The Dark Truth Behind “Changes”

If you are scrolling through TikTok right now, you have probably heard Ozzy Osbourne’s

ballad "Changes." It is trending again, with millions of users using it as the soundtrack for

their "glow-ups" or heartbreaking romantic montages. Most people know this song from the

2003 duet Ozzy recorded with his daughter, Kelly Osbourne, which turned it into a sweet father-daughter

anthem. But there is a much darker, sadder truth behind these lyrics that

most fans don't know—and it has nothing to do with Kelly or Sharon. To understand the

real meaning, we have to go back to 1972. Before Sharon, there was Thelma.

Thelma Riley was Ozzy’s first wife, a woman who stood by him before he was a global icon.