Alice Cooper

Released: September 5, 1987

Songwriter: Alice Cooper Kane Roberts Kip Winger

Producer: Michael Wagener

A tree has grown on the spot
Where her body did rest
Blood seeped in the soil
From the knife in her chest

The bugs serve time in her skeletal jail
I wonder how the bugs remember Gail

What a lovely young girl
Everybody would say
You can still hear her laugh
In the shadows on a cold winters day
A dog dug up a bone and wagged its tail
I wonder how that dog remembers Gail

The bugs serve time in her skeletal jail
I wonder how that I'll remember Gail

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

Raise Your Fist and Yell

From the album

Raise Your Fist and Yell (1987)

Alice Cooper popular songs

GailAlice Cooper

Alice Cooper

Raise Your Fist and Yell