Black Sabbath Ozzy Osbourne snorting cocaine in the 1970s
“Whether you can believe him or not, the record cost, I think, $65,000, and the cocaine bill was $75,000.”
— Geezer Butler, about the recording of Black Sabbath Volume 4 in 1972
Black Sabbath’s fourth studio album, Black Sabbath Volume 4, is considered a legendary heavy metal album, and one of the tracks that stands out is the song Snowblind. The song’s lyrics and meaning have been a topic of discussion for years, and the provided search results shed some light on its significance during the album’s recording in 1972.
According to Songfacts, Snowblind Friend is actually a song by Hoyt Axton, which Steppenwolf covered on their Steppenwolf 7 album. The song tells the story of Axton’s friend, whose drug abuse ultimately led to his death. Black Sabbath’s Snowblind, on the other hand, was inspired by the band’s own experiences with cocaine during their rise to success in the early 1970s.
In LA Weekly’s interview with Black Sabbath’s drummer Bill Ward, he explains that the song Snowblind was about their experiences with cocaine while recording the album. The song’s haunting melody and lyrics paint a vivid picture of the destructive effects of drug abuse. The band members were caught in a cycle of drug use and excess that was fueling their creativity but also endangering their lives. Snowblind was a warning to themselves and others about the dangers of drug addiction.
In a Rolling Stone interview with Black Sabbath’s frontman Ozzy Osbourne, he reflects on the meaning behind the song Snowblind. He explains that the band wrote the song because they believed that their success was linked to their drug use. However, they soon realized that their addiction was their worst enemy, and they needed to break free from its grip. Snowblind was a way for the band to confront their demons and take control of their lives.
In conclusion, Snowblind is a powerful song with a deep meaning that speaks to the destructive nature of drug addiction. During the recording of Black Sabbath Volume 4 in 1972, the band members were struggling with their own addiction to cocaine, and the song was a reflection of their experiences. Snowblind serves as a warning about the dangers of drug abuse and a testament to the band’s determination to overcome their addiction and create music that would stand the test of time.
COCAINE
Eventually we started to wonder where the fuck all the coke was coming from…I’m telling you: that coke was the whitest, purest, strongest stuff you could ever imagine. One sniff, and you were king of the universe.
“We were the kings of the planet” Ozzy Osbourne about the loose deadline and infinite drugs surrounding the recording of their masterpiece, Black Sabbath Vol 4.
The album was supposed to be named Snowblind but the record company executives didn’t wanted to tell with the potential controversy of such a title.
However, as you can see on the back cover of the album. Black Sabbath not so subtly thanked “the great COKE-Cola Company of Los Angeles”.
“We wish to thank the great COKE-Cola Company of Los Angeles”
“We wrote ‘Snowblind’ because it was the most amazing discovery of our lives”
— Ozzy Osbourne
Black Sabbath – Snowblind
Lyrics
What you get and what you see Things that don’t come easily Feeling happy in my pain Icicles within my brain (cocaine)
Something blowing in my head Winds of ice that soon will spread Down to freeze my very soul Makes me happy, makes me cold
My eyes are blind, but I can see The snowflakes glisten on the trees The sun no longer sets me free I feel the snowflakes freezing me
Let the winter sun shine on Let me feel the frost of dawn Build my dreams on flakes of snow Soon I’ll feel the chilling glow
Right
Don’t you think I know what I’m doing Don’t tell me that it’s doing me wrong You’re the one that’s really the loser This is where I feel I belong
Crystal world with winter flowers Turn my days to frozen hours Lying snowblind in the sun Will my ice age ever come?