Ozzy Osbourne 's musical partnership with Zakk Wylde has yielded beautiful results over more than three decades together. The song that earned Ozzy his first solo Grammy, for example, was born from a silly joke by the guitarist.
It was during the recording of the classic No More Tears (1991) and, as Wylde recounted in an interview with Guitar World , transcribed by Brave Words , the band was having fun jamming.
Without any pretension, Wylde began playing the riff now known as the one from the song "I Don't Wanna Change The World" and proposed the following game to his colleagues: during each pause in the guitar, someone should say something into the microphone. The phrases had a derogatory tone, such as "Do this so you never get a date" or "I don't have a job and I live with my parents.".
READ ALSO: Zakk Wylde got revenge on Ozzy Osbourne with a disgusting prank: "What's that horrible stench?"
The band continued this joke for some time. According to Zakk Wylde , the band members would laugh hysterically at each new phrase, and he would play the same riff again after each new statement.
This little game held little interest for Ozzy Osbourne. When the Madman entered the room where the musicians were gathered, it wasn't to offer his own contribution to the pastime. "What is that? That thing you're playing. That riff," he questioned.
The guitarist explained that it was just a joke, but Ozzy had other plans. "We're going to use that," the vocalist replied. The riff was transformed into the second track on that album and won the Grammy for Best Metal Performance with Vocals at the 1993 awards ceremony, the first of three awards – and eight nominations – for the Prince of Darkness.
READ ALSO: Ozzy Osbourne recalls the last time he spoke with Lemmy and the tour they did together in Brazil.