The Terrys have paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne with an emotional cover of Black Sabbath’s “Changes” for Like a Version.
The cover arrives just weeks after Osbourne’s passing, honouring the legendary singer who helped define heavy metal. Lead vocalist Jacob Finch pours his heart out on the 1972 single, backed by a somber acoustic arrangement and reverb-heavy steel string that builds toward a soul-stirring crescendo.
The Gerringong-born band said it was an easy decision to honour the legendary musician.
“We chose to cover ‘Changes’ for a tribute to Ozzy, it just felt like we had to do it, you know,” Finch told triple j.
He added that of all the Black Sabbath tracks to perform, “Changes” was the one that not only fit their beach-rock style but also the emotional weight of the cover.
“We couldn’t just cover like ‘Iron Man’ or something cuz we’re not like we’re not that kind of band,” said Finch. “This was the one, this was always going to be the one for sure.”
“It’s one of those tracks, (that) gets you right in the heart … if I’m singing and I just start thinking about what I’m saying, you can kind of get lost in the moment. It’s nice.”
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Drummer Cameron Cooper added that Osbourne was a trailblazer for an era of “raw rock and roll energy.”
“It paved the way for a lot of bands at the time … we look up to those sort of guys,” he added.
They both revealed the band were “terrified” tackling the song, with the likes of Young Blood and Charles Bradley also releasing covers of the iconic track.
The pair disagreed on whether Osbourne would’ve approved of their take, with Cooper admitted that he “probably wouldn’t like it.”
“He would be looking up from hell, I reckon he’d be proud,” responded Finch, adding: “I reckon he’d be stoked, I hope so.”
