Don't Give Up by Alice Cooper

Album: Detroit Stories (2020)

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Released on May 8, 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, "Don't Give Up" is Alice Cooper's spontaneous reaction to the challenges people face during the lockdown. The rock icon said he felt the need to talk directly to his fans from isolation in his home while working on his follow up to Paranormal. This is his shout-out to staying strong together.

"It's a song about what we've all been going through right now and about keeping our heads up and fighting back together," Cooper said. "And whatever you do - don't give up."
Longtime Alice Cooper collaborator Bob Ezrin produced the track using remote technology. Their partnership dates back to Alice's 1971 album Love It To Death.
Alice Cooper asked fans in late April 2020 to submit pictures and clips for his "Don't Give Up" video that the singer and his band members were filming separately during home isolation. The visual features contributions from the over 20,000 submissions as we see people holding up signs and messages of unity using words from the lyrics.
Alice Cooper spoke out about the inspiration for the song in a video message. He explained that no one expected the entire planet "to be stopped by a microscopic germ," so he thought it was time he wrote something encouraging.

Alice added: "It's a scary world right now and we've lost a lot of people and a lot of people have been sick and we've just seen how helpless we can be. And my idea was encouragement - we're stronger than this thing; we're tougher than that; we're the human race. So don't fear it. Don't give up. Keep fighting.

To me, that was the whole idea of the song. Let's not step off the ledge. Let's all be on the same game here. And at the same time, we'll beat it. It just takes time - that's all."
Speaking to the radio station KSHE 95, Alice explained that he wanted to offer up a message of encouragement during the COVID-19 pandemic after watching and enjoying Rolling Stones' '"Ghost Town" and Johnny Depp and Jeff Beck's version of John Lennon's "Isolation".

He added: "I said one point of view that has not come out yet is what about us talking back to this virus and telling it it's limited - it has a short lifespan - and yeah, it's dangerous but we're not scared of it, and we're gonna survive and it will not survive. It's sort of like punching the bully in the nose and saying, 'Hey, we're tired of being victims, okay?' And I think a lot of people like that attitude, because it gives them a sense of power over this virus."

Comments: 1

Ninette from Sacramento CaliforniaI have loved your music since I first heard it in 1972 as a matter of fact as a sophomore in high school I gave an oral report about you and your music but this song. You have topped yourself to your fans

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