Last Man On Earth (Welcome 2 My Nightmare, 2011)

Welcome 2 My Nightmare, released in 2011, is the continuation of the story of Steven. This time Alice’s beloved character finds himself back in Hell after visiting the abyss some 35 years before (on the 1976 LP, Alice Cooper Goes To Hell LP). Bob Ezrin reunites with Alice (after nearly 30 years) to help create and produce this incredibly diverse album.

“When we work together, it’s like Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. We know each other upside down and backward. I can go in with Bob Ezrin and say, “Here’s the idea of the story. Let’s not do part two of Welcome To My Nightmare. Let’s just give Alice a new nightmare.” – Alice Cooper

Welcome 2 My Nightmare is most definitely a new, multi-dimensional Nightmare, and it also finds Alice reuniting not only with Ezrin, but his former bandmates, Michael Bruce, Dennis Dunaway, and Neal Smith as well.

The LP offers a certain feeling of nostalgia but also carries its own definitive vibe and narrative. The songs on the record are a brilliant variation of hard rock, ragtime, rockabilly infusion, disco, and creepy interludes/outros (many of which contain stanzas, riffs, and lines from the original Welcome To My  Nightmare LP).

“Last Man On Earth,” the 5th track on the LP, finds Steven all alone. Various sources claim this song was partly inspired by the Twilight Zone episode entitled, “Time Enough at Last.”

In that episode, Henry Bemis (Burgess Meredith) finds himself left alone in an apocalyptic world with no one else to bother him and a library of books (something he had often fantasized about). However, the joke’s on Bemis. Just as the world has ended for everyone else, his glasses break – leaving him with thousands of books and no way to read them.

Steven is in a similar predicament. He thinks he’s died and gone to heaven. He’s perfectly happy with his solitary confinement, but much to his dismay, it’s a little warmer than he had planned, and there are others there with him – something we learn as the album unfolds.

I don’t know why my whole world came crashing down
I just woke up in lonely town
I opened up my eyes and much to my surprise
Look at this heaven that I’ve found

Don’t need to care about tomorrow
I got no pain, I got no sorrow

I’m the last man on earth
So tell me what it’s worth
Am I a beggar or a king?
Got no trouble, got no time, eternity is mine
I got a whole lot of everything

I can take this town and just burn it to the ground
Smash every window that I see
I can smoke, I can drink, I can swear, and I can stink
There ain’t no one to bother me, no no

The lyrics paint the narrative of a man that must have been miserable during his life. He obviously has a few anger issues, a problem with authority, and an overall destructive outlook on life (even in death). One can’t help but wonder what caused such bitterness and rage.

Let’s face it. Life is tough, and there are times when being alone is warranted and needed. But isn’t life best when we are with others? Are we not created to fellowship with one another?

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” – Proverbs 27:17

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” – Matthew 18:20

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” – Colossians 3:16

Those verses are only a few examples of scripture pointing to companionship. There are hundreds of verses that reference the importance of fellowship and unity. By design, we are better together. Individually we hear His voice, but together we accomplish His greatness (1 Corinthians 12:14-20).

NOTE: Stop and think about the state of the world for a moment. How many people are working against each other? How much confusion and misinformation is being portrayed as truth? Are we really better isolated or not? Is it okay to amass in protest but not in churches, etc.?

Politics aside, the mishandling of COVID-19 on public, private, and personal levels (along with the animosity caused by current events) cause division and strife. Where those things reside, God does not.

The characteristics of His Spirit are clearly defined in The Word. The truth is found where He is found, and the blind cannot lead the blind. If we want to unite and move forward together as one, it will require us to see each other as Christ sees us – as ONE family, HIS family.

We were created to accomplish great things, but not alone – NOT without Him and not without each other. Stop and think about the body of Christ as you would the vital organs of the human body.

Would the brain function properly without the heart? Would the lungs be worth anything without the liver? Would the kidneys work or be needed without the other organs? Of course, the answer is no, and when those organs don’t work well together or communicate properly, the body suffers in the process.

Isn’t that where we are today? Looking at humanity from the above example mixed with the premise of the “Last Man On Earth,” couldn’t we compare the state of humanity to the human body trying to survive without its vital organs?

Much like the song, the human race has become (or maybe always has been) self-absorbed, bitter, and unwilling to cooperate. Not just with each other but with its Creator. For some reason, we’d rather live in our own idea of self-isolated heaven (AKA hell) instead of living with each other as our Creator intended – “here on Earth as it is in Heaven.”

But where has that gotten us? Look around. Does anyone like what they see? There’s no reason to go into detail about the realities of current events. We know who’s to blame. We know the enemy is behind the scenes and how happy he is about the divisions he’s formed within humanity.

However, there is a barometer we can use to know what and how the enemy works. God’s word deciphers the difference between acts of flesh vs. the fruit of the Spirit.

“Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.”
– Galatians. 5:16-17 –

Acts of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21)

Sexual Immorality, Impurity, Debauchery, Idolatry, Witchcraft, Hatred, Discord, Jealousy, Rage, Selfish Ambition, Dissensions, Factions, Envy, Drunkenness, & Orgies

Fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23)

Love, Joy, Peace, Forbearance, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, & Self-Control

With these verses, we can decrypt the enemy’s lies in comparison to God’s Word – the truth. As the rest of 2020 unfolds, we must ask ourselves important questions about the things we see and witness. Are they based on acts of flesh or the fruit of His Spirit?

We must be quick to know that our brothers and sisters are not to blame for the confusion we see. It’s the work of our common enemy. Pray, cloth, and give food to those that come against you, knowing that He has called us to Love, and goodness combined with Love will defeat evil (Romans 12:18-21).

Wrapping this up, walking alone makes it much easier to believe the enemy’s lies. It’s relatively simple to become enamored by the things of this world and gravitate towards pleasing our flesh when we leave our Creator and others out of our narrative. In turn, we become our own gods.

While solitude with God is necessary for enlightenment and clarity, living life apart from others is not meant to be a permanent endeavor. Within the first book of the Bible, we find God stating, “it is not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18).”

Of course, that example points to a woman as man’s companion, but with man and woman, we find the ability to procreate. Therefore, allowing a community of others and fellowship in the process – a family. The Human Race.

God created us to live together and love one another. If we reject that and continue doing the opposite, all hell will continue to break loose. In contrast, when we opt for His Will, we choose His Love, and with that, His “Kingdom will come here on earth as it is in Heaven (Matthew 6:9-13).” Love will ALWAYS prevail.

In conclusion, “Last Man on Earth” is not only thought-provoking but displays Alice’s versatility as well. The cabaret-based sound and style presented by the use of tuba, violin, and banjo shock the listener, but in the right way.

Commercially, Welcome 2 My Nightmare did very well – reaching #22 in the States and #7 in the UK. In comparison, the original Nightmare and this one are not the same (even with little hints from the 70s laced within).

This album found Alice rekindling working relationships with Ezrin, Bruce, Dunaway, and Smith – something fans of old had dreamed about for many years. The results of their endeavors reveal an unforgettable album filled with tongue-in-cheek narratives of life, death, and the afterlife. Classic Alice Cooper!

That’s it for this week. See you next Friday!

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