How You Gonna See Me Now

The Zoo Crew is spinning Alice Cooper’s haunting ballad “How You Gonna See Me Now” from his 1978 concept album From the Inside, a track that resonates deeply with the Zoo Freaks tuning in. This power ballad, which peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, was inspired by Cooper’s personal struggles during his time in a New York sanitarium for alcoholism treatment. The song’s lyrics reflect Cooper’s anxiety about how his wife, Sheryl Goddard, would perceive him after his rehabilitation, capturing a raw and vulnerable moment in his life. According to fan discussions on SickthingsUK, Cooper wrote the song as a heartfelt letter to his wife, wondering if she could still love him after his battle with addiction. A music video was created for the single, a rarity for the time, showcasing Cooper’s theatrical flair, which Zoo Freaks can still find circulating on platforms like YouTube.

In a 2009 interview, Cooper himself praised From the Inside as one of his best musical works, highlighting the album’s unique concept where each song was based on real people he met in the sanitarium. The track “How You Gonna See Me Now” was co-written with legendary lyricist Bernie Taupin, known for his work with Elton John, alongside guitarist Dick Wagner and producer David Foster. This collaboration brought a polished yet emotional depth to the song, blending Cooper’s shock rock roots with a more accessible rock-pop sound. Posts on X from Cooper’s official account in recent years celebrate the song’s legacy, noting its 40th and 43rd anniversaries and its connection to his recovery journey. The album’s cover art, featuring a gatefold image of an asylum with a hidden flap revealing Cooper in a padded cell, adds a visual nod to the song’s introspective tone, as described on Wikipedia.

Alice Cooper, born Vincent Damon Furnier on February 4, 1948, in Detroit, Michigan, kicked off his musical journey in Phoenix, Arizona, where he moved as a teenager. At 16, he formed his first band, The Earwigs, with high school track teammates to perform Beatles parodies at a local talent show. The group’s success led them to continue as The Spiders, and later The Nazz, before settling on the name Alice Cooper in the late 1960s. The name, chosen for its ironic contrast to their provocative image, was meant to evoke a sense of dark humor, as Cooper explained in a 2024 interview on Military News. After moving to Los Angeles in 1968, the band caught the attention of Frank Zappa, who signed them to his Straight Records label. Their early albums flopped, but relocating to Detroit and working with producer Bob Ezrin led to their breakthrough with 1971’s Love It to Death and the hit “I’m Eighteen.”

Cooper’s theatrical performances, blending horror, vaudeville, and glam rock, earned him the title “The Godfather of Shock Rock.” After the original band dissolved in 1975, Furnier legally adopted the name Alice Cooper and launched a solo career with Welcome to My Nightmare. His career, spanning over 60 years, includes over 50 million records sold and a 2011 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Fans can connect with him through his official website at alicecooper.com, follow his updates on Facebook (4.5M followers), Instagram (1.5M followers), and X (928.6K followers). For deeper dives into his legacy, Zoo Freaks can explore the fan-driven SickthingsUK or join the Alice Cooper Fans Facebook group to share stories and trivia about the shock rock legend.