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D.O.A. (song)

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"D.O.A."
Single by Bloodrock
from the album Bloodrock 2
B-side"Children's Heritage"
Released1971
Recorded1970
GenrePsychedelic rock, Hard rock
Length8:30 (album version)
4:32 (single version)
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)Rutledge, Pickens, Grundy, Taylor, Hill, Cobb[1]
Producer(s)Terry Knight

"D.O.A." is a song by Texas hard rock band Bloodrock released by Capitol Records in early 1971.

Synopsis

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The song is sung from the perspective of a man who has, temporarily, survived a mid-air collision. In his dying words, he describes in graphic detail what he remembered of the collision and his current condition: his arms have been severed, his co-pilot is already lifeless beside him, blood is rapidly leaving his body and pooling underneath him, and a paramedic indicates that no medical intervention can save him from imminent death. Ambulance sirens are heard at several points in the song; at the end, the music slows down and drops in key, simulating the narrator's loss of consciousness and death.

The initials D.O.A. stand for dead on arrival.

Background

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The 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.[2]

Chart performance

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The version of "D.O.A." released as a single is roughly half the length of the long album version found on Bloodrock 2. In March 1971, many US radio stations and high schools banned "D.O.A.".[citation needed] Despite a lack of airplay, the single still reached number 36 on the Billboard chart.[3]

The song was later included in a compilation album entitled Death, Glory and Retribution in 1985 that consisted of death, protest and "answer" songs by various artists.[4]

Track listing

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  1. "D.O.A." - 4:32 (single version)
  2. "Children's Heritage" - 3:31

Cover versions

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References

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  1. ^ "www.discogs.com". www.discogs.com. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  2. ^ Wheeler, Lisa (March 18, 2005). "Grapevine: I Remember . . . Bloodrock Reunite". Goldmine. No. 31. pp. 10, 51.
  3. ^ "D.O.A. - Bloodrock". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
  4. ^ "Death, Glory and Retribution: Various Artists". Allmusic. Retrieved October 10, 2022.