Alice Cooper

Released: November 20, 1973

Songwriter: Alice Cooper Michael Bruce

Producer: Jack Douglas Jack Richardson

Life
Coast to coast
White hot as a ghost
When you live
In a countdown

Time
Is free as a jailbird
At least that's what I heard
When you live
In a hideout

Love
Comes cheap at a swapmeet
It all comes so dirt cheap
When you live
In a bedroom

Love
Cuts deep as a razor
But that ain't amazin'
When you live
In a cancer

Ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah
Ah

Mind
Gets scrambled like eggs
Get bruised and erased
When you live
In a brainstorm

Noise
Seems logically right
Ringing ears in the night
When you live
In an airport

Ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah
Ah

Hard hearted Alice
Is what we want to be
Hard hearted Alice
Is what you want to see

Hard hearted Alice
Is what we want to be
Hard hearted Alice
Is what you want to see

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.

more tracks from the album

Muscle of Love

From the album

Muscle of Love (1973)

Alice Cooper popular songs

Hard Hearted AliceAlice Cooper

Alice Cooper

Muscle of Love