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)
The Congregation
Alice Cooper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm just your friendly guide
So come along 'cause you belong
You joined us when you died
From your birth until your final breath,
I'm proud to say you finally
Entertained yourself to death
Welcome to the congregation
(Hey, hey)
I hope we meet your expectation
(Hey, ho)
A little tiny pinch of deviation
We understand what you had planned
Goes by another name
Where bluebirds sing and church bells ring,
Well, isn't that a shame?
Your application sadly was denied
But let's be clear, we love you here
You're on the other side
Welcome to the congregation
(Hey, hey)
I hope we meet your expectation
(Hey, ho)
We promise it won't stain your reputation
Ah, if you can see over here,
The Broken Glass Chamber of
The boys from Wall Street
Let's hear it for the boys
And here in the eternal mariachi room
Above the eve marked "Priest" and "Telemarketers"
To the fiery pit of boiling death
The lawyers, pimps and mimes
Welcome to the congregation
(Hey, ho)
Welcome to the congregation
(Hey, ho)
Welcome to the congregation
(Hey, ho)
I hope we meet your expectation
(Hey, ho)
So thanks for dropping by here
We're really gonna try here
But in the end, you know you're gonna fry…
Fry, fry here
(Hey, ho, hey)
Uh, excuse me, sir,
Is there a bathroom here?
In Alice Cooper's song The Congregation, we are introduced to the afterlife through the perspective of an individual who has died and joined a group called "the congregation." The song's opening lyrics feel like an introduction, with Alice Cooper acting as a guide for the listener. He assures them that they belong with this group, and that they have arrived at the right place. The chorus, which frequently (and ominously) repeats "Welcome to the congregation," sets the tone for the song's subject matter: a group of individuals who have ended up in this afterlife, regardless of how they lived their lives.
The lyrics themselves seem to suggest a critique of how society often prioritizes entertainment over all else. Cooper's lyrics, "From your birth until your final breath, I'm proud to say you finally entertained yourself to death," indicate that the afterlife he's describing is somewhat of a punishment for those who lived shallow, unfulfilling lives. He even references "the fiery pit of boiling death," which could be interpreted as hell. However, Cooper's lyricism is also somewhat tongue-in-cheek: he introduces the "Broken Glass Chamber of the boys from Wall Street" and "the eternal mariachi room" as different sections of the afterlife where particular types of people end up. The song takes on a slightly comedic tone, even as it seems to poke fun at the ways in which people waste their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Now you're here, so have no fear
Don't be afraid, you are in safe hands with me as your guide.
I'm just your friendly guide
I am the one who will take you through your journey here.
So come along 'cause you belong
You are one of us now, please follow me.
You joined us when you died
You became one of us when you passed away.
From your birth until your final breath,
Your entire life, from childhood to death.
I'm proud to say you finally
I can finally say that you.
Entertained yourself to death
You brought yourself to this point for the sake of entertainment.
Welcome to the congregation
You are now part of our group.
(Hey, hey)
Cheering sound effect.
I hope we meet your expectation
I hope we can satisfy your expectations.
(Hey, ho)
Chanting sound effect.
A little tiny pinch of deviation
We will have something different for you to experience.
We understand what you had planned
We know what you had intended for your life.
Goes by another name
It has a different name here on this side.
Where bluebirds sing and church bells ring,
The place you thought would be peaceful and serene.
Well, isn't that a shame?
It's a pity that things didn't turn out as you expected.
Your application sadly was denied
You requested to be somewhere else, but that was denied.
But let's be clear, we love you here
Just because your request was denied doesn't mean that you are not loved here.
You're on the other side
You are now on the other side of life, in the afterlife.
Ah, if you can see over here,
If you look over here.
The Broken Glass Chamber of
This is the Broken Glass Chamber of.
The boys from Wall Street
Where the Wall Street people are.
Let's hear it for the boys
Let's give them a round of applause.
And here in the eternal mariachi room
In this room where the mariachis play for eternity.
Above the eve marked "Priest" and "Telemarketers"
Above the door marked as 'Priest' and 'Telemarketers'.
To the fiery pit of boiling death
The pit that is constantly on fire and boiling, symbolizing the suffering and damnation.
The lawyers, pimps and mimes
This is where the lawyers, pimps, and mimes are sent.
So thanks for dropping by here
Thank you for coming here.
We're really gonna try here
We will try our best to make you feel comfortable.
But in the end, you know you're gonna fry...
In the end, you will face eternal damnation.
Fry, fry here
The chanting sound of the fry here.
(Hey, ho, hey)
A chant that continues until the end.
Uh, excuse me, sir,
Can I ask you a question, sir?
Is there a bathroom here?
Can you please tell me where the bathroom is?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TOMMY HENRIKSEN, ROBERT EZRIN, ALICE COOPER
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.