10 Best Songs About Health and Medicine

10 Best Songs About Health and Medicine

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Posted 2020-03-14 by Steven Gfollow
Straight off the bat, let me start by saying this is not about making light of the current health situation in the world with the coronavirus. I want to give people who might be stuck in their homes something a little bit of fun to lighten their load, and this theme just seems to fit at the moment.


Truth be told, there are very few songs about actual illness and disease and the medical profession out there. Most songs seem to portray love as the disease (which I can understand… unfortunately) or the singer is in love with a doctor or a nurse, or the whole health thing is used as a metaphor for something weird.

So, these are songs I enjoy with the vague over-arching theme of health. First, some caveats. Songs, where one line might be about being sick, are not included (e.g. 'You're The One That I Want' from the Grease soundtrack). I have also avoided songs about mental health… but if you want the best song about mental health ever, then you need to listen to Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here album . I have also tried to only include songs that were upbeat; if there is one thing we don't need at times like this, it is depression and misery, so Springsteen's awesome song about AIDS 'Streets Of Philadelphia' is not here because it is too depressing for this list. And no "questionable" doctors, like The Beatles 'Doctor Robert' or Motley Crüe's 'Dr Feelgood'.

That still leaves us with songs about health conditions, medical professionals, a desire for medically prescribed drugs, drug metaphors, physical health conditions… a bit of everything, really. But upbeat songs

And in case you're wondering about a lack of Julie Andrews' spoonful of sugar… that song makes my skin crawl

My list (in chronological order)!
'Fever' by Peggy Lee (1958)

This song is almost a cover version, but was almost completely rewritten by Lee herself, and stands out as one of the best examples of the sultry female singer. The song details how the sight of Lee's paramour induces within her a fever, but one which many people have gone through throughout time. This is a song where the delivery really makes it stand out; the lyrics are fine, but Lee's voice is something else.
'Doctor, Doctor' by The Who (1966)

The Who have released a few songs about doctors in their time, most notably from their rock opera Tommy. But I prefer this one, told from the point of view of a hypochondriac going to visit his GP. It is a fun song, almost a silly song, making fun of those people who do think everything they've got is going to kill them. It feels almost pertinent today. I'll give you an example. There is a lady in the town where I live who hasn't left the town in five years and swears she has the current coronavirus (it's hay fever, for what it's worth). I dedicate this song to her, though she'll never read this…
'Doctor My Eyes' by Jackson Browne (1972)

This is a protest song about the ills of the world, and how seeing them has damaged Browne's eyes. The lyrics are not exactly uplifting, but the song is delivered in such a pleasant, sing-along manner that I know many people do not actually "get" what the song is about. So, while it might go against my 'no depressing songs' dictum, it does not sound like a depressing song.
'I Wanna Be Sedated' by The Ramones (1978)

This song is about perfectly legal sedation as a means to coping with life on the road as a travelling musician. It's a Ramones song, so it's at a break-neck pace and is fun. It was adopted by some members of certain drug-based societal sub-cultures as a song about self-medication, but that was not the original intention. Getting a doctor to stifle the boredom, that was the intention. I do wish I was old enough to have seen these guys live.
'Bad Case Of Loving You' by Robert Palmer (1979)

To most people's surprise, this song is one of those unexpected cover versions . The original was done by Moon Martin in 1978, but Palmer made it his own, so much that it is associated with him almost exclusively. The song is about a guy who has fallen in love with his doctor. And you can't get much simpler than that. And that "Doctor, doctor, give me the news…" chorus is one of those lines that makes nearly everyone who hears it join in. Quite the ear-worm.
'Heart Attack' by Olivia Newton-John (1982)

Most people associate Olivia Newton-John with her early country-tinged music, the film Grease or her support of cancer charities, being a cancer survivor herself. However, I feel there is a part of her career that is neglected – the 1980s. Starting with 'Physical', then this track, then 'Twist Of Fate', and a few others thrown in there, she had a string of releases that stand as amongst the best of the era, made that way because of her magnificent voice. This song is about Olivia having a heart attack whenever she is with her paramour; it is 'Fever' upped to the next level. And it is awesome.
'Doctor! Doctor!' by Thompson Twins(1984)

Ah, yes, we are talking about the pop music of the 1980s again. Thompson Twins had a string of great songs and then… faded from the public eye. Shame. They really had the song-writing and singing ability that I would have thought should have seen them last for so many more years than they did. This song is about someone going to the doctor because they get ill when they think they are in love. Does that mean they are allergic to love? That question is never posed, let alone answered, but I'd personally get that checked. Still, cool song.
'Like A Surgeon' by 'Weird Al' Yankovic (1985)

Now, I normally don't include comedy songs in my song lists, but I could not not have this one in here. This parody of Madonna's 'Like A Virgin', the song is spot-on. It is about a doctor who might not be the greatest in the world, but he's still a doctor. Fun, funny little song, and one of the first of Yankovic's songs (after 'Eat It') to make an impact on the global stage.
'Dizzy' by Vic Reeves with the Wonder Stuff (1991)

Where 'Heart Attack' upped the ante on Peggy Lee's 'Fever', this lowers it. The singer gets dizzy when he's with his paramour. It sounds lame, but it is such a fun song, and Vic Reeves shows he can actually sing quite well… What? Why, yes, I am talking about a cover version as opposed to the original . While the Tommy James version (1968) is good, this is just a little bit more up-tempo and I love the drumming. It is one of those rare cover versions where I prefer it to the original. Both are good, but the Reeves version is, to my mind, just that little bit better.
'Catch My Disease' by Ben Lee (2005)

And we finish with Ben Lee's song about asking his love to catch the same disease he has. And what disease is that? Well, judging by the lyrics, it's having an attraction (addiction?) to pop culture references ("that's the way I like it") and various bands and artists. I'm not really sure, but this is another song that is a shocking ear-worm. Go on, listen to it – you'll be humming this tune for the rest of the week.
And there we have it – ten songs based on the medical profession and health. I am sure there are a few I've missed. And I will add here that the person I run a lot of these lists by asked about Roxy Music's 'Love Is The Drug', but the lyrics are about love being the equivalent of an illegal drug… not quite what I was going for with this list. But if you can think of any (not Julie Andrews!) others, please throw out a comment!

Happy listening!



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85370 - 2023-06-11 07:08:28

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