COME OUT AND PLAY (ATLANTIC, 1985)
This is a song by Twisted Sister from their fourth album, Come Out and Play.
As I briefly explained, this album happens to be the one that introduced me to graffiti — not Subway Art or any of the early ’80s hip-hop movies. So of course, I wanted to feature something from this album at some point.
I started listening to hard rock in 1984, when I was nine years old. I loved Twisted Sister’s image and brand, especially their hit album Stay Hungry, released the same year. Just a year later, they released Come Out and Play. I was slightly more into W.A.S.P. and KISS back then, but Twisted Sister made an everlasting impact on me that has lasted to this day. I still try to listen to both Stay Hungry and Come Out and Play whenever possible.
Now, the song — or even the video, which actually makes this song so good. It’s a duet with Alice Cooper, the king of shock rock, the person from whom most hard rock bands with a “tough” (or perhaps theatrical is more precise) image borrowed something. Or at least tried. Anyway, he and Dee Snider sing together about school and how boring it could feel at its worst — but this time from the perspective of teachers. And it’s done in a way that was only possible in the ’80s: highly entertaining and, of course, highly intentional. The band knew most hard rock fans at the time were young people who’d enjoy the horror movie-like video to the full — even if they couldn’t identify with the “message” 100%.
BE CHROOL TO YOUR SCUEL | pencil & fineliner on paper | 2025