Alice Cooper - Eighteen - Lyrics Meaning

Born from the angst of confusion, `Eighteen' by Alice Cooper tries to voice the inner conflict of someone who is on the verge of being a man while being just a boy.

Cooper was actually 23 when he wrote this song and it gained much commercial success, probably being one of the primary reasons Alice Cooper still has a career.

From the outer appearance the writer feels like a man but in fact is just a boy. Dealing with the familiar territory the he knows he is inexperienced but still jaded with the world and the things he sees in it (`baby's brain and an old man's heart')

As the song builds to a to its climax the whole focus has been the desperation at the hoplesnessnes of being eighteen. In the last few verses though the whole song is given perspective by the line, `I'm eighteen and I like it'.

Suddenly the song is revealed for what it is, a whimsical look at the transient feelings of an 18 year old.

This message resounded with Coopers' audience who themselves felt they were in this position and grew to be a cult classic. It was also voted in Rolling Stones top500 songs of all time.