Transfusion

Album: Dr. Demento 20th Anniversary Collection (1956)
Charted: 8
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This novelty hit tells the story of a man who keeps getting in automobile accidents from careless driving, and being glad to receive blood transfusions after each accident.
  • Every stanza begins with the line "Never never never gonna speed again" then he uses alliteration in lines such as "Slip some blood in me, bud" and "Pour some crimson in me, Jimson. After each verse, there is a graphic noise of a real car accident.
  • Due to the humorous tone of a very serious subject, this song was banned from many different radio stations in the 1950s. But a DJ named Barry Hansen kept playing it on his radio station, which resulted in him getting the nick name "Dr. Demento."
  • The song was reviewed by Melvin Belli, a personal-injury lawyer, in his 1956 book Ready for the Plaintiff, and he remarks: "The ghoulish lyrics hiccup hysterically" but "wind up with a gem of jive-y wisdom that is strictly in the groove: 'Oh, barnyard drivers are found in two classes / Line-crowding hogs and speeding jackasses / So remember to slow down today!'" He was a truck driver before his fame rose, which is ironic. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Landon - Winchester, OH, for all above
  • Nervous Norvus was Jimmy Drake, who specialized in novelty songs. He had another hit in 1956 with "Ape Call."

Comments: 4

  • Tommy K from Nvevery time I go to the hospital for a regular transfusion,
    I sing it for the nurses, they love it!
  • Peter Malcolmson from MiPlease note that the related phrase "shoot the talcum to me, Malcolm" was used in a song by Virginia O'Brien in the 1941 Marx Brothers film "The Big Store".
  • Jdzyn from TennesseeAlliteration is when a string of words share similar starting sounds. This song uses simple rhyme in its lines.
  • Sandy from Enterprise, Flmy dad used to love this song when I was a kid! I can still hear him singing along! "Slip some juice to me, Bruce!" Thank you for giving me the facts behind the song.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Jeff Trott

Jeff TrottSongwriter Interviews

Sheryl Crow's longtime songwriting partner/guitarist Jeff Trott reveals the stories behind many of the singer's hits, and what its like to be a producer for Leighton Meester and Max Gomez.

Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum

Dave Pirner of Soul AsylumSongwriter Interviews

Dave explains how the video appropriated the meaning of "Runaway Train," and what he thought of getting parodied by Weird Al.

Grunge Bands Quiz

Grunge Bands QuizMusic Quiz

If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien Songs

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien SongsSong Writing

The trail runs from flying saucer songs in the '50s, through Bowie, blink-182 and Katy Perry.

Jimmy Jam

Jimmy JamSongwriter Interviews

The powerhouse producer behind Janet Jackson's hits talks about his Boyz II Men ballads and regrouping The Time.

Cy Curnin of The Fixx

Cy Curnin of The FixxSongwriter Interviews

The man who brought us "Red Skies" and "Saved By Zero" is now an organic farmer in France.