Released: November 20, 1973

Songwriter: Alice Cooper Neal Smith

Producer: Jack Richardson Jack Douglas

What a drag it is
In these gold lame jeans
Is this the coolest way
To get though your teens?
Well I cut my hair weird
I read that it was in
I look like a rooster
That was drowned and raised again

What are you going to do?
I'll tell you what I'm going to do
Why don't you get away?
I'm going to leave today

I ran into my room
And I fell down on my knees
Well I thought that fifteen
Was going to be a breeze
I picked up my guitar
To blast away the clouds
Somebody in the next room yelled
You got to turn that damn thing down

What are you going to do?
I'll tell you what I'm going to do
Why don't you get away?
Well I'm going to cry all day

And I know trouble is brewing out there
But I can hardly care
They fight all night about his private secretary
Lipstick stain, blonde hair

[Guitar Solo]

What are you going to do?
I'll tell you what I'm going to do
Why don't you run away?
I'm going to leave today
But even I don't know what I'm going to do
Don't know what I'm going to do
No

What are you going to do?
I'll tell you what I'm going to do
Why don't you run away?
I'm going to leave today

What are you going to do?
I'll tell you what I'm going to do
Why don't you get away?
I'd rather to cry all day

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.