Goodbye To Romance by Ozzy Osbourne

Album: Blizzard of Ozz (1980)

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This song is about Ozzy's split from Black Sabbath. After recording seven albums with the group, he left the group after a nasty spat with their guitarist Tony Iommi. It was an emotional time for Ozzy, and he was not sure he would be successful on his own. He ended up selling a lot more records as a solo artist than the version of Sabbath that carried on without him. He also became an unlikely media mogul, with his own festival (Ozzfest), reality TV show (The Osbournes) and column in Rolling Stone ("Ask Dr. Ozzy").

Ozzy would reunite with Sabbath several times, including a Live Aid appearance. Ozzy's wife and manager, Sharon, said that he would miss his Sabbath mates when he played without them.
Osbourne wrote this song with bass player Bob Daisley and guitarist Randy Rhoads. Daisley wrote the lion's share of the lyrics for the Blizzard of Ozz album, but Osbourne came up with the title for this one and some of the lines. Daisley says that he filled in the rest of the words, writing them to encourage Ozzy and help him look forward to his post-Sabbath career. In our interview with Daisley, he said: "Ozzy was fairly easy to work with. He was a bit down at first, because he'd just been fired from Black Sabbath and he was depressed and he was unsure of himself. It really damaged his confidence, being fired from Black Sabbath."
The title came from a line in the 1957 Everly Brothers song "Bye Bye Love":

She was my baby till he stepped in
Goodbye to romance that might have been

Ozzy was big fan of early Pop acts like the Everly Brothers. The Beatles were one of his favorites.
Blizzard of Ozz was supposed to be the name of Ozzy's band, not just the name of the album. Bob Daisley and Randy Rhoads viewed it as an equal collaboration, and musically it was, with all three co-writing the songs for the album (drummer Lee Kerslake joined after the songs were written). When the album was issued, however, it was credited just to Ozzy, or at least it appeared that way from the packaging, which showed only Osbourne on the cover and his name in large print.

The next album, Diary of a Madman, followed the same pattern, with all four musicians writing the songs but the disc released as an Ozzy solo effort. Daisley did more work with Osbourne but later sued over credits and royalties. Rhoads, who was a creative force on those two albums, died in a plane crash while the band was touring in Florida in 1982. He was just 25 when he died.
"Goodbye To Romance" was included on the 1987 double-album Tribute, which is a tribute to Rhoads. Ozzy chose live cuts with the help of Rhoads' mom for the album.
This was one of four songs Ozzy and his band recorded as a demo for their label, Jet Records. Some of these demos and outtakes are still in the possession of Bob Daisley, and have never been released.

