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Ozzy Osbourne - Mr. Crowley - Live 1981 (with Randy Rhoads)




This song is about Aleister Crowley, a British practitioner of black magic in the early 1900s. Known as "The Wickedest Man Alive," Jimmy Page based some of the Led Zeppelin album covers on his work.


It was first released on Osbourne's debut solo album Blizzard of Ozz in September 1980 in the United Kingdom, and then a live version of the song was released as a single in November 1980. The song was written by Osbourne, guitarist Randy Rhoads, and bass guitarist/lyricist Bob Daisley.


The song helped Ozzy play up his mock-Satanic image, which he often did for effect. This his something he did in his band Black Sabbath, who likened their music to horror movies.

Ozzy mispronounces Crowley's last name. It is in fact pronounced with the first syllable sounding like "crow" in English.





Lyrics


Mister Crowley What went down in your head? Oh, Mister Crowley Did you talk to the dead?

Your lifestyle to me seems so tragic With the thrill of it all You fooled all the faithful with magic Yeah, you waited on Satan's call

Mister charming Did you think you were pure? Mister alarming In nocturnal rapport

Uncovering things that were sacred Manifest on this earth Oh, conceived in the eye of a secret Yeah, they scattered the afterbirth

Mister Crowley Won't you ride my white horse? Mister Crowley It's symbolic, of course

Approaching a time that is classic I hear that maiden's call Approaching a time that is drastic Standing with their backs to the wall

Was it polemically sent? I wanna know what you meant I wanna know I wanna know what you meant, yeah!



Songwriters: O. Osbourne / R. Rhoads / R. Daisley Mr. Crowley lyrics © Blizzard Music Ltd., Kord Music, Blizzard Music Limited, BLIZZARD MUSIC LTD




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