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)
Headlines
Alice Cooper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Save a child
Raise a million bucks
That'll last a while
Fight at parties
Buy a horse
Lose a couple
Win that big divorce
I want to be in the headlines
Anything to be in the headlines
Saw my chance
Made my break
Took the biggest float
In the Rose parade
Got jailed
No disgrace
A hundred million people
Saw my face
Called a conference
With the press
Announced my marriage plans
In a wedding dress
Climb a building
At six-below
On New Year's Eve
Without a stitch of clothes
I want to be in the headlines
Anything to be in the headlines
As long as they spell my name right
I hope that they catch my best side
Popped out
From a cake
At the President's ball
What a big mistake
Fifty guns
Aimed at me
I was nearly killed
But what publicity
Nominated
Something big
Stole the hottest scene
Says the Globe And Trib
Porno movie
Comes to light
But I was starving then
So that's alright
I want to be in the headlines
Anything to be in the headlines
As long as the spell my name right
Hope that they catch my best side
Keep my sidewalk status star bright
Feel free to walk on me tonight
Just don't spit on me
Headlines, headlines
Headlines, headlines
Headlines, headlines
Headlines
In this song, Alice Cooper is singing about the lengths to which people will go to be in the headlines of the news. He lists off a series of actions that people have taken or may take in order to get fame and attention in the media. Examples include doing charity work, getting into fights, and even climbing a building naked on New Year's Eve. Cooper seems to be poking fun at people who are obsessed with being famous and the ridiculous things they will do to get there.
The chorus features Cooper stating his desire to be in the headlines and be recognized for his actions. He emphasizes that he wants to be remembered and have people remember his name. However, he also highlights the superficiality of fame in the line "As long as they spell my name right", which suggests that it is not necessarily about the quality of the coverage, but simply being mentioned in the media at all.
Overall, "Headlines" is a satirical commentary on the culture of fame and the extreme measures people will go to in order to achieve it, as well as the fleeting nature of that fame.
Line by Line Meaning
Do a show
Perform on stage for entertainment
Save a child
Help a child in danger or need
Raise a million bucks
Collect funds to reach one million dollars
That'll last a while
The money raised will last for some time
Fight at parties
Get into altercations at social gatherings
Buy a horse
Purchase a horse, possibly for racing or show jumping
Lose a couple
Experience the loss of one or more things, potentially referring to lost relationships or possessions
Win that big divorce
Successfully end a marriage and come out on top in the settlement
I want to be in the headlines
Desire to gain attention and publicity
Anything to be in the headlines
Willing to do whatever it takes to get attention
Saw my chance
Noticed an opportunity
Made my break
Seized the opportunity
Took the biggest float
Claimed the most prominent spot in a parade
In the Rose parade
Refers to a specific annual parade in Pasadena, California
Got jailed
Was arrested and sent to jail
No disgrace
Not ashamed of the incident
A hundred million people
An extremely large number of people
Saw my face
Saw a widely-circulated image or video of me
Called a conference
Scheduled a gathering of press members
With the press
In the company of media representatives
Announced my marriage plans
Declared intentions to marry someone
In a wedding dress
Wearing a traditional gown for the ceremony
Climb a building
Scale a tall structure such as a skyscraper
At six-below
During freezing weather conditions
On New Year's Eve
On the last day of the year
Without a stitch of clothes
Wearing no clothing at all
Popped out
Appeared suddenly and unexpectedly
From a cake
Emerging from inside a large dessert
At the President's ball
At a formal event hosted by the President of the United States
What a big mistake
A major blunder or misjudgment
Fifty guns
Fifty firearms pointed in my direction
Aimed at me
Pointed towards me
I was nearly killed
Came close to being fatally wounded
But what publicity
Received a significant amount of media attention
Nominated
Selected as a candidate for an award or honor
Something big
A major event or accomplishment
Stole the hottest scene
Became the center of attention in a situation
Says the Globe And Trib
According to an article in a publication called Globe And Tribune
Porno movie
An adult film containing explicit content
Comes to light
Is revealed or made public
But I was starving then
At the time of making the film, I was in need of money and resources
So that's alright
Justifies participating in the film despite its controversial nature
As long as the spell my name right
As long as I am mentioned in the media and my name is spelled correctly
Keep my sidewalk status star bright
Maintain my reputation and fame
Feel free to walk on me tonight
Make use of my name or status for personal gain
Just don't spit on me
Do not disrespect or degrade me
Headlines
News articles or stories featuring me
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COOPER, JOHNSTONE, MANDEL
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.