Doctors, healers, medicine men – they’ve been figures of fascination and sometimes, fun, in music for decades. Whether it’s a plea for help, a nod to a ‘feelgood’ lover, or a humorous take on medical scenarios, Songs About Doctors cover a surprising range of emotions and genres. From rock anthems to novelty hits, here’s a curated list of songs that prescribe a healthy dose of musical medicine, all centered around our favorite keyword: songs about doctors.
- “Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)” by Robert Palmer
Robert Palmer, the stylish British singer known for hits like “Simply Irresistible” and “Addicted to Love,” added his signature blue-eyed soul to “Bad Case of Loving You.” Released in 1979, it became a Top 20 hit, showcasing Palmer’s knack for blending rock energy with sophisticated pop sensibilities. Interestingly, Moon Martin originally wrote and recorded the song in 1978.
Martin recounts the serendipitous way Palmer discovered the track: “Robert told me he was going to do a show, and he was being driven to the show by a program guy, and the program guy asked him if he had heard this new Moon Martin record and played him ‘Bad Case Of Loving You’.” Intrigued, Palmer added it to his live set.
The song’s catchy chorus, punctuated by the repeated “Doctor, Doctor,” perfectly captures the feeling of lovesickness as a malady only a romantic ‘doctor’ can cure. Palmer’s energetic performance and the song’s infectious rhythm solidified its place as a classic rock staple, proving that sometimes, love really does feel like a medical emergency.
- “I Want a New Drug” by Huey Lewis and the News
Huey Lewis and the News scored a Top 10 hit in 1984 with “I Want a New Drug,” a song that, despite its title, is more about the intoxicating effects of love than substance abuse. Huey Lewis himself clarified in Song Hits magazine, “It’s really a love song. It’s not a pro-drug song; it’s not really even an anti-drug song. The word drug sort of gets your attention.”
The song’s genesis was as spontaneous as its catchy melody. Lewis described the songwriting process to Rolling Stone: “I was driving to my lawyer’s office when the idea came to me. I busted in his door and said, ‘Bob, give me a pen and paper!’ I then literally wrote down almost all the lyrics.” While early musical attempts didn’t quite click, guitarist Chris Hayes eventually cracked the code with the iconic riff that defines the song.
“I Want a New Drug” uses the metaphor of addiction to describe the powerful craving for love and affection. The “doctor” in this context is implied – the one who can provide this new ‘drug’ of love and cure the singer’s longing. Its upbeat tempo and relatable lyrics resonated with audiences, making it a defining track of the 80s and a clever addition to songs about doctors, albeit metaphorically.
- “Doctor’s Orders” by Carol Douglas
“Doctor’s Orders,” a disco hit sung by Carol Douglas in 1975, actually began its journey in the UK with singer Sunny Leslie. Leslie, formerly part of the duo Sue and Sunny, released it as a solo artist, where it gained traction despite some initial reluctance from BBC Radio due to its suggestive lyrical content about a woman’s ‘medical condition.’
However, it was Carol Douglas’s rendition that truly catapulted the song to international fame. Douglas, an American disco diva, infused the track with a pulsating beat and powerful vocals, driving it into the Top 20 in the US. Interestingly, Douglas revealed a surprising aspect of her success on EurWeb, stating, “When I first auditioned for ‘Doctor’s Orders’ they told me I sounded great, but too black.” Producers aimed for a more “melodic pop/commercial tone,” which ironically led to a large Caucasian fanbase, often surprised to learn she was Black.
“Doctor’s Orders” is a playful and assertive declaration of desire, with the ‘doctor’ representing a lover whose ‘prescription’ is romantic fulfillment. Its disco energy and bold female perspective made it an anthem of its time, firmly planting its flag in the territory of songs about doctors and romantic remedies.
- “I Wanna Be Sedated” by the Ramones
The Ramones, masters of short, sharp, and energetic punk anthems, delivered “I Wanna Be Sedated” in 1978 on their album Road to Ruin. True to their ethos, Tommy Ramone famously said, “We play short songs and short sets for people who don’t have a lot of spare time.” This track perfectly embodies that philosophy, clocking in at just over two minutes of pure punk rock energy.
Joey Ramone, the song’s writer, explained its origins during an MTV Unplugged performance. He described it as a “road song” born out of boredom in London. “It’s a road song. I wrote it in 1977, through ’78 … There’s a line in it that goes, ‘nothing to do, nowhere to go, I wanna be sedated.’ That comes from, we were really big in England in ’76. We were there at Christmastime and at Christmastime, London shuts down. There’s nothing to do, there’s nowhere to go.” Stranded in their hotel during a London Christmas, watching American movies like The Guns of Navarone, the band yearned for escape from the monotony.
