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)
Killer
Alice Cooper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I didn't really want to get
Involved in this thing
Someone handed me this gun and I
I gave it everything
Yeah, I gave it everything
I came into this life
I saw just what I liked
And took what I found
Nothing came easy
Nothing came free
Nothing came all until they
Came after me
Yeah-hey, yeah
I didn't really want to get
Involved in this thing
Someone handed me this gun and I
I gave it everything
Yeah, I gave it everything
The song "Killer" by Alice Cooper is a haunting tale of a person who has stumbled into a life of crime and violence. The opening lyrics "What did I do to deserve such a fate, I didn't really want to get involved in this thing" suggest a sense of confusion and regret. The singer seems to be questioning how they have ended up in this situation and whether they are deserving of their fate.
The next lines reveal that someone has handed them a gun and they have given everything to this situation. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for being caught up in something bigger than oneself, whether it be a gang, war, or any other situation where the individual loses their sense of agency and control.
The second verse continues the theme of the singer being swept up in something they didn't fully understand. "Nothing came easy, nothing came free, nothing came all until they came after me" suggests that the singer was not seeking this type of life, but was instead forced into it by circumstance. The song ends with a repeating of the chorus, emphasizing the singer's sense of resignation and surrender.
Overall, "Killer" is a powerful and unsettling exploration of the dark side of human nature. The lyrics are ambiguous enough to be open to interpretation, but the sense of regret and loss permeates throughout the song.
Line by Line Meaning
What did I do to deserve such a fate
I'm questioning why I'm in this situation
I didn't really want to get
I didn't choose to be involved
Involved in this thing
Caught up in something I can't escape
Someone handed me this gun and I
I was given the means to do something terrible
I gave it everything
I put in all my effort to carry out this terrible act
I came into this life
I was born into this world
Looked all around
I observed my environment
I saw just what I liked
I saw things I desired
And took what I found
I took what I wanted without thought of consequence
Nothing came easy
Life was difficult
Nothing came free
There was always a price
Nothing came all until they
Nothing came easily until those seeking revenge came for me
Came after me
I'm being hunted down because of my actions
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Michael Bruce, Dennis Dunaway
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kerry Hanley
Unexpected treats:
- There's a massive sax-section on "Under My Wheels".
- Backing vocals on "Be My Lover" sound like Beach Boys.
- A melodic section from "The Sound of Music's "My Favorite Things" is deliberately added to "Halo of Flies" for the sake of irony.
- "Desperado" has an interlude filled with an entire orchestral string section, masterfully composed & conducted. The strings stay in to the end of the piece.
- "YDM Nervous" : "Honey where did we fail?"
- "Dead Babies" – more "Brian Wilson" harmonies in the "chorus".
- "Killer", the final section depicts, sonically, a soul's decent into Hell, followed by a church organ & priestly prayers over the lifeless body - the soul is held in Purgatory.
The last blast of ascendancy indicates that the soul has been forgiven and is rising to the great hereafter.
Lloyd Metevier
This album was my very 1st intro to Alice just because the cover intrigued my 15 year old mind...now 50+ years and a truckload of albums later and he still intrigues a 67 year old mind
Chet Brinkley
There's help just a phone call away !
Lloyd Metevier
@Chet Brinkley, whoever said I wanted or needed help? I think the man is an incredible artist and to still be popular today says a lot about him
Chet Brinkley
@Lloyd Metevier
Thank you, you are entitled to that as I am .
Lloyd Metevier
@Chet Brinkley, yes you're entitled to your opinion about Alice Cooper, but not suggesting I get help, whether I like him or not is my choice & business, not yours... read the other comments, there are a lot more on my side
Chet Brinkley
@Lloyd Metevier
Zzzźzzzzz
Chris Baker
This was one of the first albums I bought and I played it to death. One thing I didn't appreciate at the time is just how GOOD it sounds - I don't mean musically (I fully appreciated that at the time), but the production is really excellent. Listening on headphones to this upload and it's exquisite!
Uwe Kraatz
The music is great, the sound fits, the whole thing is a work of art, but the sound quality is a medium disaster. No remaster helps there either. The record would have to be completely re-recorded.
Kerry Hanley
@Uwe KraatzMedium-Disaster is what they were going for!
Gary Jones
Love this album when I was in 5th grade . A few years later got to see the B D Babies tour . Still love this. The name of this is Killer though not what you put