Comments: 26

Ian Lightning from Santa Cruz, CaThe chorus sounds a lot like Hello to Romance by the Hollies which was released 2 years earlier in 1978. Hard to believe that wouldn't have been an influence.
Zach from Detroit Sad day but rr isn’t the best guitarist ever ! Man it sucks he died put him up 60’s page from zeppelin Eric Clapton Ed Van Halen. I'm tired but there's so many more out there look at that ausi kid?
Ashley from Moravia, NyI love this song! I grew up lisening to Ozzy! When ever Im bord i just remember this song! I know the lyrics!
Thom from New Orleans, Laexcuse typo at end of previous... i meant to say that Ozzy should know by now that karma begins and ends in love, and i don't think Rhoads would approve of Osbourne's mistreatment of Daisley. Somehow that whole sentence was deleted.
Thom from New Orleans, LaI don't understand why Ozzy continues to take Bob Daisley for granted and treats him as if he does not exist. Bob Daisley deserves better. Why the hatred toward the brilliant artist who composed Ozzy Osbourne's music and lyrics and who, along with Randy Rhoads and Lee Kerslake, handed him his solo career on a platinum, jewel-studded plate? Why the hate? Ozzy should know by now think Randy Rhoads would approve. It's on the record that Lee Kerslake does not approve, either.
Jeff from Casa Grande, AzI am dissappointed to hear that Ozzy may or may not have written this eloquent song. I've played it a thousand times and it never gets old. Randy's solo sounds like trumpets from heaven. Short, but oh so sweet. BTW: if you like this song, take a gander at Van Morrison's "Brand New Day," off of his MOONDANCE album. Phenomenal.
Vic from Melbourne, AustraliaFACT: Ozzy DID NOT write any of the lyrics for any of the songs (this one included) on those first two albums with Randy & Bob.
FACT: Randy and Bob together wrote the music for most of the songs with Ozzy coming up with the odd melody.
FACT: Bob wrote ALL the lyrics.
Josh from Detroit, MiOzzy did NOT write these lyrics. He came up with the basic melody to the song, and Randy Rhoads worked with him to turn it into a full song. Bob Daisley wrote the lyrics, possibly inspired by Ozzy being sad over the Black Sabbath break-up.
Mp from Toronto, OnCkathy, you are right on the money. People need to understand that Geezer wrote almost all the lyrics while Ozzy was in Black Sabbath, and Bob Daisley wrote all his solo lyrics up until No More Tears. Daisley had submitted lyrics to the NMT album, but Sharon was too friggin cheap to pay him, so they scrapped them and went with their own modified versions of them. They thanked Daisley by crediting Mike Inez as a bassist on the album and in the promotional videos, even though he didn't play a single note on it.
Stephanie from Ripley, WvRANDY RHOADS is the best guitarist hands down.no other guitarist even competes with his neo clasasical/heavy metal style of his own, but the song Goodbye to Romance is not about Randy Rhoads. Ozzy wrote that song after getting kicked out of Black Sabbath and replaced with Ronnie james Dio (Dio), during a depressing stage for ozzy he decided to show that he was succesful and write his own lyrics instead of someone else as(Geezer Butler) did from Black Sabbath.over all Ozzy created this emotional song (Goodbye to Romance) because he missed and loved Black Sabbath.Any Questions
Sergio from Mexicali, Mexico I thinks thats it's about to suicide. Mainly in the part, "What you gonna do?"
Animes from Kathmandu, NeOzzy Osbourne is god. He started metal songs. Randy Rhoads is greatest guitarists ever. If he lived till now, JIMI HENDRIX would be no more called greatest guitarist ever. Randy Rhoads is still greatest guitarist
Ckathy from Glasgow, ScotlandI can't beleive it says this:
"Ozzy did not write most of the Black Sabbath material. When he went solo, he started writing lyrics for his songs. "
Here's what it should say:"
Ozzy did not write most of the Black Sabbath material, Geezer Butler did(Lyricly) . When he went solo,Bob Daisley started writing lyrics for the songs, because Ozzy was too drunk and passed out sleeping behind the drum riser at any given time.
Dave from Syracuse, NyWhen Ozzy performed this on stage during the "Diary" tour, he hung a midget named Ronnie ( as in Ronnie James Dio)and he twirled and twitched above the drummer...very eerie!
John from Rockhampton, AustraliaI have been studying "british metal" bands for a few years and I believe that this is maybe the greatest song that has been performed by John "ozzy" Osbourne. His works after the late great Randall "Randy" Rhoads have not quite had the musical "passion" than the earlier works. My hat goes off to you Ozzy!
Mark from Ann Arbor, Mirandy rhoads was the greatest guitar player ever. Go ahead try and argue with me
Angie from Alton, Ilyour song is very touching.
Derek from Brampton, CanadaThe song is clearly about his breakup with Black Sabbath and Ozzy has stated this many, many times. The song was co-written with Randy so how can it be a tribute to him?
Syd from Merida, MexicoAfter Randy Rhoads dead, Ozzy dedicates this song to Randy everytime he played it live.
Ravyn from Hell, Ny"I was litterally starting from scratch after I was fired from Black Sabbath. This song gave me hope".
-Ozzy Osbourne
Jessica Cantu from C.c, Txthis song makes me cry i love this song i dont know what ill do with out ozzy i love him
Neil from Cumberland, Rihow in the world could this song be a tribute to randy rhoads if randy rhoads wrote the music to it?
Dominic from Pittsburgh, PaOzzy's greatest song . . .
Joe from Houston, TxThis songs kinda gets ya emotional, like "goodbye to friends, well meet in the end"kinda wanna makes me call my friends and throw a get together. its a song like green days good riddance.
Echooes from Atlanta, GaI thought I heard this song was like a tribute to the late gr8 Randy Rhodes...
Jordan Humber from England, EnglandApparently, this was one fo the first songs ever written by Ozzy and Randy Rhodes, and spookily the last song ever performed live by Randy.

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