𝅘𝅥𝅮 Crucify the Dead (feat. Ozzy Osbourne) - Slash
Two weeks later
16th August 2009
Sunday
Slash fumbled with the CD player in his Hummer, Mia sitting beside him, the AC proving to be a lifesaver under the scorching mid-August sun.
Tuesday, the 18th would mark Mia's 30th birthday, and Slash had decided to whisk her away for a spontaneous road trip, true to his style of keeping it a surprise. Despite Slash's attempts to keep the destination a mystery, Mia's persistence cracked the secret, revealing a journey to Ojai, a 70-minute drive from LA.
As they cruised past Thousand Oaks, Slash suggested diving into some of the completed tracks from his album, a promise he had made to Mia earlier.
First off, it was Ozzy's song.
"Alright, I won't give you any clues. Just listen close. And tell me what you think he's talkin' about," Slash mumbled, adjusting the dial on the Hummer's screen.
The song kicked off with an almost somber guitar melody, evoking a tension akin to a sad thriller movie.
Ozzy's vocals took the lead.
"The fire started long ago
The flames burned out, still embers glow
So charred and black
There's nothing left to burn, to burn"
Mia arched an eyebrow, her eye on the road, cautious not to prematurely conclude the narrative as a tale of a dying romance with the ex-wife.
"We had the same dream
Lived life to extreme
A loaded gun jammed by a rose."
Tilting her head, frown still in place, Mia started to form some speculative ideas as the chorus commenced.
"The thorns are knots around your head
Your ego cursed you till you bled
You cannot crucify the dead
To me you're dead, yeah."
"Woah." she uttered. To me you're dead. That was a pretty strong line there which got Mia thinking. A couple of ideas she crossed out, and one of them sticked. She listened closely to the second verse to see if she was on the right track.
"The future is unset in stone
Decisions past leave you alone
Betrayed us all with your own selfish greed, your greed, yeah
New soldiers now say
That your beggars collect
Re-crucified and paid by you
The thorns are knots around your headYour ego cursed you till you bledYou cannot crucify the deadTo me you're dead, yeah."
Mia shot Slash a knowing grin, coupled with a subtle nod. It was obvious; Slash was "saying" these words to someone who had crossed him, and by the tone, it seemed like he crossed a few others too. This person's choices had left him isolated, his ego a towering monument that, in Slash's eyes, equaled self-imposed exile. Mia now had a pretty solid idea of who that person might be. The subsequent lyrics of the bridge only solidified her suspicions.
"We were like brothers with the world in our hands
You always have too much to say
Someday you look back and you wonder why
...you let it all slip away, yeah!"
Slash's guitar solo sliced through the air, forceful, nearly angry, yet as passionately articulate as ever.
As the chorus echoed again, Mia recalled that Taylor Hawkins from Foo Fighters provided backing vocals for this track. And he sounded damn good.
YOU ARE READING
The Long and Untold Story of Slash and Mia
FanfictionEver wondered what was happening in Slash's life in 2009, while he was busy working on his first solo album, and his marriage was facing some challenges? Los Angeles, March 2009. Mia flourishes at Paramount Pictures while captivating crowds as the f...
