Ozzy Osbourne is having one of those days, complete with upside down crosses, trips to the graveyard, and drinks from a bottle of sin. Luckily, he’s got Eric Clapton backing him up with some killer guitar moves.
This video features the Ozzy Osbourne that parents used to warn their kids about, the one who was thought to be in league with Satan and who happily drank from bottles of sin and bit the heads off of bats. It all seems pretty foolish today but, then again, it seemed pretty foolish back then as well. I have never bought into the idea that Ozzy worshipped Satan but I’ve also never bought into the other story that is often told about Ozzy, that’s he’s secretly a devout member of the Church of England. If Ozzy worships anything, it would appear to be rock and roll and why not? It’s been good to him.
The animated video was directed by comic book artist and Spawn creator Todd McFarlane.
This feels like the right way to start October.
Enjoy!
Meow!
Through the Shattered Lens 