# Hurray for suffocation! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 29, 2008, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurray-for-suffocation/474953 "2008-11-29T19:05:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurray-for-suffocation/474953/1 "2008-11-29T19:05:28Z")
Did anyone else sing this little ditty (to the tune of _Alouette_) when they were a kid? _Suffocation! Hurray for suffocation! Suffocation! It’s so fun to play First you take a garden hose Then you stick it up your nose Turn it on Then you’re gone Hurray! Suffocation! Hurray for suffocation!_ OK, so that’s drowning; not suffocation. It’s not important when you’re six. But that’s the way we sang it. Were there any more verses? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurray-for-suffocation/474953/2 "2008-11-29T19:12:53Z")
_Suffocation, we like suffocation, Suffocation, the game we like to play. First you take a plastic bag, Then you put it on your head, Go to bed, Wake up dead! Suffocation, the game we like to play!_ It was inspired by a commercial for the game Operation, which also used the “Alouette” tune. ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurray-for-suffocation/474953/3 "2008-11-29T19:13:45Z")
I heard this, but the version I grew up with went: _Suffocation, simple suffocation Suffocation, a game we like to play_ Also, the end of every verse was punctuated with “Wheeeeee!” instead of “Hurray!” The first verse matched the one given in the OP. The second was: _Suffocation, simple suffocation Suffocation, a game we like to play First you take a plastic bag Then you stick it over your head Go to bed Wake up dead Wheeeeeee!_ There were other verses too, but danged if I can remember them. ETA: Beaten to it by **Biffy** , but I’m leaving my post anyway. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurray-for-suffocation/474953/4 "2008-11-29T19:14:45Z")
Ah, yes! The plastic bag. I’d forgotten about that one. Thanks for reminding me. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurray-for-suffocation/474953/5 "2008-11-29T19:38:53Z")
Our, very not PC version: Suffocation, mental retardation Suffocation, this is how it goes- First you take a pillow case Then you place it on your face Go to bed Wake up dead oh, oh, oh, oh Chorus Now you take a rubber hose Then you stick it up your nose Turn it on Then you’re gone oh, oh, oh, oh etc. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Hen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@Small\_Hen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Hen)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurray-for-suffocation/474953/6 "2008-11-30T00:05:12Z")
Never heard this song before. You were all morbid, mentally disturbed children. Seriously, whatever happened to the wholesome ballad, “Joy to the World, the Teacher’s Dead?” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurray-for-suffocation/474953/7 "2008-11-30T00:24:22Z")
Some of us are morbid, mentally disturbed ‘adults’. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurray-for-suffocation/474953/8 "2008-11-30T00:31:16Z")
We sang it: Suffocation, We like suffocation. Suffocation, So much fun to play. First you take a plastic bag. Then you take a rubber band. Over the head, Now you’re dead. Suffocation, So much fun to play. Hahahaha, and now they have warnings on plastic bags. Kids are such wussies these days. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurray-for-suffocation/474953/9 "2008-11-30T02:12:41Z")
> [@Small\_Hen](#): > > You were all morbid, mentally disturbed children. Actually, I could never even get through the song, because the line “wake up dead” always cracked me up. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurray-for-suffocation/474953/10 "2008-11-30T02:22:34Z")
I grew up with one teeny variation from what has already been mentioned. “Suffocation, jolly suffocation…” ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurray-for-suffocation/474953/11 "2008-11-30T02:39:46Z")
We used to sing “Suffocation, Remco’s Suffocation…” Remco was an actual toy company. I don’t know why their name was attached to the song, but I never heard it any other way. "“Every Boy Wants a Remco Toy…and so do girls.” ---
**Author:** ![Salmonless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Salmonless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Salmonless)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2023, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurray-for-suffocation/474953/12 "2023-09-11T20:56:12Z")
Suffocation, lack of ventilation. Suffocation a game we like to play. Sing this song while you’re eating, Then you’ll choke and stop breathing Out of air, Life’s not fair Oh-h-h-h ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2023, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurray-for-suffocation/474953/13 "2023-09-11T22:44:31Z")
> [@Small\_Hen](#): > > You were all morbid, mentally disturbed children. What do you mean ‘were’? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2023, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurray-for-suffocation/474953/14 "2023-09-11T22:57:01Z")
I wish I’d known this one when I was a morbid child. It’s great. Never to late to enjoy the simple things. ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2023, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurray-for-suffocation/474953/15 "2023-09-12T00:30:31Z")
Same song as Beef-a-roni, right? ---
**Author:** ![Kimble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimble/32/19185_2.png) [@Kimble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimble)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2023, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurray-for-suffocation/474953/16 "2023-09-12T07:07:40Z")
I never heard it growing up, but I’m 99.5% sure I saw very similar lyrics in Matt Groening’s _Life In Hell_. I would have bet money that it was in one of the comics in his _School Is Hell_ collection, but I couldn’t find it in there. I also have _The Big Book of Hell,_ but that’s several times larger; forgive me for not looking for it in there. Wait a second: I forgot _The Big Book of Hell_ is indexed! Sure enough, “‘Suffocation’ song” is on page 70: part of “Kids’ Greatest Hits” from 1985. That was enough to find the comic on imgur: [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/gbd9UGJ.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/gbd9UGJ) (Click to embiggen.) ---
**Author:** ![Nyvaak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Nyvaak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nyvaak)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2023, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurray-for-suffocation/474953/17 "2023-09-12T07:27:57Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > It was inspired by a commercial for the game Operation, which also used the “Alouette” tune. One slight correction. If memory serves (always a big “if”) the commercial was for Remco’s Fascination. It was a marble maze type of game, but with metal marbles, I think, that would complete a circuit and make a loud buzz if you went astray. Or maybe when you won. I don’t remember. ---
**Author:** ![Nyvaak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Nyvaak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nyvaak)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2023, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurray-for-suffocation/474953/18 "2023-09-12T07:30:38Z")
BTW, we substituted other “-ation” words to make off-color parodies of the commercial jingle. I seem to remember “constipation” and “masturbation.” Never heard the “suffocation” version, though. Pity. It would have been right up my alley during Boy Scout years.