Medical Songs

March 25, 2006 10:41 PM

I am trying to put together a playlist of songs about doctors and hospitals. Not metaphoric "Love Doctor"- type songs, but more along the lines of The Replacements' "Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out."

Others I could think of include another by the Mats, "Take Me to the Hospital" and the White Stripes "Girl, You've Got No Faith in Medicine." I know songs about mental illness were covered recently, but I am looking for songs about physical ailments and medical/surgical interactions.

posted by Failure31 to media & arts (32 comments total)

Like a Surgeon
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 10:54 PM on March 25, 2006

The Beatles: Doctor Roberts
posted by Jaltcoh at 10:58 PM on March 25, 2006

I'm sure it's a metaphor but Michael Penn's "Seen the Doctor" was a great single and has lots of surgery/medicine lyrics.

Also, Low's "Medicine Magazines"

The Eels: "Hosptial Food"

Dr. Octagon: "General Hospital"
posted by neustile at 10:59 PM on March 25, 2006

"Sneakin' Out of the Hospital," Beastie Boys
posted by missed at 11:08 PM on March 25, 2006

"Grounded" by Pavement.
posted by reynir at 11:36 PM on March 25, 2006

"Kiss the Road to Raratonga" by the Finn Brothers is about Tim Finn ending up in the hospital after a nasty bike accident. ("My barefoot nurse / whispers 'sorry' / when it hurts")

It's not exactly what you asked for, but much of George Sarah's instrumental/electronica album Ossia was specifically scored for a show on the Discovery channel (I think) about plastic surgery, including a song called "Ballet and Surgery."
posted by scody at 11:39 PM on March 25, 2006

"A chance to cut is a chance to cure" by Matmos is based almost entirely on samples taken during surgery. From the review linked above "Other sources include reactive eye surgery (L.A.S.I.K.), acupuncture (Ur Tchun Tan Tse Qi) or a hearing test booth (Spondee)."
posted by scodger at 11:55 PM on March 25, 2006

"Lady Godiva's Operation," Velvet Underground
posted by airguitar at 12:00 AM on March 26, 2006

John Linnell - Montana
posted by mge at 12:02 AM on March 26, 2006

Brick, by Ben Folds Five.
posted by knave at 12:14 AM on March 26, 2006

The Colorectal Surgeon Song
Like a Surgeon - Weird Al Yankovic
Medical Love Song - Monty Python
Take me to the hospital - the Faint
posted by madamjujujive at 12:20 AM on March 26, 2006

Mike Watt's "The Secondman's Middle Stand" is a song cycle about illness, surgery, and recovery.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 12:40 AM on March 26, 2006

Goodness Gracious Me (Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren).
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 1:33 AM on March 26, 2006

Crap, meant to link to here.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 1:34 AM on March 26, 2006

Half Man Half Biscuit: I left my heart in Papworth General ('fraid you have to scroll down a bit).
posted by godawful at 3:06 AM on March 26, 2006

Hawkwind's Flying Doctor
posted by b33j at 4:05 AM on March 26, 2006

Two minor metal classics: Testament, Malpractice (the correct lyric is "they'll rip you off / then write you off") and Voivod, Ravenous Medicine. I've tastefully neglected to link to any Carcass lyrics, though Corporal Jigsore Quandry was on my mind.
posted by Wolfdog at 5:07 AM on March 26, 2006

Ben Folds Five also did "Hospital Song," which is even more explicitly hospitalacious than "Brick."

Then there's the old chestnut "The Saint James Infirmary Blues." It's been recorded dozens of times, but you mention the White Stripes in your question, so I should point out that they did it pretty damn well on their self-titled album.
posted by nebulawindphone at 5:34 AM on March 26, 2006

Perhaps "Transfusion" by Nervous Norvus?
posted by vanoakenfold at 6:23 AM on March 26, 2006

"Hospital" the Lemonheads
"There's a Doctor" from Tommy
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 6:44 AM on March 26, 2006

"Industrial Disease" by Dire Straits
posted by kimota at 7:51 AM on March 26, 2006

Thanks! You guys are awesome!
posted by Failure31 at 8:04 AM on March 26, 2006

Night Nurse by Gregory Isaacs is a classic bit of reggae genius. It definitely should be on the comp whether or not you want it to be.
posted by cloeburner at 8:36 AM on March 26, 2006

"Sister Morphine" by Marianne Faithfull (or, apparently, The Rolling Stones, though I have the MF version)
posted by needs more cowbell at 8:54 AM on March 26, 2006

2 Jawbreaker songs:

"Accident Prone" (from Dear You)
"Outpatient" (from 24 Hour Revenge Therapy)
posted by elisabeth r at 9:31 AM on March 26, 2006

Thompson Twins... Doctor Doctor
posted by nimsey lou at 10:36 AM on March 26, 2006

A bit of classic medical grimness from uncle Lou
posted by Decani at 10:38 AM on March 26, 2006

Stephen Lynch, "Dr. Stephen," from his 2003 Superhero.

Warning: super-NSFW, as the title character is "an expert in the field of gynecology." The song as performed is even funnier than the lyrics would lead you to believe.
posted by booksandlibretti at 11:16 AM on March 26, 2006

"Mole" by the Mountain Goats takes place in a hospital:

I came to see you up there in intensive care
They had handcuffed you to your bed
There were tubes going into you and out from you
Bright white gauze bandages at your head
posted by bubukaba at 11:49 AM on March 26, 2006

Kiss, "Dr. Love"
posted by kirkaracha at 12:36 PM on March 26, 2006

Grace in Gravity by The Story is about 2 dancers, one black and one white, who are in a car accident in South Africa. There are mentions of doctors and hospitals but I can't find the lyrics online and I'm not near my CD.
posted by Biblio at 12:57 PM on March 26, 2006

R.E.M.'s Hope from UP:

You want to trust the doctors
Their procedure is the best
But the last try was a failure
And the intern was a mess
And they did the same to Matthew
And he bled 'til Sunday night
They're saying don't be frightened
But you're weakened by the sight of it
You lock into a pattern
And you know that it's the last ditch
You're trying to see through it
And it doesn't make sense
posted by grateful at 8:45 AM on March 27, 2006