OZZY Says 'Crucify The Dead' Lyrics Are What He Would Say To AXL ROSE If He Were SLASH

Ozzy Osbourne was one of the featured guests on the recently released solo album from former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash. The Prince of Darkness sings on a track called "Crucify The Dead" and as Ozzy told VH1 Radio Networks' Dave Basner, the legendary BLACK SABBATH frontman helped with the lyrics, too. In fact, Osbourne says the song is about what he would tell GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose if he were in Slash's shoes.

"Slash sent me the music of it and I worked on the melody and some lyrics for him and what I did with the lyrics, I thought, what's always gotten me about the GUNS N' ROSES guys and I say to Slash all the time, 'Do you realize what you guys did? You'll never understand. You guys could've been the next ROLLING STONES, the next superband,'" Ozzy said. "And what I wrote in the song, 'Crucify The Dead', is if I were Slash, what I would send in a message to Axl.

"I've never met Axl but I would be pissed off and the lyrics are about that."

In a recent interview, Slash denied that the "Crucify The Dead" lyrics had anything to do with Axl, explaining, "It was an Ozzy thing. He says the song represents the situation he's had in his relationships with other musicians."

Slash continued, "Yes, there were some key lines in there that were very suggestive of my own experience — but, no, this is just an overall picture of the issues."

"Crucify The Dead" lyrics (written by Ozzy Osbourne):

The fire started long ago
The flames burned out, still embers glow
So charred and black
There's nothing left to burn, to burn

We had the same dream
Lived life to extreme
A loaded gun jammed by a rose

The thorns are knots around your head
Your ego cursed you till you bled
You cannot crucify the dead
To me you're dead, yeah

The future is unset in stone
Decisions past leave you alone
Betrayed us all with your own selfish greed, your greed, yeah

New soldiers now say
That your beggars collect
Re-crucified and paid by you

The thorns are knots around your head
Your ego cursed you till you bled
You cannot crucify the dead
To me you're dead, yeah

We were like brothers with the world in our hands
You always have too much to say
Someday you look back and you wonder why
You let it all slip away, yeah

[Solo]

Crucify the dead
Crucify the dead

The thorns are knots around your head
Your ego cursed you till you bled
You cannot crucify the dead
To me you're dead, yeah