Alice Cooper Poison | A multi-generational hit
What makes a song survive generation after generation? We don’t have the formula, but Alice Cooper does, and it’s called ‘Poison’. This mega-hit from the late 80s has that punch that makes it sound as new forty years later. A lot has to do with its composers…
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Video | Alice Cooper Poison
Trembol | Story behind Alice Cooper Poison
I’ve been wanting to write about this fantastic ‘power ballad’, i.e. up-tempo ballad set to heavy metal music, for a long time. The song was released in 1989 as part of the album ‘Trash‘ on Alice Cooper’s 41st birthday 🌼
Its numbers were good, but not spectacular, 7th in the US charts and 2nd in the UK, but for Alice Cooper it was a great comeback, so much so that the song continued to grow and grow all over the world without stopping.
- Alice had achieved five platinum albums in the early 70s, but after that he had been struggling with alcohol addiction for 12 years. In 1983 he quit for good, although it wasn’t until six years later that ‘Poison’ put him back in the charts.
The reason why Poison is a classic, as well as the biggest hit of Alice Cooper’s 20-album career, lies in the trio of artists who wrote the song:
- Vincent Damon Furnier (Alice Cooper’s real name): Alice Cooper is a character that Vincent created, to which he added a whole imaginary of horror and androgyny. He reflected this completely in Poison.
- John McCurry: He is the author of the magnificent guitar riff of the song that mixes pop and rock. McCurry had a long list of hits composed for Cher, Billy Joel, Belinda Carlisle, and many more.
- Desmond Child: Maybe the name doesn’t ring a bell, but Desmond Child is an American songwriter and producer who has composed dozens of hits such as:
- ‘I Was Made for Lovin’ You’ by Kiss.
- Bon Jovi’s ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’.
- ‘Crazy’ by Aerosmith
- ‘Livin’ la Vida Loca’ by Ricky Martin.
It was Desmond who told Alice Cooper that he wanted to find a dark and sexy sound for the song. After 3 days of composing, they succeeded in writing a message that everyone could relate to: ‘I love you, but you’re poison and I know you’re going to kill me’.
Desmond Child shared about Poison
Alice Cooper ‘Trash’
Alice Cooper (Facebook image)
Alice Cooper (Facebook Image)
Writing with Alice and producing this rock masterpiece was one of the most exciting and creative experiences of my life.
🎵 Find more stories behind the greatest songs ever
What the meaning of Poison?
If we stick literally to the lyrics, we find a femme fatale with whom the protagonist has a crush on to the bone. She’s no good for him, but he doesn’t know how to escape, becoming her sweet poison 🧪
Although Alice Cooper has never confirmed the meaning of Poison, many theories say that the poison he speaks of is the alcohol he was addicted to for a long time. This would be confirmed by verses that metaphorically could refer to a bottle such as:
- I wanna taste you but your lips are venomous poison.
- You’re poison, running through my veins.
