In a recent interview with Metal Hammer, legendary Slayer guitarist Kerry King revealed one of his favorite songs by the Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne. To the surprise of many, it’s not a classic hit like Crazy Train or No More Tears, but a much more obscure track: Mr. Tinkertrain.
A surprising and personal choice
Asked by Metal Hammer about his favorite Ozzy Osbourne song, Kerry King didn’t hesitate for long before choosing Mr. Tinkertrain, a lesser-known track from his 1991 solo album, No More Tears. “There’s a whole history behind Ozzy, starting with Black Sabbath, but I love some of his more abstract solo songs, the ones you rarely hear on the radio.”he explained before adding: “I really like Mr. Tinkertrain!”
This song opens the album No More Tears and, although it was released as a promotional single in 1992, it has rarely been performed live. According to the archives of the site setlist.fm, Ozzy only performed it once, in October 1991. This lack of performances could be explained by the disturbing lyrics of the song, which address a particularly dark subject: pedophilia. The lyrics are written from the point of view of a character who stalks and tries to seduce a young girl, a theme that leaves no one indifferent.
Also read: Black Label Society presents its new single: The Gallows
“A strange subject, but a super heavy song”
Kerry King highlighted the seriousness of the subject matter addressed in the song, while expressing his admiration for the title: “It’s a really weird topic for anyone, but especially for Ozzy, and that song is super heavy. Every time I hear it on the radio, I’m like, ‘Yeah! I’m glad they’re playing that instead of Crazy Train!’”. With his characteristic humor, King said the atypical nature of the piece makes it all the more special to him.
In 1992, Ozzy himself described Mr. Tinkertrain as a song about a “pervert,” claiming that the song’s central character was a parody of American television host and producer Mr. Rogers. While controversial, the track demonstrates a thematic boldness that still resonates with fans like King nearly 30 years after its release.
