Shot In The Dark - Ozzy Osbourne

Artist: Ozzy Obsourne
Song: Shot In The Dark
Year: 1986
Album: The Ultimate Sin

This album is full of legal troubles. This song is one of the hot bed issues. The "writer" of the song, Phil Soussan, seems to have stolen the song from his previous band, Wildlife. It would be one thing if he had actually written the original version but Steve and Chris Overland, of Wildlife, actually wrote the original piece.

This was Ozzy's biggest solo hit and a concert favorite. Ozzy reportedly found out about the original version in 1992 and immediately stopped playing the song in concert. This was also Ozzy's best selling album, up to that point. After the 1995 reissue, the album has not been reprinted, unlike the rest of the catalogue.

"Shot In The Dark" is a pretty standard hit from the mid-eighties metal scene. It's a decent song and I can definitely see why it was a hit back then. It's catchy and has a good melody. Pair that with a video that was played all over MTV and you've got a good size hit on your hands.

The video is pretty laughable today. A girls night out on the town. The girls all have the high hair and the requisite denim and leather outfits. The driver, while obviously female, reminds me of Axl Rose from that period. They're bored and see an Ozzy billboard, so they find themselves at his concert. Then a girl is possessed by the music. Ozzy is in his chunky grandmother perm phase and the Overland brothers still haven't seen a penny to my knowledge.

Lyrics:
Out on the streets I'm stalking the night
I can hear my heavy breathing
Paid for the kill, but it doesn't seem right
Something there I can't believe in
Voices are calling from inside my head
I can hear them, I can hear them
Vanishing memories of things that were said
They can't try to hurt me now

But a shot in the dark
One step away from you
Just a shot in the dark
Always creeping up on you
All right

Taught by the powers that preach over me
I can hear their empty reasons
I wouldn't listen, I learned how to fight
I opened up my mind to treason
But just like the wounded, and when it's too late
They'll remember, they'll surrender
Never a care for the people who hate
Underestimate me now

But a shot in the dark
One step away from you
Just a shot in the dark
Nothing that you can do
Just a shot in the dark
Always creeping up on you
All right

But just like the wounded, and when it's too late
They'll remember, they'll surrender
Never a care for the people who hate
Underestimate me now

But a shot in the dark
One step away from you
Just a shot in the dark
Nothing that you can do
Just a shot in the dark
Always creeping up on you
All right

Just a shot in the dark
Just a shot in the dark
Just a shot in the dark
Just a shot in the dark