Alice Cooper

Released: September 5, 1987

Songwriter: Alice Cooper Kane Roberts

Producer: Michael Wagener

Alice Cooper
You have been accused of mass mental cruelty
How do you plead?
Guilty!

Don't wanna be clean
Don't wanna be nice
The whip's gonna crack
My leather is black and so are my eyes
I'm gonna be rough
I'm gonna be mean
I'm here to the end, my sick little friend
I'm back in your dreams
You can take my head and cut it off
But you ain't gonna change my mind

If you don't like it you can lock me up
Woah, oh, oh, oh, oh
If you don't like it you can lock me up
Woah, oh, oh, oh, oh

Cover your eyes or cover your head
You'll never know what hit you 'til your covered in red
Screaming bloody murder 'til the barricades bend
Sweatin' in the fog 'til the end

It's gotta be loud
I want it to roar
I want it to blow everyone at the show right off of the floor
I'm in for the kill
I'm back with a rage
I want them to write in the paper each night how I bloodied the stage

If you don't like it you can lock me up
Woah, oh, oh, oh, oh
If you don't like it you can lock me up
Woah, oh, oh, oh, oh
Lock me up or shut up

Cover your eyes or cover your head
You'll never know what hit you 'til your covered in red
Screaming bloody murder 'til the barricades bend
Sweatin' in the lights 'til the end

If you don't like it you can lock me up
Woah, oh, oh, oh, oh
If you don't like it you can lock me up
I wanna be hot
Woah, oh, oh, oh, oh
If you don't like it you can lock me up
I wanna be cool
Woah, oh, oh, oh, oh
If you don't like it you can lock me up
I wanna be sick
Woah, oh, oh, oh, oh -real sick

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

Prince of Darkness

From the albums

Raise Your Fist and Yell (1987)
Prince of Darkness (1989)

Alice Cooper popular songs

Lock Me UpAlice Cooper

Alice Cooper

Prince of Darkness