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)
When Hell Comes Home
Alice Cooper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Daddy likes to drink when daddy drives
He's pounding on my door
He wants to come inside
Yeah daddy wants to take me for a ride
That's just the way it is, when I'm left alone
Yeah that's when hell comes home
Mommy says that everything is fine
Mommy hides her bruises all the time
She always makes excuses but I know that she is lyin'
Mommy says that everything is fine
That's just the way it is, he's evil to the bone
Mommy says that everything is fine
That's just the way it is, when we're left alone
'Cause that's when hell comes home
I hear those footsteps on the stairs
Mom's bleeding out or maybe she don't care
We live in darkness and despair
I'm just so tired of being scared
(Daddy's home, get out my way
Gimme the bottle, Steven, Steven, Steven)
(No, no, no)
Daddy's gonna get a big surprise
I'll put one right between his eyes
And in his blood I'll write his last goodbyes
Yeah daddy's gonna get a big surprise
That just the way it is, he'll be deader then a stone
That's just the way it is, he'll leave us both alone
That's just the way it is when hell comes home
Home
The lyrics of Alice Cooper's "When Hell Comes Home" follows the story of a young child living in a home filled with domestic violence. The child's father is an alcoholic and abusive towards both the child and the child's mother. The child's mother is constantly covering up the bruises she receives from her husband's abuse and pretending that everything is fine, but the child knows the truth. The song is from the child's perspective and depicts their fear and struggle for survival in a home filled with darkness and despair.
The opening lines of the song set the tone for the rest of the lyrics. The child is frightened when his/her father wants to take him/her for a ride because they know that their father likes to drink and drive. The imagery of the father pounding on the door and wanting to come inside creates a sense of helplessness and danger. The child is trapped and vulnerable, and there's no escape from the situation.
The lyrics then shift to the child's mother, who is also a victim of abuse. She's trying to protect her child by pretending that everything is fine, but the child sees through her lies. The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea that when the child is left alone, that's when hell comes home, meaning that the house becomes a place of terror and misery when the father is around. The verses that follow depict a scene of chaos and horror as the father comes home, and the mother is bleeding out, possibly from an injury inflicted by the father. The child is tired of living in fear and decides to take matters into their own hands and possibly kill their father.
Overall, "When Hell Comes Home" is a powerful and disturbing portrayal of domestic violence from the perspective of a child. The lyrics evoke a sense of fear, hopelessness, and desperation, and the haunting melody adds to the emotional weight of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Daddy wants to take me for a ride
Father wants to take me out in his car
Daddy likes to drink when daddy drives
Father enjoys alcohol and drinks when he's behind the wheel
He's pounding on my door
Father is forcefully knocking on my door
He wants to come inside
Father wants to enter my room
Yeah daddy wants to take me for a ride
Father insists on taking me in his car
That's just the way it is, when I'm left alone
This is the norm when I am by myself
Yeah that's when hell comes home
This is when things go terribly wrong
Mommy says that everything is fine
Mother claims everything is alright
Mommy hides her bruises all the time
Mother covers up her injuries constantly
She always makes excuses but I know that she is lyin'
Although she makes excuses, I am aware that she is lying
Mommy says that everything is fine
Mother continues to claim everything is okay
That's just the way it is, he's evil to the bone
This is just the reality, he is incredibly wicked
That's just the way it is, when we're left alone
This happens whenever we are without company
'Cause that's when hell comes home
This is when chaos arises and everything falls apart
I hear those footsteps on the stairs
I can hear someone walking up the steps
Mom's bleeding out or maybe she don't care
Mother is either injured or indifferent
We live in darkness and despair
We reside in constant misery and hopelessness
I'm just so tired of being scared
I'm exhausted from living in fear
(Daddy's home, get out my way
(Father has returned, I need to move out of his path
Gimme the bottle, Steven, Steven, Steven)
He's asking for a bottle of alcohol and calling out a name
(No, no, no)
I refuse to comply with his demand
Daddy's gonna get a big surprise
Father is in for a rude awakening
I'll put one right between his eyes
I'll shoot him in the head
And in his blood I'll write his last goodbyes
I'll use his blood to write his final farewell message
Yeah daddy's gonna get a big surprise
Father is in for a major shock
That just the way it is, he'll be deader then a stone
This is how things will end up - Father will be dead
That's just the way it is, he'll leave us both alone
After his demise, he will no longer bother us
That's just the way it is when hell comes home
This is what happens when everything goes awry
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALICE COOPER, MICHAEL BRUCE, 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.