In May 2023, during a stop on The Howard Stern Show, Carrie pulled out one of the most unexpected covers of her career and somehow made it sound like it always belonged to her. “Mama, I’m Coming Home,” Ozzy’s 1991 power ballad, already hits hard on its own. But when Underwood took the mic, she didn’t just sing it. She stripped it back to its bones and rebuilt it as a haunting country confession.
For those unfamiliar with the original, this wasn’t one of Ozzy’s bat-biting, devil-horn-throwing anthems. It was softer, but in a way that cut even deeper. Written with Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister and guitarist Zakk Wylde, the song is a gritty love letter about weariness and needing shelter after a life lived on the edge. The Prince of Darkness showing his most human side. Carrie found a way to make it even more personal.
She didn’t try to out-metal the metalhead. Instead, she leaned into what she does best by laying it all out there with a voice that could break glass and hearts in the same breath. The a cappella ending alone felt like it froze time. One fan said it gave them chills. Another admitted to tearing up. Even the diehard rock crowd couldn’t deny the weight of it.
This wasn’t just some off-the-cuff performance. Carrie’s been open for years about her rebellious teenage phase blasting Ozzy in the house while her mom tried to shut it down. She told Stern that her mom thought the music was too dark, but she always believed there was more to it than that. “There’s a lot of love in these songs if you actually listen to them,” she said. And that’s exactly what she brought out in her version.
Turns out she even had Sharon Osbourne’s blessing before ever taking the song to the stage. That alone shows how serious she was about getting it right.
She first tackled this song back in 2022 for an Apple Music Sessions release. Fans loved it then, but her Stern Show version took it to another level. There were no big lights or pyrotechnics. Just Carrie and the music, telling a story that felt like it was her own.
It’s all part of a bigger shift happening in her world. With her SiriusXM channel Carrie’s Country, she’s blending her gospel roots with her love for rock and old-school country. She’s not picking one side of the fence. She’s knocking the whole thing down and walking straight through.
Underwood’s tribute happened long before Ozzy’s passing, but looking back now, it feels like something more. Like she knew that moment mattered. Like she wanted to show her love and respect while the man was still around to feel it.
Some artists talk about honoring their influences. Carrie lives it. No smoke and mirrors. Just a voice, a memory, and a song that has clearly stayed with her since she was a kid.
Ozzy might have built his legend in fire and chaos, but Carrie met that energy with calm power. And in doing so, she didn’t just cover one of his most iconic tracks. She made it feel brand new.
