River of Blood
a song about the circulatory system
words and music by Lloyd Miller
arrangement by Ari Dolegowski, Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, and Lloyd Miller
(c) (p) 2008, 2010
appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)
The River of Blood keeps on flowin'
The River of Blood keeps on goin'
Oh, the River of Blood
it flows to your toes
It's the River of Blood
That doggone River of Blood
Oh, the River of Blood you can't put your bike in it
But the River of Blood -- lots of things to like in it
Amino acids and gases
blood cells and hormones
Veins bring blood back to the heart
And the arteries are how it goes
The River of Blood keeps on flowin'
The River of Blood keeps on goin'
Oh, ride the River of Blood
round the bend of your elbows
It's the River of Blood
That doggone River of Blood
Oh, the River of Blood the heart keeps pumping
that's why it flows
it pumps oxygenated blood to the body
deoxygenated blood to the lungs
2000 gallons a day
60,000 miles
The River of Blood could go around the world
two and a half times
I wrote this song with my daughter Hazel in Vermont one summer. I would push her in the swings every day and sing songs, often songs I made up on the spot. The one that really captured her imagination was "River of Blood." I think I started it just as a fake Johnny Cash / "Blood on the Saddle" / "Ghost Riders in the Sky" kind of song but then changed it into this info-heavy tune about the circulatory system. Hazel helped me come up with some of the best lines, the very best being: "You can't put your bike in it."
Who does what on "River of Blood"
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): organ, vocals
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): electric guitar, vocals
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums, vocals
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): electric bass, lead vocals
Dean Jones: recording, mixing, vocals
