Alice Cooper

Released: April 28, 1980

Songwriter: Alice Cooper Frank Crandall

Producer: Roy Thomas Baker

My liberated parents
They're going out tonight
They read the happiest magazines
They've loosened their up-tights

Dad's wearing real tight Levis
And some Gucci tennis shoes
He's got a T-shirt custom made for him
Sayin' "Give Me Pot Not Booze"

[Chorus]
I get a kiss goodbye
I get all numb and high
From all the smoke left on their breath
I smile and wish them well
Then I pray like hell
They go and dance themselves to death

Mom's hair is all green and dirty
She wears a high-tech Devo suit
She changed her name to 'Xerox'
She hides Quaaludes in her boots
Oh, me, I'm real embarrassed
When I hear the things they do
They kinda compromise my social position
My coolitivity is suffering too

[Chorus]
I get a kiss goodbye
I get all numb and high
From all the smoke left on their breath
I smile and wish them well
Then I pray like hell
They go and dance themselves to death

Oh, dance
Real hard

[Guitar Solo]

[Chorus]
I get a kiss goodbye
I get all numb and high
From all the smoke left on their breath
I smile and wish them well
Then I pray like hell
They go and dance themselves to death

Come on momma, come on daddy
Come on skinny, come on fatty

Shake it Martha
Shake it, Larry
Shake it Mr. Coronary

You gotta dance, dance
C'mon and dance, dance
You gotta dance till your outta breath

Alice Cooper is the stage name and ‘fun villain’ character of Vincent Furnier. Cooper became the target of parents and ministers for his dark lyrics and gory theatrical performances that earned him the title Godfather of Shock Rock. Despite once claiming the name was conjured from a ouija board that told him he’s the reincarnation of a 17th century witch, Cooper laughs the topic off with flippant answers like “It was either a Scrabble board or a bowl of alphabet soup” and “I didn’t want a name like Iron Butterfly or Black Sabbath. I wanted it to be something your aunt might be called.”

The band Alice Cooper was originally signed by Frank Zappa to his own record label. Their first notoriety came when Cooper tossed a wayward chicken (possibly arranged by long-time manager Shep Gordon) into the crowd, who then tore it apart at the 1969 Toronto Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival Festival. Newspapers claimed he’d bit the bird’s head off and drank its blood. Zappa advised them to not deny the story and Cooper used it as inspiration to make his character darker.

The band’s teaming with producer Bob Ezrin for their third album Love It To Death led to their US breakthrough with a top 30 hit “I’m Eighteen” in early 1971. By then, the band was already infamous for their stage show, which had escalated into simulated torture and executions. That same year, Killer was released with its two singles “Under My Wheels” and “Be My Lover” finding moderate US success, and both albums being certified gold the following year.

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