Shock Treatment is a song from the eponymous film, with lyrics and music by Richard O'Brien and Richard Hartley, released in 1981 on the film album.
Several songs from the film were originally written for Rocky Horror Shows His Heels, a never-made sequel to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The songs were rewritten for the never-made The Brad and Janet Show and once again for Shock Treatment. Some of these songs also appeared in the 2015 musical Shock Treatment: The Musical.
Lyrics[]
Cosmo McKinley:
I'm not a locum with motive to suture myself
I've been a cynic for too many years
Playing doctor and nursey can be good for your health
I've seen clinics with those gimmicks in Tangiers
Nation McKinley:
But if you open your heart to a smooth operator
He'll take you for all that you've got
He'll hand you a curse that'll be with you later
It'll shake you the way he takes off like a shot
Cosmo (with Nation & Ansalong):
You need a bit of (Ooooh...Shock Treatment)
Gets you jumping like a real live wire
Need a bit of (Ooooh...Shock Treatment)
Cosmo:
So look out Mister, don't you blow your last resistor
For a vista that'll mystify ya
Ansalong:
You're blinded by romance, you're blinded by science
You're condition is critically grave
But don't expect mercy from such an alliance
Suspicion of traditions so new wave
Cosmo (with Nation, Ansalong & Janet):
You need a bit of (Ooooh...Shock Treatment)
Gets you jumping like a real live wire
Cosmo (with Nation, Ansalong, Janet & Bert):
Need a bit of (Ooooh...Shock Treatment)
Cosmo:
So look out Mister, don't you blow your last resistor
For a vista that'll certify ya, fy ya, fy ya, fy ya
Cosmo (with Nation, Ansalong, Janet, Bert, Harry & Emily):
You need a bit of (Ooooh...Shock Treatment)
Gets you jumping like a real live wire
You need a bit of (Ooooh...Shock Treatment)
Cosmo:
So look out Mister, don't you blow your last resistor
For a vista that'll certify ya, fy ya, fy ya, fy ya
Trivia[]
- In Rocky Horror Shows His Heels this song would've likely been sung by Dr. Scott, Brad Majors, Rocky Horror and possibly Frank-N-Furter.
- This song is the Shock Treatment equivalent of Time Warp, with Richard O'Brien, Patricia Quinn and Nell Campbell having solos respectively and both being the big numbers of their respective films.
- In The Brad and Janet Show draft, Ansalong's lines were sung by Cosmo McKinley.
- In the film's trailer scenes from Farley's Song are used, dubbed over with this song's chorus. Additionally clips of Farley Flavors (from the aforementioned song) and Oliver Wright are dubbed over as if singing the "Oooooh" part of the chorus.