Released: March 11, 1975

Songwriter: C. Mark Anthony Kim Fowley Alice Cooper

Producer: Bob Ezrin

Paint on my cruel or happy face
I hide me behind it
It takes me inside another place
Where no-one can find it
Escape
I get out when I can
I escape
Anytime I can
Yes, I'll escape
I'm crying in my beer
Come on, let's escape
Just get me out of here

Don't get me wrong, don't get me right
I'm not like you are
When I get home from work at night
I'm blacker and bluer

So I escape
I get out when I can
Yeah, I escape
Anytime I can
Let’s all escape
I'm crying in my beer
Escape
Just get me out of here

Where am I running to?
There's no place to go
Just put on my makeup
And get me to the show
Yeah
Escape

Yeah
What are ya waiting for?

My doctor said just come around
And you'll be taken care of
And while he ran my problems down
I stole his mascara

That's how I escape
I get out when I can
I escape
Any way I can
I escape
I'm crying in my beer
Let's escape
Just get me out of here
Escape
Let's get out while we can
Escape
Any way we can
Come on let's escape
Nobody wants us around here anyway
Escape
What are we waiting for?
Escape
Escape
Escape
Come on outta there, let's escape
Escape
Escape
Escape
Escape
Escape

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.