Poison by Alice Cooper

Album: Trash (1989)

Charted: 2 7

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Songfacts®:

In this song, Cooper sings about a girl who is bad for him, but he can't resist her charms. There is an element of masochism in the song, as Alice sings, "I want to hurt you just to hear you screaming my name." The song tied "School's Out" for Cooper's highest chart placing in the US.
Cooper wrote this song with Desmond Child, which is one of the more effective ways to produce a hit. A decade earlier, Child wrote "I Was Made For Lovin' You" with members of Kiss, which opened the door for outside writers in Rock bands. His next gig was Bon Jovi, resulting in their breakout hits "You Give Love A Bad Name" and "Livin' On A Prayer."

Child, who also produced the Meat Loaf album Bat Out of Hell III, told Songfacts about writing with artists who take on characters in their acts. "It's a fine line between somebody telling the true story of their life in a song and also what their character type calls for," said Child. "It's a blending when it comes to something like that. With Alice Cooper, it's a little bit different, and Meat Loaf, also. Those are true theatrical characters. Alice Cooper, his real name is Vincent Furnier, and Meat Loaf's name is Michael Aday. They created their characters. Both of them started out the same - Alice Cooper was the name of his band and then everybody started calling him Alice Cooper. And the same thing for Meat Loaf. His band was called Meat Loaf, and then people started calling him Meat Loaf. For both of them, it evoked personalities that are so over the top, and so their music really worked theatrically."
This was Cooper's first music video to get rotation on MTV. He broke new ground in 1975 when he turned the stage show for his Welcome To My Nightmare tour into a full movie, which laid the foundation for Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video - both clips were narrated by Vincent Price. With "Poison," Cooper tapped into the MTV audience for the first time and became far more relevant to the younger generation, who got the joke when he showed up in the movie Wayne's World in 1992.
"Poison" was a huge comeback song for Cooper, who released five Platinum albums from 1970-1975 but fell out of favor over the next 12 years and battled a debilitating drug and alcohol addiction that nearly killed him (he got sober for good in 1983). The song vaulted him back to the charts and into the public eye, earning him a whole new generation of fans. Cooper-loving parents were thrilled to see their kids discover him, and entire families started showing up at his concerts.
The song was used in a 2011 commercial for the Volkswagen Passat where a driver sings along to it, changing the lyrics to suit his driving adventure ("let there be green lights 'cause I need to make it on time...").
A multi-generational hit, "Poison" is far and away Cooper's most popular song on streaming services and YouTube.

Comments: 19

Ol from DenmarkIt's up to everyone, but for me this song is about addiction - and breaking free of it.
October Rust from NyFrom what I gather from the lyrics, It sounds to me like a married man tempted by another woman to step out of his marriage, but fights his urges, hence the "I don't want to break these chains"!
Chirs Reynolds from OhioI am very interested on who were the musicians on Alice Coopers song POISON Do any of them still tour with him I have seen hime 3 times in the past 2 years He still puts on a HELL OF A SHOW
AnonymousSounds like he's in love with a relative with some pedo fetish. Think about it.....
Doug from Pueblo, Co. I think Alice coopers song poison, is also talking about Heroine, and comparing it to a sexy bad girl say like a beautiful stripper that is also a junkie
Rose from Ukit is not masochism (wish to be hurt), but sadism (wish to hurt others)
Tom from Ramhash, IsraelMy gosh, this song describes perfectley my relations with one girl.
She's like a really bad girl, unlike me, she's luring lots of guys, but we have something special.
Every cell of my brains is telling me not to, but i just can't get enough of her.
Budoshi from Sandnessjøen, NorwayGreat Song.. Alice Cooper as we know him:)
Nic from Shaker Hts., Ohthis song feels like wen you are in love but that person hates you but you still go after them no matter wat. sorta like not giving up no matter wat the deal is
Nic from Shaker Hts., Ohthis is f--king awesome
Serra from Santa Fe, NmFor me, this song is about wanting a relationship that you cannot have so badly that you become addicted to that person. Back in 1994, a friend of mine dedicated this song to me. His marriage had failed and he loved me but would not leave his wife. In the end, we only cuddled and are still close friends.
Sibella from Pretoria, South AfricaSome of the most amazing guitar I've ever heard!!!
Patrick from Naarden, NetherlandsHey Stoopid! was a hit over here in The Netherlands, 2 years after Poison became a top ten hit
Tony from Chicago, IlOne of the greatest hard rock songs ever!! when you hear this song your mind will melt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Louise from Newcastle, United KingdomGreat song. The cover version someone did was terrible, however.
Michael from San Diego, CaThe whole "Trash" album was excellent, and "Poison" was the best song on it....

"This Maniac's In Love With You" is a close 2nd, and the power ballad "Hell Is Living Without You" (a duet sung by Alice & Steven Tyler of Aerosmith) is up there as well!
Kodi from Sydney, CanadaI love this song it is freakin awesome !
Campo from Sydney, AustraliaFantastic Song. Nuff Said
Paul from Rothesay, New Brunswick , CanadaCooper's last Top 40 hit to date.

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