Is “Crack Cocaine” just a metaphor or is it based on any experiences with the drug?
BILLY: The song is 100% about how certain relationships can FEEL like an addiction. It’s nothing whatsoever to do with the drug! It’s a comparison. Ozzy is talking about being in that dysfunctional situation with a partner that feels so wrong, but you keep going back again and again. “Loving you is driving me insane. I put you down and pick you up again” – it’s exactly like a drug addiction.
Of all the songs you had for this album, why did you bring this one to Ozzy to finish and sing on?
BILLY: Purely based on the riff. When Steve and I wrote the music, it was clear to both of us that it was classic Ozzy – that ONLY Ozzy could sing this one. Once he threw his vocal down, it was obvious that it could never have been anyone else.
Steve is also a co-writer on the song and plays on it with you. What do you feel that Steve has added to it?
BILLY: The song would not have happened without Steve. It was a total collaboration from start to finish. We both sat together, playing riffs, and his ability to arrange those riffs into a cohesive song is fantastic. The solo is just pure classic Stevens, and we wrote and recorded it all in his studio, so he was hands on at every stage. He didn’t ADD to the song, he CREATED the song with me.
How amazing that Paris Jackson appears in the video. How did that materialize and what do you feel her presence adds to the video?
BILLY: Paris was so sweet to even agree to do the video. We wanted someone to play the woman that Ozzy is singing about, and we had a mutual friend who facilitated the introduction. I was honest with her and said that we were doing the whole thing homegrown, no huge record company budget and luckily she’s a huge rock fan and wanted to be a part of it. She brought the sense of glamour and beauty to the video that we wanted.
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