Second Coming (Love It To Death, 1971)

Love It To Death, Alice Cooper’s third studio LP was released in 1971. At this point, the band had made a name for themselves, yet they had still not developed their sound – enter Bob Ezrin.

“When Bob Ezrin got hold of us, he said, “Look, everybody wants to love you guys, but there’s nothing to hang the handle on. You guys have no musical handle.” So he took us for eight months. We sat in Detroit in a barn, ten hours a day, and we learned to play.” – Alice Cooper

Ezrin assisted the band in developing their craft and contributed musically. In addition, he helped orchestrate their style.

Horrific sounds, eerie tunes, and shock-based rock coupled with classical piano were his unique idea that added depth to the Love It To Death LP.

From their time spent in Detroit, the snarls, growls, and riffs of Alice Cooper were born. Alice admits, “Love It To Death was a really hard record to make.” However, The hard work paid off. The album included classicks such as “I’m Eighteen,” “Ballad of Dwight Fry,” “Sun Arise,” and “Caught In A Dream.”

The supporting tour for the album also introduced a nurse dragging Alice off stage. Only for him to return, bound in a straightjacket, and ultimately meet his fate executed by the electric chair.

This week’s song, “Second Coming,” is the 7th track on the album.  The song is a rarity in that Alice solely wrote it. Most of the band’s songs were collaborative efforts, but Alice exclusively wrote this song and a few others.

The track carries a few points laced within the music and lyrics.

I couldn’t tell
If the bells were getting louder
The songs they ring, I finally recognize
I only know hell is getting hotter
The devil’s getting smarter all the time

And it would be nice
To walk upon the water
To talk again to angels
On my side

There might be evidence of a time when faith was more recognizable, as if Alice is lamenting a time when he was back in Phoenix – growing up in the church.

Was the line, “bells getting louder,” a reminder or an example of that inner voice of God calling for us to walk with Him? It could be. However, there’s more to these words. By the song’s end, the listener is reminded of Christ’s Return – the “Second Coming.”

I just come back to show you
All my words are golden
So have no gods before me
I’m the Light

Like most of Alice Cooper’s work, this song carries a cautionary message – “have no gods before me, I’m the LIGHT!”

Let’s look at this song from two different perspectives: 1) the inner voice of God and 2) the Second Coming of Christ.

The Inner Voice of God
Recognizing and knowing God’s still, small voice can be frustrating, but it doesn’t have to be. Once anyone has accepted the Truth of His Word, His Spirit begins speaking to one’s conscience – delivering bits of information (i.e., right from wrong, deliverance from evil, etc.).

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” – 1 Kings 19:11-13

I will stand at my watch.
    and station myself on the ramparts;
I will look to see what he will say to me,
    and what answer I am to give to this complaint.

Then the Lord replied:

“Write down the revelation
    and make it plain on tablets
    so that a herald may run with it. – Habakkuk 2:1-2

Both Elijah and Habakkuk knew the sound of God speaking to them, yet they learned it’s best to seek Him in silence – away from distractions (also referenced in Psalms 62:5). This somewhat parallels last week’s post, “The Sound of A.”

We spend a reasonable amount of time distracted by the things of this world – calls, texts, emails, entertainment, social media, etc. If we only focus on those things, it’s easy to miss God. However, when we focus more intently on Him, we find a more meaningful life.

Our faith requires persistence, diligence, and commitment. We must become deliberate in our walk with Him.

Learning from the examples outlined in God’s Word, we see that solitude is essential. Spending time with God in prayer and meditating on His Word brings answers and clarity. Solutions are found in Him, not in the world.

The song also mentions walking on water – a direct reference to Peter stepping out of the boat to meet Christ upon the water (Matthew 14:22-33). Like Peter’s scenario, the song alludes to someone who has taken their eyes off Christ, no longer focused or walking with Him. They are instead distracted and sinking.

By the end of the song, we find a declaration from Christ. Calmly He (Christ) declares that He is the only way to the Father – The Light (John 14:6). It’s also a call for anyone that has placed ‘other gods before Him’ to come back to the fold (Luke 15:3-7).

Stop and think for a moment. Isn’t this song essentially about a person crying out to God? As if they are saying, “God, I want to be with you and walk with you again,” and asking, “How do I get back?”

God doesn’t ignore anyone that calls His name. Alice beautifully illustrates how our Lord often answers first with a calm, mellow answer but while God often answers in whispers or lesser-known ways, He sometimes uses a much louder or more drastic measure to get our attention.

Are there times you can remember when God answered you quietly? Loudly?

The Second Coming of Christ
As stated earlier in this post, the song also issues a warning at the end. It’s subtle, but it’s there. The line ‘have no gods before me’ is a cautionary appeal to our hearts.

Our lives are short, and His return grows closer each day (Revelation 22:12). Therefore, we must stay focused and ready for His return.

One of our responsibilities is to help others understand and prepare for His return (Matt. 28:18-20). When that still, small voice pleads for you to uplift, enlighten and encourage another person, know that it’s from Him and submit to His Will (but do so lovingly and without condemnation).

His return is imminent. Are we ready? Are we sharing the Good News with others?

Wrapping up this week’s post, the world is still on fire. The last time we visited this song was in 2020. Has anything changed? Is there any less strife?

It’s as if we are on a steady, swift decline into a divided existence where the minutia of this world separates us and replaces love with, at best, restlessness and, at worst, hate.  

A good friend of ours joked, “It’s as if we wake up each morning wondering what chapter of Revelation will unfold today.” Most likely, this isn’t the end of humanity, but what if the end is near?

Have we adequately addressed life’s purpose and meaning? Have we found those things? Have we accepted Him? Do we embrace His Light?

This post discusses the voice of God and embracing His calling for our lives. But on the flip side, the enemy always wants to divert our attention. So we must be mindful of our thoughts and actions. Do they line up with scripture, or do they line up with the world’s narrative?

His Word is our guidebook – a tool we can use to interpret our path and how we should navigate through the muck and mire. When thoughts and ideas don’t align with Him and His Word, they are most likely attacks from below.

For instance, insight from God should enlighten, encourage, and promote well-being – He is our Teacher, Counselor, Creator, Deliverer, Healer, and the list goes on (paraphrasing James 3:17).

On the other side, thoughts and ideas from the enemy imply doom, misery, anxiety, doubt, and selfishness – he is the enemy, deceiver, destroyer, and thief (paraphrasing James 3:14-15).

We must train our hearts and minds to know the difference.

In conclusion, “Second Coming” leads the listener to a place of humbleness. Alice shares a piece of his heart with the audience. While he would later claim that his faith was not wholly intact early on in his career, Alice knew the truth.

We believe Alice would agree that as we wait for the “Second Coming” of Christ, learning to focus and fix our eyes upon Him (The Light) is vital. If we faithfully step out with Him, we will “walk upon the water.”

Alice Cooper’s Love It To Death image and style is alive (and well) today. All of the elements of that LP still apply even now. There’s no denying the LP’s significance.

The songs from that album also touch on all aspects of our humanity. We see examples of emotion (“Caught In A Dream”), mental (“Ballad of Dwight Fry”), physical (“Is It My Body?”), and spiritual (“Second Coming”) attributes embraced by songs on the LP.

Alice continues to inspire using those same attributes, and, for many of us, even more so today than in the past. God Bless him, his wife (Sheryl), the band, and all those needed to provide us with his music and shows. 

That’s it for this week, catch you next Friday.

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