It was late 1987. A smoky studio in Los Angeles. Two of rock’s most chaotic forces were left alone with a pool table and a mountain of booze. What should have been a disaster turned into a haunting masterpiece.
Most people know Close My Eyes Forever as the ultimate 80s power ballad. It’s the song that features Lita Ford’s soaring vocals and Ozzy Osbourne’s eerie, vulnerable delivery. But the story of how it came to be isn't some polished record label strategy. Honestly, it was a complete accident.
The Night a Pool Game Turned Into a Hit
Lita Ford was at a crossroads in 1987. She had just hired Sharon Osbourne as her manager. This move basically saved her career. Sharon brought Ozzy to the studio while Lita was working on her self-titled album, Lita.
They weren't there to record. They were there to hang out.
Sharon eventually got bored and left the two of them alone. Left to their own devices, Lita and Ozzy did what rock stars did in the 80s: they started drinking. Heavily.
"We were just playing pool," Lita has recalled in several interviews, most notably with Sweetwater. "Then we started making music."
They moved into a tiny, cramped closet-like space in the studio. It had one guitar, one amp, and a keyboard. They stayed in that room until the sun came up. By the time the first light hit the California streets, they had written Close My Eyes Forever. They didn't even realize they had been in there all night.
Why Close My Eyes Forever Still Matters
The song is a bit of an anomaly. For Lita Ford, it was the peak of her solo success, hitting number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. For Ozzy, it was actually the highest-charting single of his entire solo career at the time.
Think about that.
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The man who gave us Crazy Train and Mr. Crowley didn't crack the Top 10 until he sang a duet with the former lead guitarist of The Runaways. It’s a testament to the weird chemistry they had.
The track is famous for its unique guitar work. Lita used a 12-string guitar for the live performances, which gives it that lush, shimmering atmosphere. If you listen closely to the studio version, the chord voicings are clever but simple. Lita admits she doesn't even know what half the chords are called. She just played what felt right. That's rock and roll in a nutshell.
The Lyrics: A Life After Death Vibe?
There’s a darkness to the words that separates this from your typical "I miss you" hair metal ballad. Ozzy was going through a rough patch, struggling with sobriety.
“If I close my eyes forever, will it all remain the same?”
It sounds like a breakup song, but it’s heavier than that. Lita has described it as a "life after death" song. It deals with trust, mortality, and the fear of being forgotten. When Ozzy sings about being buried and whether he'll be loved after he's gone, he isn't just playing a character. He was speaking from a place of genuine uncertainty.
Breaking Down the Production
Producer Mike Chapman—the guy behind hits for Pat Benatar and Blondie—had a tough job. He had to take a song written by two people in a drunken haze and make it radio-ready.
The result was a "goth power ballad."
It has the 80s sheen, sure. The reverb is thick. The drums are massive. But the vocal arrangement is what makes it stick. They didn't just trade verses; they wove their voices together in the chorus in a way that felt desperate and beautiful.
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- The Intro: That backwards-masked 12-string guitar intro sets a mystic tone immediately.
- The Verses: Lita takes the lead, her voice gritty but controlled.
- The Hook: Ozzy’s entry in the chorus is legendary. It’s one of the few times his "Prince of Darkness" persona felt truly fragile.
- The Solo: Lita reminds everyone why she was the lead guitarist for The Runaways. It’s melodic, not just shredding for the sake of it.
The Sharon Osbourne Factor
You can't talk about this song without mentioning Sharon. She wasn't just Ozzy’s wife; she was the architect of Lita Ford’s 1988 comeback.
Lita had been struggling to find her footing after The Runaways. Her earlier solo albums, Out for Blood and Dancin' on the Edge, were okay, but they didn't set the world on fire. Sharon rebranded her. She leaned into the "Glam Metal Queen" image—the big hair, the B.C. Rich Warlock guitar, and the high-heeled boots.
Without Sharon's management, this duet probably never happens. And without this duet, Lita might not have become the household name she is today.
What Most People Get Wrong
People often assume this was a cynical "label-engineered" collaboration. It wasn't.
RCA Records didn't even know it was happening until the song was basically finished. It was a organic moment of two friends—who happened to be connected through Lita’s past relationship with Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi—just messing around.
Another misconception? That Ozzy didn't like the song.
While he’s been self-deprecating about the "glam" era of the 80s, he’s always spoken fondly of the track. It gave him a level of mainstream pop-radio acceptance he hadn't seen before. It proved he could do more than just growl about occultism; he could actually sing a melody that grandmothers would hum along to in their cars.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Musicians
If you're a fan of this era or a musician looking to capture that specific "magic," here are a few things to take away from the Close My Eyes Forever legacy:
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Embrace the "Wrong" Chords
Lita Ford famously stated she didn't know the names of the chords she was playing. She used open strings—the B and the high-E—to create a ringing, drone-like effect. If you’re writing music, don't get bogged down in theory. If it sounds haunting and right, use it.
Vulnerability Sells
The reason this song beat out other 1989 ballads is the vocal performance. Both singers sound like they are at the end of their rope. Don't be afraid to let your voice break or show a little grit.
The Power of the 12-String
If you want to recreate that 80s "shimmer" without a hundred pedals, get a 12-string guitar. It provides a natural chorus effect that a 6-string just can't match.
Collaborate Outside Your Box
Lita was a hard rock guitarist. Ozzy was a heavy metal pioneer. Together, they made a pop-rock hit. Sometimes the best work happens when you step away from your "brand" and just write with someone different.
The Legacy Lives On
Even today, in 2026, Lita Ford still performs this song. She’s done versions with Jeff Tate (Queensrÿche) and others, but nothing quite matches the original chemistry. It remains a staple of classic rock radio because it feels "real" despite the 80s gloss.
If you want to truly appreciate the track, go back and watch the music video. It’s simple—just the two of them in a dark studio setting. No pyrotechnics, no elaborate plot. Just two icons, a lot of hairspray, and a song that was never supposed to be a hit.
To get that specific guitar tone, focus on a "clean" channel with a high amount of compression and a touch of chorus. Use a bridge pickup but roll the tone knob back slightly to keep it from being too piercing.
The story of Lita and Ozzy isn't just a footnote in rock history. It’s a reminder that sometimes the best things in life are the ones you didn't plan for.