ALICE COOPER Explains Inspiration For New Single 'Don't Give Up'

Alice Cooper spoke to the KSHE 95 radio station about his new song "Don't Give Up", which is offering up a message of encouragement during the COVID-19 pandemic. The legendary rocker stated about the inspiration for the track (hear audio below): "I saw THE [ROLLING] STONES'[Living In A] Ghost Town' thing, which is great — I think that's one of the best songs they've ever done. And then I saw Johnny Depp and Jeff Beck [covering John Lennon's classic track 'Isolation'], and that's very cool. And I said one point of view that has not come out yet is what about us talking back to this virus and telling it it's limited — it has a short lifespan — and yeah, it's dangerous but we're not scared of it, and we're gonna survive and it will not survive. It's sort of like punching the bully in the nose and saying, 'Hey, we're tired ot being victims, okay?' And I think a lot of people like that attitude, because it gives them a sense of power over this virus."

"When we wrote the song, the B section and the chorus, I think, really pay off, just saying, 'We're looking at the razor's edge, but don't step off the ledge; don't give up,'" he continued. "I think a lot of that goes to people that just feel like, 'I just can't take this anymore.' And you go, 'No, no, no. You don't get it. We're beating this thing. Just hold on. We're gonna win.'

"When I look at CNN, I only see the death toll — I never see the recovery toll," he added. "Four percent of people die from this, and they're usually dying because they had other things wrong — diabetes and things like that — whereas it should say also people recovering. It would be a huge number. And I think that that's important to make people feel better. I don't like the scare tactic."

A strictly limited "Don't Give Up" seven-inch vinyl picture disc will be released on August 14 on earMUSIC.

Cooper has completed work on his new album, "Detroit Stories". The LP, which was once again produced by Cooper's longtime collaborator Bob Ezrin, features contributions by such Michigan talent as the MC5's Wayne Kramer, GRAND FUNK RAILROAD's Mark Farner and Johnny "Bee" Badanjek of MITCH RYDER & THE DETROIT WHEELS. They also used the Detroit Horns and Detroit background singers.

Last September, Cooper released a six-track EP called "Breadcrumbs", described as a tribute to the garage-rock heroes of his hometown of Detroit.