Mama, I'm Coming Home by Ozzy Osbourne

Album: No More Tears (1991)

Charted: 45 28

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"Mama, I'm Coming Home" is about Ozzy's wife, Sharon. They met when her father, Don Arden, was managing Ozzy's group Black Sabbath. After they married, Sharon bought out Ozzy's contract and became his manager. Known for her tenacity, business acumen and for always looking out for Ozzy, she established Ozzfest, which brought metal to the masses.
Ozzy wrote this song with his guitarist, Zakk Wylde. In the liner notes for the 1997 compilation The Ozzman Cometh, he wrote, "I had been walking around with the melody in my head for a couple of years but never got a chance to finish it until I was working with Zakk on the No More Tears album. At that time Zakk and I were doing a lot of writing on the piano. 'Mama, I'm Coming Home' was always something I'd say on the phone to my wife near the end of a tour."
Ozzy gave up drugs and alcohol before recording this song. He credited Sharon for the lifestyle change, and said he would have died young if he did not turn sober.
Lemmy Kilmister from the group Motörhead wrote the lyric; it's one of four songs he co-wrote on the album, along with "I Don't Want To Change The World," "Desire," and "Hellraiser."

Lemmy wrote the words for "Mama" in less than two hours one afternoon. "He'd written me three sets of lyrics," marveled Ozzy to Mojo. "He just writes them as if he's writing a message. And it's like, 'He wrote this in how long? 'And they're not good lyrics – they're f--king amazing lyrics."
The No More Tears album, and this song in particular, brought out the sensitive and vulnerable side of Ozzy. The album is lighter and more reflective than anything he had done before, and was his first without a sinister title like The Ultimate Sin, Diary of a Madman, or Talk Of The Devil.

Fans had no problem with this new sound, and neither did rock radio, which played it alongside his much heavier staples. The album sold over 4 million copies in America and gave Ozzy a foothold in the '90s as the rare aging rocker (he was 42) that could still produce hits.
"Mama" was Ozzy's pet name for his wife Sharon. He also referred to her as "Mama" in his 1981 song "Flying High Again" and his 2001 song "Running Out of Time."
Aside from "Close My Eyes Forever," a duet he did with Lita Ford in 1989, "Mama, I'm Coming Home" is Ozzy's only US Top 40 hit.
Zakk Wylde has said that the guitar solo in this song is so easy, he could play it in his sleep. He means that as a compliment - in his Songfacts interview, he said that some of his favorite songs (many of which are rock classics) - are very simple structurally.
The video, which stars a very sepia-toned Ozzy, was one of the first directed by Samuel Bayer, who also did Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" around this time.
Zakk Wylde wrote the music on a piano and worked up the song with Ozzy on that instrument, but when it came time to record it, he had a brainstorm and tried transposing it to 12-string guitar - a staple of folk rock. Surprisingly, it worked, and that's how he recorded it. That guitar intro makes the song instantly identifiable.
The first Gulf War started in 1991 months before this song was released. Many soldiers are big Ozzy fans, and some made an intimate connection to this song. "We heard that the GIs were sending that song to their wives," Ozzy said in notes for the album's 2021 reissue. "Soldiers still love that song."
Carrie Underwood covered "Mama, I'm Coming Home" for her 2022 Apple Music Sessions EP, which she recorded exclusively for the streaming service. "I have always been an Ozzy Osbourne fan and 'Mama, I'm Coming Home' is one of my all-time favorite songs," Underwood said. "I've always thought it felt a lot like a country song, and I've wanted to cover it for a long time."

The country music queen has dipped her toes into hard rock water before. Underwood joined Guns N' Roses onstage for two songs during each of their July 1 and 2, 2022 shows in London to perform "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City" with the band.
Jelly Roll sang "Mama, I'm Coming Home" for Osbourne's 2024 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction as a solo artist (he was inducted in 2006 as part of Black Sabbath).
"Mama, I'm Coming Home" is one of those songs that got more profound as Ozzy got older. He included it at his last show, the "Back To The Beginning" concert on July 5, 2025 in Birmingham, England, which served as a send-off for both Ozzy and Black Sabbath, whose original four members reunited for the occasion. By this time Ozzy was suffering from Parkinson's disease and didn't have much vocal prowess, but the weariness of his 76 hard years came through in the song in the same way Joni Mitchell's later performances of "Both Sides, Now" became more reflective and very emotional.

Ozzy died on July 22, 2025, just 17 days after his farewell performance. "Mama, I'm Coming Home" serves as his epitaph.

