Originating in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1964, "Alice Cooper" was originally a band with roots extending back to a band called the Earwigs, consisting of Furnier on lead vocals and harmonica, Glen Buxton on lead guitar, and Dennis Dunaway on bass guitar and backing vocals. By 1966, Michael Bruce on rhythm guitar joined the three and Neal Smith was added on drums in 1967. The five named the band "Alice Cooper", and Furnier eventually adopted it as his stage pseudonym. They released their 1969 debut studio album with limited chart success. Breaking out with the 1970 single "I'm Eighteen" and the third studio album Love It to Death, the band reached their commercial peak in 1973 with their sixth studio album, Billion Dollar Babies. After the band broke up, Furnier legally changed his name to Alice Cooper and began a solo career in 1975 with the concept album Welcome to My Nightmare. Over his career, Cooper has sold well over 50 million records.
Cooper has experimented with a number of musical styles, mainly hard rock, glam rock, heavy metal, and glam metal, but also new wave (1980–1983), art rock on DaDa (1983), and industrial rock on Brutal Planet (2000) and Dragontown (2001). He helped to shape the sound and look of heavy metal, and has been described as the artist who "first introduced horror imagery to rock 'n' roll, and whose stagecraft and showmanship have permanently transformed the genre". He is also known for his wit offstage, with The Rolling Stone Album Guide calling him the world's most "beloved heavy metal entertainer". Away from music, Cooper is a film actor, a golfing celebrity, a restaurateur, and, since 2004, a radio disc jockey (DJ) with his classic rock show Nights with Alice Cooper.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Cooper
Band studio albums
Pretties for You (1969)
Easy Action (1970)
Love It to Death (1971)
Killer (1971)
School's Out (1972)
Billion Dollar Babies (1973)
Muscle of Love (1973)
Solo studio albums
Welcome to My Nightmare (1975)
Alice Cooper Goes to Hell (1976)
Lace and Whiskey (1977)
From the Inside (1978)
Flush the Fashion (1980)
Special Forces (1981)
Zipper Catches Skin (1982)
DaDa (1983)
Constrictor (1986)
Raise Your Fist and Yell (1987)
Trash (1989)
Hey Stoopid (1991)
The Last Temptation (1994)
Brutal Planet (2000)
Dragontown (2001)
The Eyes of Alice Cooper (2003)
Dirty Diamonds (2005)
Along Came a Spider (2008)
Welcome 2 My Nightmare (2011)
Paranormal (2017)
Detroit Stories (2021)
Road (2023)
A Runaway Train
Alice Cooper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Last call for the Nightmare Express
I found myself slippin' away
Just this side of dead
I woke up in a boxcar
I wasn't in my bed
That ran down through the floor
Attached to thirteen angry men
All rotten to the core
"But I'm innocent," I cried right out
"I'm in someone else's dream"
They looked around and laughed out loud,
Said, "Brother, so are we
Yeah, brother, so are we"
"But I'm a big celebrity
Known all 'round the land"
"Well buddy, you ain't no one here
Man, you ain't in demand"
Speedin' towards a flamin' wall
Like a screamin' sonic boom
I really gotta wake up now
Or I may meet my doom, oh Lord
I may meet my doom
So all that I remember
Is how much my body hurt
Now I'm sleepin' in the graveyard
On the wrong side of the dirt
Now, on the wrong side of the dirt
Wrong side of the dirt, don't you know,
I'm on the wrong side of the dirt
The lyrics of Alice Cooper’s song A Runaway Train depict a dreamlike situation, where the singer finds himself on the Nightmare Express, being taken away to a place unknown. He feels like he is slipping away, almost near death, and when he wakes up, he finds himself in a boxcar instead of his bed. His leg is chained to a spike that runs down through the floor and is attached to thirteen angry men. The singer cries out that he is innocent and in someone else’s dream but the others just laugh and say that they are all in the same situation. This implies that the singer is not alone in this dream, but there are many more people who are also trying to escape.
As the journey proceeds, the train speeds towards a flaming wall like a screaming sonic boom, and the singer realizes that he needs to wake up before he meets his doom. But all he remembers afterward is how much his body hurt, and now he is sleeping in the graveyard on the wrong side of the dirt. The lyrics of this song highlight the sinister nature of dreams, where things may not be what they seem and could lead to disastrous consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
All aboard, watch your step, people
Board the train carefully and watch your step.
Last call for the Nightmare Express
This is the last opportunity to board this train to nightmare.
I found myself slippin' away
Alice started to lose consciousness.
Just this side of dead
Alice was very close to death.
I woke up in a boxcar
Alice realized he was in a train car.
I wasn't in my bed
This wasn't a dream.
I found my leg chained to a spike
Alice was immobilized.
That ran down through the floor
Alice's captors had gone to great lengths to make sure he was trapped.
Attached to thirteen angry men
Alice's captors were very dangerous and angry people.
All rotten to the core
Alice's captors were bad to the bone.
"But I'm innocent," I cried right out
Alice protested his innocence.
"I'm in someone else's dream"
Alice thought he was in someone else's nightmare.
They looked around and laughed out loud,
Alice's captors mocked him.
Said, "Brother, so are we
Alice's captors were in the same situation as him.
Yeah, brother, so are we"
Alice's captors weren't in control either.
"But I'm a big celebrity
Alice hoped that his fame would make a difference.
Known all 'round the land"
Alice was famous everywhere.
"Well buddy, you ain't no one here
Alice's captors let him know that his fame didn't matter on this train.
Man, you ain't in demand"
Alice had no value to his captors.
Speedin' towards a flamin' wall
The train was headed for a dangerous obstacle.
Like a screamin' sonic boom
The train was moving fast and loud.
I really gotta wake up now
Alice needed to get out of this nightmare.
Or I may meet my doom, oh Lord
Alice could die if he didn't wake up soon.
All that I remember
Alice could only recall one thing.
Is how much my body hurt
Alice was in severe pain.
Now I'm sleepin' in the graveyard
Alice thinks he may have died.
On the wrong side of the dirt
Alice is on the wrong side of things now; he's in a hopeless situation.
Wrong side of the dirt, don't you know,
Alice emphasized his predicament.
I'm on the wrong side of the dirt
Alice is really in a bad way.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Alice Cooper, Dennis Dunaway, Robert Alan Ezrin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Phil
on Former Lee Warmer
Interesting. I like it! I am surprised someone covered that lesser known song of Cooper’s. I will have to check out more of Valery’s work.