Genuine American Girl

Album: Paranormal (2017)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is a bonus track on Alice Cooper's 27th album, Paranormal. The song is one of two historic mini-reunions with original Alice Cooper band members, guitarist Michael Bruce, bassist Dennis Dunaway and drummer Neal Smith. This song was originally written by Smith.

    "When the original band broke up in 1975, there was no bad blood," explained Cooper. "There were no lawsuits — we had just burned out the creative process. We had gone to high school together and had recorded something like five platinum albums in a row. We were never out of sight of each other for 10 years. Everybody just went their own way. Neal, Dennis and I always stayed in touch. Mike disappeared for a while and Glen Buxton passed away in 1997, which was a big blow."

    "But last year Neal called me up and said, 'I have a couple of songs.' I said, 'Great. Bring 'em over.' Then he said Mike was stopping by, so I had them come to my house and we just worked on a few things for a week," he continued. "Then Dennis called up and said, 'I got a couple songs.' So, I thought, 'Hey, let's do this!' When you listen to record, it just fits right in."
  • The song is about a tough guy who is transgender and not afraid to let the world know about it. Cooper said: "It was gonna be 'I Want A Genuine American Girl', and I went, 'No, no, no. I Wanna Be A Genuine American Girl! It's really a tough song, so it's this guy going, 'I've gotta paint my nails, I've gotta do my hair.' [Laughs]"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Richard Marx

Richard MarxSongwriter Interviews

Richard explains how Joe Walsh kickstarted his career, and why he chose Hazard, Nebraska for a hit.

Bob Dylan Lyric Quiz

Bob Dylan Lyric QuizMusic Quiz

Think you know your Bob Dylan lyrics? Take this quiz to find out.

Christmas Songs

Christmas SongsFact or Fiction

Rudolf, Bob Dylan and the Singing Dogs all show up in this Fact or Fiction for seasonal favorites.

Jack Tempchin - "Peaceful Easy Feeling"

Jack Tempchin - "Peaceful Easy Feeling"They're Playing My Song

When a waitress wouldn't take him home, Jack wrote what would become one of the Eagles most enduring hits.

Colbie Caillat

Colbie CaillatSongwriter Interviews

Since emerging from MySpace with her hit "Bubbly," Colbie has become a top songwriter, even crafting a hit with Taylor Swift.

Donny Osmond

Donny OsmondSongwriter Interviews

Donny Osmond talks about his biggest hits, his Vegas show, and the fan who taught him to take "Puppy Love" seriously.