RIP Ozzy Osbourne: How Eminem’s 2010 Tribute Turned a Black Sabbath Ballad Into a Heartfelt Anthem of Pain, Change, and Survival
As the world mourns the passing of the Prince of Darkness, one emotional rap track resurfaces — with new meaning that hits even harder.
LOS ANGELES, CA — Music lost a true titan this week. Ozzy Osbourne, legendary frontman of Black Sabbath and solo icon known as the “Prince of Darkness,” passed away at 76 after a long and public battle with health complications including Parkinson’s disease.
But amid the waves of tributes flooding social media, playlists, and stadiums around the globe, one unexpected memorial has reemerged from the vaults of 2010: Eminem’s deeply emotional track “Going Through Changes.”
The song, featured on Eminem’s Grammy-winning comeback album Recovery, sampled Black Sabbath’s 1972 ballad “Changes”, turning a melancholic rock piano riff into the foundation of one of Eminem’s most vulnerable confessions.
🎵 A Crossover Few Saw Coming — And One Ozzy Embraced
In 2010, Eminem shocked fans by including a sample of Ozzy’s tender vocal performance from “Changes” — a song very unlike Black Sabbath’s usual heavy sound. But it was perfect for Recovery, an album built on pain, introspection, and the raw honesty of addiction, relapse, and family loss.
“I remember dropping the needle on Sabbath’s ‘Changes’… Eminem walked in and said, ‘That could be the one,’” said producer Emile Haynie in an interview with Complex.
And it was. “Going Through Changes” became an emotional centerpiece of Recovery, with Ozzy’s haunting voice echoing through lyrics that referenced the deaths of Eminem’s friends, his overdose, and his fractured relationship with his daughters and ex-wife.
At the time, some Black Sabbath fans pushed back, claiming the sample was a mismatch. But Ozzy himself? He never objected — and many now say he quietly appreciated being part of such a raw, genre-defying work.
💔 Re-listening After Ozzy’s Death Hits Harder Than Ever
Now, in the wake of Ozzy’s passing, fans are revisiting “Going Through Changes” with new ears and heavier hearts.
“It was already heartbreaking. Now it feels prophetic,” wrote one Reddit user.
“Ozzy sang about regret. Eminem rapped about survival. And now they’re both etched in this track forever,” tweeted a fan.
Spotify reports a 1,400% spike in streams of both “Going Through Changes” and Black Sabbath’s original since the news of Ozzy’s passing broke.
In a tragic twist, the lyrics that once represented personal demons now read like a eulogy:
“I’m going through changes, I’m going through changes…”
“I lock myself in the bedroom, bathing in tears…”
“I just can’t keep living this way…”
🖤 Two Survivors, One Song
Eminem and Ozzy were both known for living on the edge — and coming back. Drugs, controversy, rock bottoms, comebacks. They weren’t just musicians. They were survivors.
“Ozzy made pain sound like poetry,” Eminem once said in a backstage interview. “He didn’t just sing it — he lived it. That’s what made him real.”
Their shared legacy in “Going Through Changes” now feels like more than a song — it’s a testament to how pain, no matter the genre, can be transformed into something healing.
🎤 A Legacy That Will Echo Forever
As fans continue to mourn Ozzy and celebrate his vast catalog — from Paranoid to No More Tears — many are calling for a re-release of “Going Through Changes” with a visual tribute, or even a live orchestral performance in honor of Ozzy’s life.
There is already buzz of Eminem preparing a surprise tribute at an upcoming Detroit concert, possibly re-performing the track live for the first time since 2010.
And whether or not that happens, the legacy of Ozzy Osbourne — and his unexpected but unforgettable place in hip-hop history — is now forever etched into a moment of musical history that no one saw coming.
“Going Through Changes” wasn’t just a sample.
It was a cry for help. A hymn of survival.
And now, it’s a farewell.
Rest in Power, Ozzy Osbourne (1948–2025).
