I Am Made of You (Welcome 2 My Nightmare, 2011)

Released some thirty years after the original ‘Nightmare’ conception, Welcome 2 My Nightmare was released in 2011. In many ways, this record combines the themes found on Welcome To My Nightmare (1975) and Alice Cooper Goes To Hell (1976). This LP like the two previously listed, is experienced from Steven’s perspective. The listener is thrown into the hellish nightmare and occurrences that may very well be found in the depths of the abyss – tongue-in-cheek examples of the horrible things that can be found there. Also, on the record, we find Ke$ha playing the surprising role of Satan.

“I Am Made of You” is the first song on the album. It is a masterpiece. The tune begins with the familiar piano riff from the song ‘Steven’ (found on the original ‘Welcome to My Nightmare’ album), but it then quickly turns into a melodic rock ballad. One that finds the singer working through three parts of his despair – exasperation, expectation, and ends with exaltation. It is, without a doubt, one of the best songs in Cooper’s vast catalog of music.

This post will look at “I Am Made of You” from a few different scenarios. While the song can be interpreted in many different ways, we will focus mostly on David and the Psalms during this post. However, as you listen to the song, it definitely applies elsewhere in scripture. The stories of Adam, Abraham, Moses, etc. relate as well. This song at some point, defines everyone’s walk with our Lord. It clearly points us to those tougher pills we sometimes have to swallow.  The ones that push our faith the hardest. The places where real growth takes place.

In Psalms 13, David’s words read:

¹ How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
² How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
And day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

³ Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
⁴ and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
And my foes will rejoice when I fall.

⁵ But I trust in your unfailing love;
My heart rejoices in your salvation.
⁶ I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.

In these verses, David is found pleading with God – using the phrase ‘how long‘ four times within the first two verses. It’s obvious he is trapped in some sort of darkness and despair – even physically spending time in the cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 21:15-22:2). However, he remains vigilant, faithful, and holds on to his trust in the Lord. It seems that moments like that are the most natural times in life just to give up and lose hope, yet doing so only leaves you consumed by despair and ruin.

Perseverance and faithful intentions allow God to move. We must remember that His timing is not the same as ours. We must hold on and wait for His breakthrough to happen. Looking back and seeing His plan is often easier than looking forward, expecting to know ours. Seeing where He’s brought you is usually much more comfortable than learning or discovering where He wants to take you. Live today without the anxiety and fear of tomorrow (Matthew 6:34).

The next few stanzas after the chorus lead to “…revelation, a river of salvation and now…” belief. Standing in faith and on His promises is not an easy task, it’s often difficult to see what will happen next. We often find that the picture is fuzzy, yet the evidence of His plan is right there in plain sight, but for some reason, it’s just not in complete focus. Our faith is intact, but our logic and reasoning demand that the evidence be blatantly obvious.

As humans, we often allow our surroundings, current events, and other intangible factors to dictate our moods and mindsets. Instead, we should strive to work diligently at giving Him praise in all things and at all times – no matter the circumstances.

When things seem bleak or dark, let us cling to David’s words in Psalms 13:5 which read, “I trust in your unfailing love; My heart rejoices in your salvation.” Stop and think about those words. How often do we just allow His ‘unfailing love’ to cover every aspect of our life? To just silently be still and rejoice for His Grace, His Mercy, and His Love – our salvation.

As the song exclaims, it’s through revelation – that point when we wholeheartedly bow and claim Him and His Word as complete truth – that we are yanked from despair and placed into the arms of freedom. Freedom in our walk with Him to be who He has created us to be. As we recite the words of scripture, which fortify our heart, our mind, and our soul, we must know that the declarations made through His Word are a solid foundation for our lives (Matthew 7:24-27).

By the end of the song, the singer has come to realize that through God’s Love and us being His creation, we find our strength. Knowing that He is the composer, we are merely His songs. That’s FASCINATING! Much like David writes in Psalms 139:13-14, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

We are created in the image of God, His character has been interwoven into the very fiber of our being. As we are knit together in our mother’s wombs, a plan for our lives has already been set in motion. That plan is ours to have, hold, and live – all we must do is accept it and seek out Him and His direction. Just “show up!”

Worthlessness and self-loathing come straight from the enemy’s playbook – laying in wait to feed you lies and deceit about who you are and what your Father has created you to be. Truth is, the Holy Spirit is ready and willing to work within you. Knowing this, we should have as much respect for ourselves as our Creator has for us. We are made of Him and His Glory. His fingerprints can be found in ALL creation.

Wrapping this up, how often do we stop and think about who He has created us to be? How often do we seek His Will instead of our own? It’s a struggle. A constant battle within our minds. It requires diligence, focus, and commitment. But we are made from Him. We are equipped to carry out all the plans He has set forth for us. All we must do is know and receive them.

A good part of this comes from knowing we are each unique creations. Each person’s mold is entirely different, yet the same Creator placed within each of us His own ‘witness marks’ – hints and indentations of Himself. He’s put those hints of His nature there for us to know more about who we are and why we are here. They are inherent. They flow naturally. However, here’s the secret. Like any well-written song, it takes more than just a page of words and notes for that song to come to life. It takes vision, execution, and creativity.

The perfect song requires many factors – composer, musicians, singer, producer, and other more intangible elements – to create. In our lives, Our Creator is all of those things – breathing motivation, drive, and purpose in our lives. We must be mindful of those inherent traits and become who He’s created us to be. We must learn and know that we are here for a reason. YOU are His song, His masterpiece. Share your song – His song – with the world knowing and believing Him as Lord.

In conclusion, “I Am Made Of You” is breathtaking. It’s as if the answer to life’s questions are answered before the nightmare. As if to say, all the other experiences found on this LP can be avoided. Just know that you are His and His creation. Embrace that and Him.

Welcome 2 My Nightmare is slowly growing on me more and more. It’s well-written and features so many little pieces of the original nightmare as well. They are either on the surface like the piano riff found at the beginning of “I Am Made Of You” or buried a little deeper into the melody (like the previous W2MN post, “Under The Bed”). It is the perfect continuation to both the original Welcome To My Nightmare and Alice Cooper Goes To Hell LPs, yet it stands apart – the album is its own Nightmare.

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. – Ephesians 2:10

That’s it for this week, see you next Friday!

Until then, Keep Walkin’ in Faith and Rockin’ with Alice!