Released in 1988 as the third single from Lita Ford’s Lita album, “Close My Eyes Forever” is a haunting duet between two of rock’s most iconic voices—Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne. The power ballad, driven by melancholic melodies and emotionally raw vocals, became an unexpected but massive hit, reaching No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and securing both artists a rare crossover success on mainstream radio.
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What sets “Close My Eyes Forever” apart isn’t just its chart performance, but its deep, brooding tone and lyrical depth. The song explores themes of love, loss, emotional vulnerability, addiction, and even mortality. It stands as one of the most introspective and somber pieces in either artist’s catalog, with an atmosphere that’s equal parts romantic and tragic.
A Brief Summary of the Song
“Close My Eyes Forever” is a slow, emotionally charged duet that sounds like a whispered conversation between two lovers caught in a web of pain, longing, and resignation. The lyrics depict a relationship fraught with despair and existential questioning, as the couple contemplates the idea of eternal sleep—possibly as an escape from suffering or as a metaphor for emotional surrender.
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Set to a gentle, arpeggiated guitar line and backed by swelling synthesizers, the track relies heavily on the chemistry between Lita’s powerful, expressive vocals and Ozzy’s weary, haunted delivery. The two alternate verses and come together in the chorus to sing:
“If I close my eyes forever / Will it all remain unchanged?
If I close my eyes forever / Will it all remain the same?”
These lines encapsulate the heart of the song—an expression of doubt and sorrow in the face of a relationship that seems to teeter on the edge of collapse or oblivion.
The Inspiration Behind the Song
The origin of “Close My Eyes Forever” is as serendipitous as it is legendary. According to interviews with both Ozzy Osbourne and Lita Ford, the song was born out of a late-night writing session that wasn’t meant to be serious. The two artists were in the studio together after a night of drinking and started improvising lyrics and melodies. What began as a casual jam gradually turned into something much more profound.
Producer Mike Chapman—who had worked with Blondie and The Sweet—recognized the emotional weight of the emerging song and encouraged the pair to record it. Despite their inebriated state during the writing process, the result was a piece that cut to the core of human emotion and vulnerability. Chapman helped polish the arrangement, adding a moody, almost dreamlike production that allowed the lyrics and vocals to take center stage.
Lita later recalled that the song’s lyrics were written quickly and instinctively, reflecting her own feelings of confusion, emotional pain, and romantic disillusionment. Ozzy’s contributions added a darker, more fatalistic tone, reflecting his ongoing struggles with addiction and depression at the time. Together, their voices and perspectives created a perfectly imbalanced harmony—one that felt real, raw, and almost uncomfortably intimate.
Themes and Messages Within the Song
1. Love and Emotional Surrender
At its most basic level, “Close My Eyes Forever” is about love that has turned heavy, burdensome, and tragic. The lovers in the song are clearly bound together, but they’re also trapped in an emotional state that neither can escape. They love each other, but that love is painful, confusing, and possibly destructive.
“I just can’t seem to understand it
How you turned out to be so cold”
These lyrics express a deep emotional disconnection—a shift in the relationship that the narrator didn’t see coming. The tone is one of betrayal, confusion, and heartbreak. But instead of outright anger, there’s a quiet sorrow that hangs over every word.
The song doesn’t offer solutions. There’s no clear path to redemption or healing. Instead, it focuses on the complexity of emotion—how love can both uplift and devastate, and how sometimes, people stay together not because of happiness, but because of shared pain.
2. Mortality and Escapism
The repeated phrase “close my eyes forever” operates on multiple levels. Literally, it could suggest death—a desire to escape pain by embracing eternal sleep. Figuratively, it could represent emotional withdrawal, giving up on the relationship, or shutting down feelings to avoid further hurt.
“I keep hoping you’ll understand
And maybe someday soon, I’ll wake”
This line suggests that the narrator is in a dream-like state of denial or despair, clinging to the hope that something will change. Yet the chorus questions that very hope—if we “close our eyes forever,” will anything really be different? Will avoiding the pain make it go away, or will it leave everything just as broken?
The presence of death as a metaphor aligns with the gothic and emotional themes often found in Ozzy Osbourne’s work, but here it’s grounded in real human relationships rather than supernatural horror. It’s not death by demonic forces—it’s death by heartbreak.
3. Addiction and Darkness
Given the personal histories of both artists, it’s not hard to interpret the song as being influenced by addiction and the emotional numbness that comes with it. Both Ozzy and Lita struggled with substance abuse during the 1980s, and their performances reflect a rawness that feels less theatrical and more lived-in.
“You were no more than a dream
Just as innocent as a new-born child”
These lines feel like they’re spoken through a fog—possibly the haze of intoxication or emotional trauma. The song floats between memory and reality, consciousness and unconsciousness, love and loss. It reflects the disorientation that comes with both addiction and emotional dependency, creating a mood of fragile introspection.
4. Dual Perspectives and the Power of the Duet
One of the most compelling aspects of the song is the way it’s structured as a dialogue. Lita and Ozzy don’t sing over each other; they listen, respond, and reflect. This conversational approach gives the song a narrative arc, almost like a final phone call between two people who still love each other but know they can’t continue.
Their voices complement each other in a way that elevates the song’s emotional weight. Lita’s delivery is clear and emotionally direct, while Ozzy’s voice carries the rasp of someone who has seen too much and regrets it. When they come together in the chorus, the blend is chilling and unforgettable.
5. The Sound of the Era and Its Lasting Influence
Musically, “Close My Eyes Forever” was perfectly suited to the late 1980s. The power ballad was at its peak, and glam metal bands were experimenting with softer, more emotional tracks to reach wider audiences. But unlike many formulaic ballads of the era, this song felt different—darker, more honest, more fragile.
It remains one of the most iconic duets in rock history, and one of the few ballads that truly transcended genre. It wasn’t just a break from headbanging; it was a moment of reflection, heartbreak, and unfiltered emotion.
To this day, the song is a staple in both Ozzy and Lita’s legacies, often referenced as a standout collaboration that captured a rare and beautiful moment of vulnerability in hard rock.