“I Wanna Be Sedated” is a humorous and relatable expression of wanting to escape dull reality. While not literally about a doctor, the desire to be “sedated” implies a wish for someone to alleviate the boredom and frustration of their situation. It’s a punk rock prescription for ennui, and a quintessential inclusion in any list of songs about doctors, in a more metaphorical sense.
- “Witch Doctor” by David Seville
David Seville, the stage name of Ross Bagdasarian Sr., topped the charts in 1958 with the novelty hit “Witch Doctor.” Bagdasarian was also the creative mind behind Alvin and the Chipmunks, and “Witch Doctor” utilized the same vocal trickery that would become his signature: recording vocals at half-speed and playing them back at normal speed to create high-pitched, cartoonish voices.
The Wacky Top 40 recounts Bagdasarian’s inspiration: “My mind was a little madder that its normal semi-orderly state of confusion. I looked up from my desk and saw a book called Duel With the Witch Doctor, which was written by Jan de Hartog, and I realized that all the teenage records that were selling seemed to have one thing in common, you couldn’t understand any of the lyrics. So I decided to have the witch doctor give advice to the lovelorn in his own language — a kind of qualified gibberish.”
“Witch Doctor” is a pure novelty song, relying on its gibberish lyrics and sped-up vocals for comedic effect. The ‘witch doctor’ acts as a comical, unconventional advisor dispensing nonsensical remedies. It’s a lighthearted and quirky entry in the realm of songs about doctors, showcasing a more whimsical and less literal interpretation of the theme.
- “The Real Me” by The Who
The Who’s rock opera Quadrophenia from 1973 explored the complex inner world of Jimmy, a young man grappling with four distinct personalities. “The Real Me,” penned by Pete Townshend, serves as a powerful opening statement, immediately plunging into Jimmy’s search for identity and understanding. The song begins with the iconic lines: “I went back to the doctor / To get another shrink / I sit and tell him about my weekend / But he never betrays what he thinks / Can you see the real me, doctor?”
Engineer Bob Pridden described the recording process to Modern Drummer, highlighting the raw, live feel: “When we were recording Quadrophenia it was basically like a live show in the studio. We had a lot of influence from The Band’s album Music from Big Pink. We more or less set that up the same way [in one room together]. I was in the studio mixing their headphones. Basically they were playing a live performance.”
John Entwistle’s bass playing on “The Real Me” is particularly lauded, with Entwistle himself considering it a career highlight. He told Goldmine, “‘The Real Me’ was the first take. I was joking when I did that bass part. The band said, ‘Wow, that’s great, that’s great!’ And I was just messing around. They just loved the song. I was sitting on top of my speaker cabinet playing a silly bass part and that’s the one they liked.”
“The Real Me” is a raw and introspective plea to a doctor, a psychiatrist, to truly understand the protagonist’s inner turmoil. It’s a song about identity crisis and the struggle to be seen and understood, using the doctor’s office as a setting for this emotional and existential quest. Its inclusion here emphasizes the role of doctors as not just physical healers, but also potential guides in understanding the complexities of the self, making it a profound addition to songs about doctors.
- “Doctor Robert” by the Beatles
“Doctor Robert,” from the Beatles’ 1966 album Yesterday and Today, is often cited as their first song to explicitly reference drug use. Largely written by John Lennon, the song’s subject matter was quite open for the time. Lennon himself admitted in All We Are Saying, “Another of mine. Mainly about drugs and pills. It was about myself. I was the one that carried all the pills on tour. Well, in the early days. Later on the roadies did it. We just kept them in our pockets loose. In case of trouble.”
The identity of “Doctor Robert” has been speculated upon, with rumors pointing to Dr. Robert Freymann, a New York physician known for administering vitamin-B shots allegedly containing amphetamines to celebrity clients. However, Paul McCartney offered a different interpretation.
McCartney explained in Many Years From Now, “John and I thought it was a funny idea: the fantasy doctor who would fix you up by giving you drugs, it was a parody on that idea. It’s just a piss-take. As far as I know, neither of us ever went to a doctor for those kinds of things. But there was a fashion for it and there still is. Change your blood and have a vitamin shot and you’ll feel better.”
“Doctor Robert” is a sly and slightly satirical take on the idea of a doctor who provides chemical solutions to life’s problems. Whether based on a real figure or a composite, the song captures the emerging counter-culture fascination with drugs and altered states of consciousness. It’s a significant song in the Beatles’ catalog and in the broader landscape of songs about doctors, reflecting societal shifts and musical experimentation.
- “Coconut” by Harry Nilsson
Harry Nilsson’s quirky and unforgettable “Coconut,” released on his Nilsson Schmilsson album in 1971, is a novelty song that became a surprise hit, reaching No. 8 in 1972. Producer Richard Perry’s suggestion for Nilsson to voice all the characters – the narrator, the woman with a belly ache, and the doctor – added to the song’s unique charm. Nilsson employed an exaggerated Jamaican accent for the doctor and the woman, enhancing the comedic and slightly absurd nature of the track.
