The Story Behind the Song Ozzy Osbourne Co-Wrote for Black Sabbath Bandmate Tony Iommi’s Solo Debut

In 2000, after nearly four decades of playing and writing in bands, from Black Sabbath and Heaven & Hell and other collaborations, guitarist Tony Iommi released his debut solo album. Iommi featured contributions from Billy Idol, late Type-O Negative frontman Peter Steele, Dave Grohl, Ian Astbury, Pantera’s Phil Anselmo, Serj Tankian, Billy Corgan, Skin, and Henry Rollins, who each sang on their respective tracks, among other guests, including Brian May, drummer Matt Cameron, Soundgarden bassist Ben Shepherd, and more.

“The idea of that came up well before we actually did it,” said Iommi of the album. “The original idea was to do an album with Robert Plant and the people from my generation, and that fizzled out because of all the different things. And when it came up again to do it with different vocalists and different musicians, I thought it was great to be able to play with younger musicians and just see how everybody else would treat it.”

Iommi continued, “And I enjoyed doing that, it was good to play with different people and different drummers and different bass players and different singers.”

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“Who’s Fooling Who”

Along with producer Bob Marlette, Iommi also co-wrote a song with Sabbath bandmate Ozzy Osbourne: “Who’s Fooling Who.” The track was a partial Sabbath reunion, also featuring Bill Ward on drums and bassist Laurence Cottle, who played on Black Sabbath’s 1989 album Headless Cross.

Opening on a bell tolling, Ward’s drums march in, and Iommi enters with an ominous riff before Osbourne’s vocals hit. Lyrically, the song revolves around the disillusionment and questioning of government, the reality and atrocities of war—Watch the soldiers marching / They don’t march for you or me / They’re just there to kill the enemy.

Is the end beginning
Apocalyptic thoughts of doom
They tell us not to fear
It’s far too soon

Addicted to predictions
Were the tarots wrong or right
Will I wake tomorrow
And see the light

Watch your mother die, and then tell us not to fight
Don’t you realize, they’re just a bunch of fools
Speak the truth and lie, and expect us to believe
Tell me who is fooling who

Watch the soldiers marching
They don’t march for you or me
They’re just there to kill the enemy

‘Patient Number 9’

Iommi and Osbourne paired up again on Osbourne’s 2022 solo album Patient Number 9.

The album, which went to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and won a Grammy for Best Rock Album, features Iommi playing on two tracks, “No Escape From Now,” which he also co-wrote, and “Degradation Rules.”

Photo: Tony Iommi (l) and Ozzy Osbourne during Black Sabbath press conference at The Whisky a Go Go on November 11, 2011, in West Hollywood, California. (Lester Cohen/WireImage)