Released September 1972 Genre Piano rock Label Warner Bros. | Recorded 1972 Length 4:43 | |
Writer(s) Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward | ||
"Changes" is a song by Black Sabbath. It first appeared on Vol. 4 which was released in 1972.
Contents
Overview
The song's piano melody was composed by guitarist Tony Iommi, who was experimenting with the instrument in the studio. "Changes" is a ballad inspired mainly by Bill Ward's ongoing breakup with his first wife. The lyrics were composed by bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne has referred to the song as "heartbreaking". The song was quite different from Black Sabbath's previous songs, given that this one was a "forlornly pretty" ballad, according to music critic Barney Hoskyns.
The song was not performed live until 1995, with Tony Martin on vocals.
Personnel (original version)
Other versions
The song has been covered by numerous artists, including The Cardigans, Fudge Tunnel and Overkill. In 1993, Ozzy Osbourne (Black Sabbath's lead vocalist) re-recorded the song himself as a single (taken from the Live & Loud album). The single peaked at number 9 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, but failed to chart in the UK. The opening track from UNKLE's second album Never, Never, Land featured a prominent sample from the chorus and loops of the mellotron.
Eminem samples this song for his track "Going Through Changes" from his 2010 album Recovery.
Nashville garage rock band JEFF the Brotherhood covered "Changes" on their 2012 album Hypnotic Nights.
American soul singer Charles Bradley covered "Changes" on a 2013 single released on Daptone Records' Dunham label. Bradley's version become the title track of his 2016 album Changes.
Ozzy and Kelly Osbourne version
Three decades later, Ozzy recorded yet another version of the song, this time with his daughter, Kelly Osbourne as a duet. The revised lyrics for this version, released in 2003, reflect the moments of their life together. The single reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart. It also reached No. 1 on the Kerrang! UK Download Chart.
According to the Ozzy Osbourne official website, the single sold over one million copies.
This version of the song, was named #27 of the "50 Worst Songs of the '00s" in a 2009 Village Voice article.
Tracks
- "Changes"
- "Changes" (Felix Da Housecat Remix)
- "Come Dig Me Out" (live)
Sales accomplishments
BPI certification (United Kingdom)