Musician Herbie Flowers, who played bass on the track, described the recording process in Nilsson: The Life of a Singer-Songwriter: “We ran ‘Coconut’ over and over, like you do on RP sessions. A bit of a roast-up really, in a funny key, and not a lot of room for anything other than a repetitive bass part. So, amongst all the takes, RP edited the best bits together, and then at a later date got other players in to overdub their bits, then redid the voice, and Bob’s your uncle, another masterpiece.”
“Coconut” is a humorous vignette involving a belly ache, a sister, a lime, and a coconut, culminating in a doctor’s visit and a rather unusual prescription. Its sing-song melody, Nilsson’s character voices, and the nonsensical scenario make it a beloved novelty track and a standout example of songs about doctors in a comedic context.
- “I Don’t Need No Doctor” by Humble Pie
“I Don’t Need No Doctor,” while popularized by Humble Pie in 1971, was originally written and recorded by the songwriting duo Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson in 1966. Ray Charles also made it an R&B hit later that same year, cementing its status as a soul classic. Humble Pie’s hard-rocking rendition introduced the song to a wider rock audience.
Guitarist Peter Frampton told Guitars Exchange how the song represented Humble Pie’s shift towards a heavier sound: “I actually came up with some of the heavier riffs before Humble Pie, like ‘I Don’t Need No Doctor’ and ‘Stone Cold Fever’ to name just two, so you can’t really say that heavy rock wasn’t my thing: it was, I loved it. It is just that our direction had got narrowed and that’s all we were doing, because that is what the audience wanted.” He explained the band’s focus on powerful live performances in larger venues led them towards a more electric and hard-rocking style.
“I Don’t Need No Doctor” is a declaration of romantic self-sufficiency. The singer proclaims that they don’t need a medical doctor because their lover is the only cure they need. In Humble Pie’s version, the song becomes a powerful blues-rock anthem, emphasizing the raw emotionality of the lyrics. It’s a classic example of songs about doctors where the ‘doctor’ is replaced by the healing power of love.
- “Doctor Feelgood” by Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin’s “Doctor Feelgood,” a standout track from her landmark 1967 album I Never Loved a Man the Way That I Love You, which also featured “Respect,” is not about a medical professional, but rather a passionate lover. Rolling Stone reported that when producer Jerry Wexler heard the demo, he recognized it as being in the tradition of blues songs about women seeking sexual satisfaction. However, he was cautioned by Franklin’s husband and manager, Ted White, not to frame it that way to Aretha, as “She doesn’t like to think she writes sexy songs.”
A more extended and electrifying version of “Doctor Feelgood” was recorded live in 1971 for Franklin’s Live at Fillmore West album. Franklin recalled in Aretha: From These Roots, “All the planets were aligned, because when the music came down, it was as real and righteous as any recording I’d ever made.”
“Doctor Feelgood” is a soul-infused celebration of a lover’s ability to make one feel good – emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Aretha’s powerful vocals and the song’s infectious groove make it an undeniable highlight in her discography and a prime example of songs about doctors used metaphorically to represent a source of intense pleasure and well-being.
- “Dear Doctor” by the Rolling Stones
By 1968, Rolling Stones fans were ready for a change after the psychedelic detour of Their Satanic Majesties Request. Beggars Banquet was hailed as a return to their blues and country roots, embracing a more raw and earthy sound. “Dear Doctor” was among the songs on the album that showcased this shift, alongside tracks like “Factory Girl” and “Salt of the Earth.”
“Dear Doctor” is an all-acoustic track featuring guitar, tack piano, harmonica, tambourine, and upright bass, with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards adopting a Southern-esque vocal delivery. Jagger explained in According to the Rolling Stones his long-standing appreciation for country music: “As far as country music was concerned, we used to play country songs, but we’d never record them — or we recorded them but never released them. Keith and I had been playing Johnny Cash records and listening to the Everly Brothers — who were so country — since we were kids. I used to love country music even before I met Keith.”
He further clarified, “The country songs, like ‘Factory Girl’ and ‘Dear Doctor’ on Beggars Banquet, were really pastiche. There’s a sense of humor in country music anyway, a way of looking at life in a humorous kind of way — and I think we were just acknowledging that element of the music.”
“Dear Doctor” is a humorous narrative about a man reluctantly entering into marriage and seeking to escape his predicament. The ‘doctor’ in this context is addressed in a letter, a desperate plea for help to get out of an unwanted engagement. Its country-blues style and Jagger’s wry delivery make it a unique and memorable song in the Rolling Stones’ catalog and a fittingly quirky number one in this playlist of songs about doctors, showcasing the theme used in a narrative and slightly satirical way.
