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)
Grim Facts
Alice Cooper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The boy's got stress
The boys' a .38 hidden in his desk
The boy's got a chickie
With four months to go
Grim Facts - every parent better know
The girl's a deadly teaser
She's got a hundred thousand fantasies
She wants the band to know
She likes to brush across my Levis
She likes to watch him grow
Grim Facts - every parent better know
Grim Facts - every parent better know
[Chorus]
Red lights - Gang fights
Brewing in the heat
Cop cars - Gay bars
On your precious street
That ain't so neat
Sister's on the street now
Looking for some Joe
Only got about an hour
To pay for her new nose
She gets a hundred for her body
A nickel for her soul
These are grim facts - every parent must know
Grim facts - every parent must know
[Chorus]
Red lights - Gang fights
Brewing in the heat
Cop cars - Gay bars
On your precious street
That ain't so neat
And I'm feeling itchy
Got a fire down below
I'm a walkin loaded time bomb
Just about to blow
Tries to slide inside my pockets
But it's strictly SRO
Grim facts - every parent gonna know
Grim facts - every parent gonna know
[Chorus]
Red lights - Gang fights
Brewing in the heat
Cop cars - Gay bars
On your precious street
That ain't so neat
Mmm Grim facts, you know, growing all the time
Mmm Grim facts, real grim Yeah
The lyrics of Alice Cooper’s song Grim Facts depict a harsh and unforgiving reality of the world that we live in, particularly for the youth. The first two verses describe a troubled boy who carries a gun to school and has a girlfriend who is pregnant, while the second verse talks about a girl who has promiscuous fantasies and sells her body for money. The chorus speaks of the societal issues that exist globally, from gang fights to prostitution, homosexuality, and police presence on the streets. The lyrics signify that these issues are a sad but lethal truth that every parent must be aware of.
The last verse refers to the singer himself, implying that even he is not immune to the grim reality of the world. He says that he is feeling "itchy" and has a "fire down below," which can be read as sexual arousal, and implies that he is struggling with something that may make him a danger to others. He feels like a "walking loaded time bomb, just about to blow," and that describes how he, like many others, is a reflection of the harsh reality that surrounds us. Overall, the song serves as a grim reminder that these issues may be unpleasant, but they are persistent in our world.
Line by Line Meaning
The boy's got problems
The boy is struggling and facing difficulties
The boy's got stress
The boy is experiencing a great deal of pressure and anxiety
The boys' a .38 hidden in his desk
The boy has a gun hidden in his desk
The boy's got a chickie
The boy has a girlfriend
With four months to go
With only four months left before graduation
Grim Facts - every parent better know
These are harsh truths that every parent should be aware of
The girl's a deadly teaser
The girl is very seductive and alluring
Wants to do a private show
She desires to put on a sexual performance
She's got a hundred thousand fantasies
She has many sexual fantasies and desires
She wants the band to know
She desires the attention and admiration of the band members
She likes to brush across my Levis
She enjoys touching the singer's pants in a suggestive way
She likes to watch him grow
She likes to see the singer become aroused
[Chorus] Red lights - Gang fights Brewing in the heat Cop cars - Gay bars On your precious street That ain't so neat
The singer is describing the dangerous and unpleasant conditions of the neighborhood
Sister's on the street now
The singer's sister is a prostitute
Looking for some Joe
She is looking for a customer
Only got about an hour
She has limited time to earn money
To pay for her new nose
She needs money to pay for cosmetic surgery
She gets a hundred for her body
She charges one hundred dollars for sex
A nickel for her soul
She feels that she is losing a part of herself by engaging in prostitution for money
Grim facts - every parent must know
These are unpleasant truths that every parent should be aware of
And I'm feeling itchy
The singer is experiencing a strong sexual desire
Got a fire down below
The singer has a burning sexual desire
I'm a walkin loaded time bomb Just about to blow
The singer feels that he is close to reaching his sexual climax
Tries to slide inside my pockets
Someone is attempting to pickpocket the singer
But it's strictly SRO
The concert is sold out and there is no room to accommodate the thief
Grim facts - every parent gonna know
These are unpleasant and troubling truths that every parent will eventually discover
Mmm Grim facts, you know, growing all the time
The singer is emphasizing that these unpleasant facts are a growing problem
Mmm Grim facts, real grim Yeah
The singer is lamenting that these unpleasant facts are a harsh reality that cannot be ignored
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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.