Billy Morrison Swears His Collab with Ozzy Titled “Crack Cocaine” Isn’t About Drugs
If there’s one thing the world knows about legendary vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, it’s that he had one hell of a time with drugs for a long ass time. So when he was tapped by Billy Idol guitarist Billy Morrison for a brand new solo single and the world saw the resulting track was named “Crack Cocaine,” I’m sure pretty much everyone thought “yeah, that tracks.”
Yet according to a recent interview with Classic Rock, it turns out that assumption would indeed make an ass out of you and me, as Morrison suggests it’s actually a love song. Well, in a manner of speaking anyway.
“The music was a direct result of sitting in a room with Steve, both with de-tuned guitars and writing what we felt was an ultimate Ozzy riff. From there we brought Ozzy over and 90% of the lyrics came from him. Ozzy suddenly stood up and sang ‘Like Crack Cocaine!’ We looked at each other and knew we had the title!
“The song is 100% about how certain relationships can feel like an addiction. It’s nothing whatsoever to do with the drug! It’s a comparison – it’s exactly like a drug addiction.”
The single is the latest to be revealed ahead of the release of Morrison’s third solo album The Morrison Project, which is due out on April 19. It’s also the first new song featuring Ozzy since the 2022 release of Patient Number 9. The track also features Billy Idol lead guitarist Steve Stevens.
“Billy and I discussed what an Ozzy fan would really love to hear. We zeroed in on the ‘90’s-era Ozzy – the truly heavy stuff. Obviously, as a guitarist, to contribute to an Ozzy song is like a kid in a candy store. He’s played with such an amazing array of guitarists that I tried my best to honour that tradition.”