Sounds like the start of very interesting story. Welcome to my nightmare. If you’ve live enough decades, you might remember guys like Doctor Demento or Svengoolie. And they were entertaining. But not nearly as interesting as a boy named Sue.
Yeah, if anyone understood the meaning behind Welcome To My Nightmare, it was Sue.
First, check out the lyrics to the first verses of the song:
Welcome to my nightmare.
I think you’re gonna like it.
I think you’re gonna feel you belong.
A nocturnal vacation,
Unnecessary sedation,
You want to feel at home ’cause you belong.
Ooh, cue the screechy strings. “You belong” in the nightmare? Yikes!
Maybe it’s just me. But it sounds like a lyrical description of hell. And my reckoning has always been that hell will be a place of eternal emotional breakdown. And frustration and despair. So, keep that in mind as you check out the next section of lyrics:
Welcome to my breakdown.
I hope I didn’t scare you.
That’s just the way we are when we come down.
We sweat and laugh and scream here.
‘Cause life is just a dream here.
You know inside you feel right at home here.
Creepy.
And I can imagine how a boy named Sue would turn that song up to 11 and yell, “They’re singin’ my song!” Imagine the torment, even if it’s only for a short life on Earth, of being a guy with a name like Sue. I shudder to think. And perish the thought. And thank goodness no one else had to deal with such issues.
Oh, wait a minute. One guy named Vincent Furnier actually took on a girl’s name on purpose. You probably know him better by that girl’s name, Alice.
And, as it turns out, I only brought up that boy named Sue so I could talk about a man named Alice. A man who certainly experienced the dark, earthly shadow of hell. Because he went through some serious alcohol and cocaine addiction and the problems that plague so many young celebrities.
Alice is the one who sang,
“Welcome to my breakdown, whoa-whoa-oh
You’re welcome to my nightmare, yeah-yeah-ah”
But he did something the vast majority of celebrities will NOT do.
Alice Cooper decided to start over. You might call it a sort of “born-again” decision. In fact, you should call it that. I read an article that said, “Cooper is somewhat reluctant to take on the mantle of celebrity “born-again Christian.” But I’ve also seen videos where he doesn’t back away from his Christian identity either.
And that’s impressive considering the potential for negative feedback.
Yeah, the so-called “tolerance and diversity” crowd draws the line of their tolerance and celebration of diversity at anyone who stands up for Christianity.
And the article I read showed that Alice Cooper does that. He said, “Being a Christian is something you just progress in. You learn. You go to your Bible studies. And you pray. It’s real easy to focus on Alice Cooper and not on Christ. I’m a rock singer. I consider myself low on the totem pole of knowledgeable Christians. So, don’t look for answers from me. I’m a new creature now. Don’t judge Alice by what he used to be. Praise God for what I am now.”
So, what Alice used to be compelled him to write “welcome to my nightmare.” And what he is now compels him to “praise God” for it.
Goes to show that it’s possible to exchange the nightmare of hell for the sweet dream of Heaven.
OK, school’s out for the summer! Or at least until tomorrow.
Stay tuned,
