Little Betty ate a pound of aspirin
She got them from the shelf upon the wall
Betty's mommy wasn't there to save her
She didn't hear, hear her little baby call

Dead babies can't take care of themselves
Dead babies can't take things off the shelf
Well, we didn't want you anyway
Lalala-lalalalalala-la

Daddy is an agrophile in Texas
Mommy's on the bar most every night
Little Betty's sleeping in the graveyard
Living there in burgundy and white

Dead babies can't take care of themselves
Dead babies can't take things off the shelf
Well, we didn't love you anyway
Lalala-lalalalalala-la

Goodbye little Betty
Goodbye little Betty
So long little Betty
So long little Betty
Betty, so long

Dead babies can't take care of themselves
Dead babies can't take things off the shelf
Well, we didn't need you anyway
Lalala-lalalalalala-la

Goodbye little Betty


Lyrics submitted by Funnycatchphrase

Dead Babies Lyrics as written by Alice Cooper

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Dead Babies song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

21 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +5
    General Comment
    It's an anti-child abuse/neglect anthem that shows what happens when immature twits who are too involved in their own good time and partying to take care of their child the right way become parents
    CuteSparkinaon July 23, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General Comment
    I sort of wonder, and don't criticize me because I could just be overanalyzing this song, but is it possible that Betty was Steven's daughter? AC makes it clear that Steven's deeply mentally disturbed as it is, but maybe Betty's death pushed him over the edge and made him kill his wife? I don't know, just some of my thoughts. I just saw AC live a few nights ago and he was awesome!
    dixiesgreendaygrlon August 15, 2009   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation
    This is a sobering song that makes a tragic statement about the human condition of no real love and total self-involvement. Something all too common and something which remains an ongoing tragedy even more so now years later. The baby (i.e., Betty) is a victim representation of her young parents' apathy for family, marriage, or anyone else. Ambition and personal pursuits of individual interests by her parents ultimately abandon the baby Betty to the diminished role of a worn out novelty. The baby Betty's parents later make admissions to attempt to selfishly explain away and justify in hindsight any sense of guilt and responsibility for their abandonment of the baby Betty and deny their critical role in her tragic death. The baby Betty's father is a selfish, ambitious man who abandons his family to go to Texas where he becomes a wealthy tycoon in agriculture... and despite his great wealth selfishly chooses NOT to lift a finger to help (or even acknowledge) his former family. The baby Betty's mother (left to raise a baby on her own) feels trapped and alone... with little money, she becomes a stripper to pay the bills... not so much because she lacks the qualifications to do anything else, but moreover to cure her youthful sense of isolation and insatiable need for social adventure. The baby Betty was obvious a curious toddler left on her own while her mother was likely busy in the bedroom with some man she recently met at the bar. Because baby Betty was left unsupervised, she was able to explore and ultimately discover a bottle of aspirin (which she mistook for candy) and overdosed... dying all alone. Obviously this is a song about the sad notion that even someone so precious as a small child is expendable to the selfish needs and personal interests of parents... who possess all the necessary resources, but who lack capacity and desire to give of themselves.
    DuskRideron June 12, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    its about parents who are too busy wasting their lives away at bars and neglect their kids, and not watch over them, its more of a statement then a shock song.
    Staticburn89on July 10, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Why has no one commented on this song written about dead babies?
    Astronautson June 18, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Ok here is a comment The first part of the song is about a little girl called Betty, who had acces to a pound of aspirin,and at them thinking it was candy,and here Mommy wasn't there to take the aspirins away and take Betty to the hospital,because she (the Mommy) was an alcoholic and had more eyes for the bottle then for her own baby girl,so Betty died,and at the end of the song,the parents have to go to court ,because they let the baby die.
    R25on June 30, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    does anyone know what an agrophile is? or is it just a phrase coined by cooper?
    abscenceofsanityon July 10, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Yeah I always wondered what an agrophile is too. Great song.
    haloofflieson October 29, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Agrophile: Something which thrives or lives in cultivated soil. Taken from dictionary.reference.com
    BloodyDoppelon January 05, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Such a good, sad song. I almost cried the first time I heard it.
    invader_kibbyon January 13, 2008   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
The Last Dance
Within Temptation
@Kahiara Actually I think the husband passed away, "She sang for you last night She heard you were calling" Many people say they have felt, heard, or seen their loved ones after they have passed. "Don't be scared now Close your eyes She holds guard tonight Go on forward no remorse Life will take it's course" This is said to the late husband by a third part (never named), who encourages him to pass on. Because life will eventually continue. The phrase "holds guard" refers to the ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/… ) which is a Christian ceremony held after someone dies. Now it is usually held right after the funeral, but in most celtiic countries the wake is held before the funeral. "She danced with you last night so you will remember All you have shared, a lifetime." This sentence feels as if the only thing it wants to convey is their history together, namely, husband and wife. For the rest it just refers back to the first verse.
Album art
Anti-Hero
Taylor Swift
I believe this is another amazingly on point and nuanced commentary on the insanity that follows emotionally abusive relationships. The abuser has no anxieties, no emotional pain, or salience/memory for that matter, so the survivor appears to be the crazy one, obsessed with the abuse and that buzzword that seems to ignite arguments about diagnosing people without a degree, etc. funny how you say the words domestic violence, abuse, abuse survivor and boom the subject changes. Anyways, I especially relate to her midnights becoming afternoons, complex PTSD often leads to this phenomenon, whether due to purposeful sleep deprivation by the abuser, or just hyper vigilance associated with the PTSD, along with the fear of facing people, especially your loved ones, who Never actually understand, even if they try, because all they see is you, on fire, screaming about the arsonist that no one ever sees, and who has been spreading lies about your alleged mental instability, deceptive personality, etc. the whole time. While the last thing survivors need is more blame, our society supports a narrative that blames the objectively innocent party because the blatantly guilty party has spent their entire lives fabricating a persona and we’re just being human, and human psychology is quite counterintuitive especially in the context of trauma. Look at Amber Heard. Vilified and not believed, regardless of what any abuse survivor could recognize as a fellow survivor instantly. But Johnny depp is a malignant narcissist, a man, and wealthy as all get out. It’s sick.
Album art
Keep My Name Outta Your Mouth
Black Keys, The
This standout track comes off the artiste's latest reissue titled "Brothers Deluxe Remastered 10th Anniversary Edition". The track was produced by Mark Neill, Patrick Carney & Dan Auerbach. It was released via major streaming platforms on December 18, 2020.
Album art
Real Groove
Kylie Minogue
This standalone single marks the latest collaboration between the artists. It was produced by Nico Stadi & Teemu Brunila and released on December 31, 2020.
Album art
Hypnotized
River Tiber
This standout psychedelic track was produced in its entirety by River Tiber, being released to all major digital streaming platforms on December 29, 2020.