D.O.A.
by Bloodrock

Album: Bloodrock 2 (1970)
Charted: 36
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Songfacts®:

  • "D.O.A." is a shockingly morbid song sung from the perspective of a dying man who's just been involved in a plane crash (the title stands for "Dead On Arrival"). The girl next to him is already dead, and he doesn't seem to have long.

    It's not the only song about a plane crash ("Flight 505" by The Rolling Stones and "American Pie" by Don McLean come to mind) but is the only charting song with such visceral lyrics. A sample:

    The sheets are red and moist where I'm lying
    God in Heaven, teach me how to die

    Understandably, many radio stations refused to play the song, fearing listeners would find it disturbing, but the song found enough of a following to send it to #36 in the US.
  • The song was written by the six members of Bloodrock during a practice session. According to keyboard player Stevie Hill, it started when guitarist Lee Pickens started playing two repeating notes that sound a like a European ambulance. These notes resemble what's known as "The Devil's Interval," which was supposedly banned in churches. With this nefarious musical backdrop, they came up with the very unsettling lyrics, with Pickens drawing inspiration from a plane crash he witnessed that killed a friend.
  • The full version, found on the album, runs 8:30. The single was edited down to 4:36.
  • Sirens play at various points in this song to set the scene. This was unpleasant for drivers who would mistake it for an ambulance.
  • Bloodrock was from Fort Worth, Texas. "D.O.A.," their only significant hit, is part of their second album, Bloodrock 2. They later moved from rock to a more jazz direction, and broke up in 1975.

Comments: 20

  • Saratoga Cv60 from OhioI was 10 when this song came out, l remember watching Walter kronkite reporting from Vietnam. I always thought this song was about guys driving stoned?
  • T9 from North CarolinaI liked it the whole album is good.
  • Peter O from Nashville, TnIt didn't take long after DOA was released and playing on radio stations that it was banned because of the lyrical content. The content was too strong.
    But then, the song "TIMOTHY" by The Boys was about cannibalism and it remained playing on the airwaves because the song made you think about its content, the lyrical content was not as strong.
  • Don from OhioWhat about The Bee Gees "I've Got to Get a Message to You" and the "New York Mining Disaster 1941"? Neither song was the most up-beat topics.
  • Rosemary from Midland,txMy husband and I lived with the drummer in Dallas 1971. We were all so stoned and people were dying from drug overdoes so death was kind of a theme.
  • Kel from Virginia*To reply to Paul from Mpls.*
    What made this song sooooo morbid was the time it came out. 1970 was one of the best years of my youth, but things were MUCH more innocent. The Exorcist came out in 1973... they gave out puke bags at movie theaters, and had ambulances out front on standby, if that tells you anything. I watched it last year and laughed at how cheesy and corny it seems now. Nowadays, people are so jaded.
    This song REALLY, REALLY freaked everyone out!
    It was banned on every radio station, and at all schools.
  • Paul From Mpls. from Minneapolis,mn.How could anyone say this was themost morbid song ever, not that its not a morbit song, but what about this one? Trapped in a mine that had caved in
    And everyone knows the only ones left
    Were Joe and me and Tim
    When they broke through to pull us free
    The only ones left to tell the tale
    Were Joe and me
    Timothy, Timothy, where on earth did you go?
    Timothy, Timothy, God why don't I know?
    Hungry as hell no food to eat
    And Joe said that he would sell his soul
    For just a piece of meat
    Water enough to drink for two
    And Joe said to me, "I'll have a swig
    And then there's some for you."
    Timothy, Timothy, Joe was looking at you
    Timothy, Timothy, God what did we do?
    I must have blacked out just around then
    'Cause the very next thing that I could see
    Was the light of the day again
    My stomach was full as it could be
    And nobody ever got around
    To finding Timothy
    Timothy
  • Valerie from New JerseyI was nine when this song hit the airwaves and my teacher was always playing "rock music" during "free periods". this song gave me panic attacks and I dreaded it coming on the radio. Actually ran to the nurses station when it began to play after the first panic attack as I thought I would be sick. Always visualized a car accident.
  • Cee Gee Dee from Big D, Texas, UsaI knew as a kid it was dark, gloomy, HEAVY. Wasn't sure if it came out in 69, 70, 71. Apparently the latter. And, yes, the Hit something in the air lyric is very ominous. I somethings think about how Patsy Cline died, although that was a much earlier event. I don't call this heavy rock. I call it heavy pop, because it really is a very well constructed song. This is the only tune I know of Bloodrock from my youth, but I am tempted to check them out and see what else is in store, 49 to 50 years after it was released. I am going through a Terry Knight phase. He produced it. Plus was murdered by his daughter's boyfriend in 2004. Not the same set of events and, yet, very prophetic.
  • Chet Pomeroy from KeysWhen this came out I assumed it was a car crash and "hit something in the air" referred to the couple in the car being stoned. 50 years later I now read it was a plane crash. The car crash scenario hits home for more people and is therefore creepier. IMHO
  • Transplanted Hippy from VaI grew up understanding it was written in response to the Wichita State Univ. football team plane crash of October 1970.
  • Michael from LestatkattThe motivation for writing this song was explained in 2005 by guitarist Lee Pickens. “When I was 17, I wanted to be an airline pilot,” Pickens said. “I had just gotten out of this airplane with a friend of mine, at this little airport, and I watched him take off. He went about 200 feet in the air, rolled and crashed.” The band decided to write a song around the incident and include it on their second album.
  • Timothy from Lebanon TnD.O.A. Considered to be the most morbid song ever recorded. One would think due to the lyrics it was a plane crash. However they made a video in the mid eighties which reveiled a lightning bolt hitting the hood of the car. The Bouys Timothy was actually the name of the mule that was in the cave with them.
  • Dave from Marquette MiDropped acid to D.O.A. in 1971, songs been in my head since...
  • Rick from Belfast, Me2 of the morbid songs from the 1970's......this one(DOA) and Timothy by the Buoys....about cannabalism
  • Matt from San Francisco, CaI was 6 when this song came out, hardly able to grasp death but getting bombarded by its images via the nightly coverage of Vietnam. I was way too curious and stared far too long at the screen, or the harrowing images in Life magazine. This song added to the harrowing milieu of that time, and haunted me for years.
  • Mackail from Winnipeg, Mbthis song is tragic, gross and makes perfect scence.It is also one of the best songs i've ever heard
  • Rabitt from Sugar Land, TxOne of the greatest concerts I ever attended was Bloodrock opening for Grand Funk Railroad in Houston (probably early '70). I didn't know one thing about Bloodrock but was a huge Grand Funk fan, When Bloodrock took the opened and took the stage they set the tone and put on a great show at least as good as GFR. They were great showmen and great artist.
  • Beth from Charleston, WvThis was released shortly after the Marshall University's football team plane crash and I have always related it to that.
  • Chuck from Concord, NhIsn't it strange how we interpret things differently from each other? I have always believed this song to be about a car crash.."we were flying low, and hit something in the air.." but now I can easily see how it might be an aviation accident. Anyway, love the song even as morbid as it is!
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