You can’t miss ⭐️ Best parts of Poison
1. The opening guitar pluck that leads into the first chorus is the best part of the song.
2. The track rises to “I hear you calling and it’s needles and pins”.
3. The hook with the last chorus with the word ‘Poison’ and the power of the electric guitar all the way to the end.
This is what it says | Alice Cooper Poison lyrics
ALICE COOPER | POISON | LYRICS
Your cruel device
Your blood, like ice
One look, could kill
My pain, your thrill
I wanna love you but I better not touch (don’t touch)
I wanna hold you, but my senses tell me to stop
I wanna kiss you but I want it too much (too much)
I wanna taste you but your lips are venomous poison
You’re poison, running through my veins
You’re poison
I don’t want to break these chains
Your mouth, so hot
Your web, I’m caught
Your skin, so wet
Black lace, on sweat
I hear you calling and it’s needles and pins (and pins)
I wanna hurt you just to hear you screaming my name
Don’t want to touch you but you’re under my skin (deep in)
I wanna kiss you but your lips are venomous poison
You’re poison, running through my veins
You’re poison
I don’t want to break these chains
Poison
One look, could kill
My pain, your thrill
I wanna love you but I better not touch (don’t touch)
I wanna to hold you, but my senses tell me to stop
I wanna to kiss you but I want it too much (too much)
I wanna taste you but your lips are venomous poison
You’re poison, running through my veins
You’re poison
I don’t want to break these chains
Poison (poison)I wanna love you but I better not touch (don’t touch)
I wanna hold you, but my senses tell me to stop
I wanna kiss you but I want it too much (too much)
I wanna taste you but your lips are venomous poison
Yeah, well I don’t want to break these chains
Poison (poison)
Runnin’ deep inside my veins
Burnin’ deep inside my brain (poison)
Poisoning (poison)
I don’t want to break these chains (poison)
Poison
(Poison) I don’t want to break these chains (poison)
ALICE COOPER | POISON | LYRICS IN SPANISH
Tu cruel equipamiento
Tu sangre, como el hielo
Una mirada, podría matar
Mi dolor, tu emoción
Quiero amarte pero mejor no tocar (no toques)
Quiero abrazarte, pero mis sentidos me dicen que pare
Quiero besarte pero lo deseo demasiado (demasiado)
Quiero probarte pero tus labios son veneno venenoso
Eres veneno, corriendo por mis venas
Eres veneno
No quiero romper estas cadenas
Tu boca, tan caliente
Tu red, estoy atrapado
Tu piel, tan húmeda
Encaje negro, sobre sudor
Te oigo llamar y siento un cosquilleo (cosquilleo)
Quiero hacerte daño solo para oirte gritar mi nombre
No quiero tocarte pero estás bajo mi piel (muy adentro)
Quiero besarte pero tus labios son veneno venenoso
Eres veneno, corriendo por mis venas
Eres veneno
No quiero romper estas cadenas
Veneno
Una mirada, podría matar
Mi dolor, tu emoción
Quiero amarte pero mejor no tocar (no toques)
Quiero abrazarte, pero mis sentidos me dicen que pare
Quiero besarte pero lo deseo demasiado (demasiado)
Quiero probarte pero tus labios son veneno venenoso
Eres veneno, corriendo por mis venas
Eres veneno
No quiero romper estas cadenas
Veneno (veneno)Quiero amarte pero mejor no tocar (no toques)
Quiero abrazarte pero mis sentidos me dicen que pare
Quiero besarte pero lo deseo demasiado (demasiado)
Quiero probarte pero tus labios son veneno venenoso
Si, bueno no quiero romper estas cadenas
Veneno (veneno)
Corriendo profundo dentro de mis venas
Quemando profundo dentro de mi cerebro (veneno)
Envenenando (veneno)
No quiero romper estas cadenas (veneno)
Veneno
(Veneno) No quiero romper estas cadenas (veneno)
Did you know...?
Much more | ‘Poison’ sauce, car ad, etc.
The heavy metal band Powerwolf paid tribute to him in 2023 by declaring:
With Poison, ALICE COOPER has created a timeless classic and we could not miss the opportunity to celebrate his 75th birthday with our own version.
As any classic ‘Poison‘ has been covered by many bands over the years, most notably:
- The Vandals did a Punk version in 1993.
- Groove Coverage recorded a fantastic Dance version of ‘Poison’ in 2003.
- Husky Rescue, made a Country cover in 2007.
In addition, Poison has been used on the soundtrack of many films such as Tango & Cash, The Jackal and Peter Pan.
- Volkswagen car brand made a funny variation of Poison to promote its Passat model.
- Alice Cooper himself decided to launch a brand of hot sauce called Poison, we have to try it 🤢!
Technical Note | Alice Cooper ‘Poison’
✔️ The main riff of the song was written by guitarist John McCurry. It turns out that two years earlier he had used it for another song he co-wrote with John Waite called ‘Encircled‘. Just listen to the first few seconds and you’ll see for yourselves.
🎼 Poison is played in the key of D minor at 119bpm and follows the chords below:
B♭ – F – C – Dm – D – E♭ – Gm – D – B♭ – Cm – A♭ – Am – G – F – C – G
Alice Cooper ‘Poison’ single
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