Alice Cooper – “Feed My Frankenstein”: Shock Rock with a Devilish Grin
Released in 1991 on the album Hey Stoopid, “Feed My Frankenstein” is vintage Alice Cooper — outrageous, campy, seductive, and heavy. It became a fan favorite not just for its pounding rhythm and over-the-top lyrics, but also thanks to its unforgettable appearance in the cult classic film Wayne’s World (1992), where Cooper himself delivered the now-iconic, ultra-polite “We’re not worthy!” cameo.
Originally written by Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction, the song was re-recorded by Alice with a little help from some rock royalty — turning it into a glam-metal monster mash with tongue firmly in cheek.
The Sound: Riffs, Groove, and Shock Rock Power
Musically, “Feed My Frankenstein” is a mid-tempo, riff-heavy stomper dripping with Alice’s signature theatrical flair. The sound is big, bold, and cartoonishly ominous — the musical equivalent of a B-horror movie on steroids.
Key musical elements include:
- Sludgy, blues-based guitar riffs that lurch like Frankenstein himself
- Guest guitar solos from Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, adding virtuosity and flash
- A heavy, almost industrial drum groove that gives the track its marching feel
- Alice’s snarling vocal delivery, equal parts villain and ringmaster
Produced by Peter Collins, the song sits firmly in the early ’90s metal-meets-glam production style — polished but aggressive, slick but sinister.
The Lyrics: Monstrous Desire with a Wink
“Well I ain’t evil, I’m just good lookin’ / Start a little fire, and baby start cookin’…”
Alice Cooper isn’t really singing about food — and Frankenstein isn’t the monster he’s feeding. The lyrics are a thinly veiled metaphor for primal desire, wrapped in a comic-book horror theme.
“Feed my Frankenstein / Meet my libido / He’s a psycho…”
The genius of the song is that it’s self-aware — Alice is having fun with horror tropes, sex, and rock clichés. It’s not meant to be scary — it’s meant to be fun, like Halloween in leather pants.
It’s Cooper’s way of saying: Yeah, I’m a little twisted — and that’s exactly how I like it.
The Movie Boost: Wayne’s World Fame
While the song had already appeared on Hey Stoopid, “Feed My Frankenstein” gained massive pop culture traction when it was featured in Wayne’s World (1992). The scene — with Alice performing the track live on stage, followed by a hilariously polite backstage conversation about Milwaukee’s history — introduced a new generation to Alice Cooper’s world of shock rock.
It wasn’t just the performance that stuck — it was the whole presentation: makeup, theatrics, fire, and fun. It made clear that Alice wasn’t just a musician — he was a rock ‘n’ roll showman, decades before that became a branding buzzword.
Chart Performance and Legacy
- Charted modestly in the U.S. but became a fan favorite live
- Boosted by its Wayne’s World cameo and frequent MTV airplay
- Helped maintain Alice’s status as relevant in the metal-heavy early ’90s
- Remains a setlist staple in Cooper’s theatrical stage shows
Though not a chart-topping smash, the song helped solidify Alice Cooper’s place in the new wave of hard rock alongside bands like Guns N’ Roses, Mötley Crüe, and Metallica — all of whom owed a little something to the master of shock himself.
A Gathering of Legends: The Guitar Lineup
One of the lesser-known facts about “Feed My Frankenstein” is that it features an all-star cast:
- Steve Vai and Joe Satriani on guitar
- Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe on bass
- Mickey Curry (Bryan Adams’ longtime drummer) on drums
The song’s guitar solo is a blistering, shred-filled centerpiece, showcasing Vai and Satriani at their finest. For a track rooted in humor, the musicianship is absolutely top-tier.
Final Thoughts
“Feed My Frankenstein” is classic Alice Cooper — loud, theatrical, unapologetically weird, and crafted with total confidence. It captures what makes him legendary: his ability to blend humor, horror, and hard rock into something uniquely his own.
It’s not just a song — it’s a character.
A monster.
A midnight movie in musical form.
And like all the best Alice Cooper tracks, it’s scary good fun.
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