Released: January 1, 1989

Songwriter: John McCurry Desmond Child Alice Cooper

Producer: Desmond Child

[Instrumental Intro]

[Verse 1]
Your cruel device, your blood like ice
One look could kill
My pain, your thrill

[Chorus]
I wanna love you, but I better not touch (don't touch)
I wanna hold you, but my senses tell me to stop
I wanna kiss you, but I want it too much (too much)
I wanna taste you, but your lips are venomous poison
You're poison running through my veins
You're poison
I don't wanna break these chains

[Verse 2]
Your mouth, so hot, your web, I'm caught
Your skin, so wet, black lace on sweat

[Chorus]
I hear you calling and it's needles and pins (and pins)
I wanna hurt you just to hear you screaming my name
Don't wanna touch you but you're under my skin (deep in)
I wanna kiss you but your lips are venomous poison
You're poison running through my veins
You're poison
I don't wanna break these chains
Poison

[Guitar Solo]

[Verse 3]
One look (one look) could kill (could kill)
My pain, your thrill

[Chorus]
I want to love you, but I better not touch (don't touch)
I wanna hold you, but my senses tell me to stop
I wanna kiss you, but I want it too much (too much)
I wanna taste you, but your lips are venomous poison
You're poison running through my veins
You're poison
I don't wanna break these chains
Poison (poison)

I want to love you but I better not touch (don't touch)
I wanna hold you but my senses tell me to stop
I wanna kiss you but I want it too much (too much)
I wanna taste you but your lips are venomous poison

[Outro]
Yeah!
Well, I don't want to break these chains
Poison (poison) no
Running deep inside my veins
Burning deep (poison) inside my brain
Poison (poison)
I don't want (poison) to break these chains
Poison (poison)

Alice Cooper

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.