Outside Influences – Alice Cooper – Second Coming... 01/28/2016 08:11 p.m.
Outside Influences – Alice Cooper – Second Coming / Ballad of Dwight Frye
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The early to mid 1970s saw an incredible diversity of music from all over the world. Pop groups like Sweden's Abba to Heavy Metal bands such as Grand Funk and Led Zeppelin. As the decade progressed, these styles gave way to Disco and Punk/New Wave. It was also the era of Glam-Rock, producing the likes of David Bowie, Lou Reed, and the infamous Alice Cooper.
What made Alice Cooper stand out was his/their (the band and lead singer shared the same name) shock-rock theatrics, employing various props such as straitjacket, a live boa constrictor, gallows, and even a guillotine, in which Cooper was either hung or decapitated. The mechanics of such devices were of course carefully rigged not to do any real harm, and an armed security guard was always present just off stage when Alice employed the boa...just in case; all in a good night's fun.
Needless to say, the act was garish, controversial, so much so that the band was banned from performing in certain towns.
Due to all of the above, as a teenager, 'the Coop' appealed strongly to my rebellious nature. In hindsight, a phase I went through, and although I eventually outgrew this type of music, every once in a while when the mood strikes me, I'll give one of my old Alice Cooper LPs a spin on the turntable.
The lyrics below are from their first successful album, Love It To Death, which also produced their first hit single, I’m Eighteen. As with most of the band's albums, they had a custom of linking two or more songs on the second side of their LPs. On Love It To Death, this was done with the tunes Second Coming/Ballad Of Dwight Frye, and the closing song Sun Arise, a bizarre but effective Heavy Metal adaptation of West Indian music.
Second Coming/Dwight Frye stand out in my personal memory because they capture the raw energy of the band in its prime. The lyrics (about a man in a psychiatric ward who has suffered a complete mental breakdown) are disturbing enough on their own, but aren't given full justice until combined with Alice's raunchy vocals and his band mates' searing instrumentals. In summary, these songs aren't for the faint of heart.
Second Coming
I couldn't tell
If the bells were getting louder
The songs they ring I finally recognize
I only know
Hell is getting hotter
The Devil's getting smarter all the time
And it would be nice
To walk upon the water
To talk again to angels
On my side
Time is getting closer
I read it on a poster
Fanatical exposers
On corners prophesized
It would be nice
To walk upon the water
To talk again to angels
At my side
I just come back to show you
All my words are golden
So have no gods before me
I'm the light
{drums/guitar bridge to next song}
Ballad Of Dwight Frye
Mommy where's daddy? He's been gone for so long
Do you think he'll ever come home?
I was gone for fourteen days
I coulda been gone for more
Held up in the intensive care ward
Lyin on the floor
I was gone for all those days
But I, was not all alone
I made friends with a lot of people
In the danger zone
See my lonely life unfold
I see it every day
See my only mind explode
Since I've gone away
I think I lost some weight there
And I--- I'm sure I need some rest
Sleepin don't come very easy
In a straight white vest
Should like to see that little children
She's only four years old--- old
I'd give her back all of her play things
Even, even the ones I stole
See my lonely life unfold
I see it everyday
See my lonely mind explode
When I've gone insane
I wanna get out of here
I wanna, I wanna get out of here
I gotta get out of here
I gotta get out of here
IgottagetoutahereIgottagetoutahereIgottagetoutahere
Ya gotta let me out of here
Let me outta here
I gotta get outta here
Let me outta here
I gotta get outta here
Let me outta here
I gotta get outta here
See my lonely life unfold
I see it everyday
See my only mind explode
Blow up in my face
I grabbed my hat and I got my coat
And I, I ran into the street
I saw a man that was choking there
I guess he couldn't breathe
Said to myself this is very strange
I'm glad it wasn't me
But now I hear those sirens callin
And so I am not free
I DIDN'T WANNA BE
I DIDN'T WANNA BE
I DIDN'T WANNA BE
(See my lonely life unfold)
I DIDN'T WANNA BE
(I see it every day)
LEAVE ME ALONE I DIDN'T WANNA BE
DON'T TOUCH ME!!!!
See my lonely mind explode
When I've gone INSAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNE!