Comments: 25

Chris Ca from UsaJason from Wylie, Tx its "speak of the devil not talk of the devil”
Except in the UK where it was released as “Talk of the Devil”
Tmc from AzThe beginning notes of the song were from a song from a duo in approximately 1986. I seen the video on MTV. A man and a woman. The man played an acoustic guitar and was sitting on a chair of some kind. The woman stood beside him. Does anyone else remember this?
Dk from IowaDoes anybody know the name of the car used in the music video?
Deanna from AnchorageI'm obsessed with the Ozbourne family! I just love them! Ozzy Rules!
Jodie from XxJeff Southington, Ct, Ozzy does not have songs with satanic messages in it.
Josh from Detroit, MiSharon is probably the worst thing to happen to metal. Despite turning Ozzy into a reality TV laughing stock, she is also infamous for screwing over the very people who are responsible for Ozzy surviving the Black Sabbath breakup. She refuses to pay Bob Daisley, who wrote the lyrics on the first four Ozzy albums, and Randy Rhoad's mom had to sue to get the money she was owed after Randy's death. She is the Yoko Ono of heavy metal.
Jason from Denver, CoOzzy IS the President and Sharon IS the First Lady of Heavy Metal! That IS NOT negotiable.
James from Vidalia, GaI haven't had a lot of access to Ozzy's tunes over the years. In the early 90s I was doing mornings at a CHR station when this came out. My thought was "Oh! This is how Ozzy Osbourne sings?" I liked it. Im now a huge fan of the family and Ozzy's music thanks to this song and the zany reality show they did. Sharon deserved to have a great song like this sung about her. She kept everyone moving along while battling cancer. Sharon had a knack for humor on that show too. I was always anticipating what she'd do next.
Jessica from Wapanucka, OkI love the song that ozzy song mama i'm coming home. that is what they played when my best friend died.. every time i lestin to it i cry..............
Cristina from Long Beach, Cai think this song is one of the songs that makes one major hit and then everyone still likes it after all that time... i think he wants to say that he will come home no matter what his mom did even if she lied that song had alot of meaning to it... specially for him
Jackie from Lowell, Inhey there yeah im a really big ozzy fan. i have just about all of his cds. ozzy if ur listening u rock dude. YEAH!
Spencer from Mcbride, Canadaaweosme song, ozzy has a very errie kind of voice, but can make it so soft. Great guitar playing by Zakk Wylde
Rick from Humboldt, Iai think the guitar in this is used in the weird al song "the night santa went crazy"
Joshua from Twin Cities, MnIf I remember correctly, "No More Tears" was originally supposed to be Ozzy's final album (he was planning to retire as a recording artist), and so this song also was meant as a sort of farewell. Obviously he later reconsidered, even dubbing his comeback tour the "Retirement Sucks" tour.
Jeff from Sothington, Cti love this song...i belive the solo has a lot of power to it..i think zak wildde is ozzy's best guitarist with the exeption of Rhandy Rhodes. this is how i like ozzy singing what he feels instead of satanic messages (thats still cool but i like the softer ozzy songs like see you on the other side, in my life (cover), dreamer, goodbye to romance, changes, and this of cource. this song has a lot of meaning and to be honest i thought it was a break-up song and that he was goin home...to visit his mothers grave or somthing...but i think that the songs he writes about sharon are the best.
Ravyn from Hell, Ny"A lot of people think the song is about my Mum, but it's actually about Sharon".
- Ozzy

Mama is also his nick-name for Sharon
Altin from Kathmandu, Alaltin is next guitarist after zack
Mai Trang from Helsinki, FranceI have thought that the song is about one soldier coming back after the war, and feels regretful for his time in battlefield....
so funny....
Shana from Pembroke, CanadaI love this song, it makes me sad...but so great
Brittny from Baton Rouge, Laozzy osbourne is awesome. even though he did all those drugs when he was younger.. he's still an awesome person!!!!
Jess from Stephentown, NySpeak of The Devil is what the record is called in the US. Talk of the Devil is what the record is called in the UK. Ozzy was so emotional when Randy Rhodes died he just put out a bogus record to make the reocrders happy. He soon took the album off the shelves.
Jason from Wylie, Txits speak of the devil not talk of the devil
Joseph from Manteca, CaOzzy would sing to to Sharon, I think on the phone, when he was away on tour
Terri Lynn from Heart's Desire, Canadathis song has a lot of meaning for me... the lyrics are so powerful and the tune itself is beautiful. a real personal fav' and one of Ozzy's best.
Chris from Hamilton, New ZealandOzzys best. No doubt

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