Doctor My Ears: My Top Ten Songs Prescribed to Get You Through the Current Health Care Debate

The forces of evil now appear to be firmly focused on turning President Obama's attempt to reform our health care into his personal Waterloo. So let those mean-spirited bastards have "Waterloo" -- and all the other Abba tunes for the time being.

In the meantime, let me write you all a prescription for my own totally Abba-free, homeopathic playlist to help get you through our ongoing health care debate. My latest estimates are that these songs will fully cover at least 97% of Americans with decent tastes in music and health care too.

"Take Out Some Insurance" - Jimmy Reed
"Somebody Get Me A Doctor" - Van Halen
"Medicine Jar" - Paul McCartney & Wings
"Take Me Out To The Hospital" - The Replacements
"Hospital" - The Modern Lovers
"Doctor My Eyes" - The Jackson 5
"Recovery Room" - Tom Caufield
"I Don't Need No Doctor" - John Mayer
"Hospital Song" - Ben Folds Five
"Doctor Wu" - Steely Dan

Now go ahead and make me sick with your much better choices of songs that will help us all overcome our current system of "Bad Medicine."

Comments

[RobinSeattle]

06:40 PM on 07/26/2009

"Fever" by Little Willie John (Peggy Lee had a big hit with it, but the LWJ version is better).

And we can also contemplat­e why Bessie Smith died.

[ECBA88]

08:35 AM on 07/26/2009

"I Don't Wanna Die in a Hospital" by Conor Oberst is interestin­g commentary on the way we do end-of-lif­e care in this country. Check it out!

[David Wild]

09:53 AM on 07/26/2009

Bright Eyes are covered under your plan then?
Thanks -- will go check it out

[TomCaufield]

12:27 AM on 07/26/2009

So flattered to see my name in such good company. Thanks for rememberin­g me after all these years, and - stay healthy!

- Tom Caufield

[David Wild]

02:47 AM on 07/26/2009

Tom, if that's really you, I love your work and was thrilled to include it.

Please keep me posted about any music you make --

I can be tweeted at @Wildabout­music or emailed at david.wild­@rollingst­one.com.

[TomCaufield]

08:28 PM on 08/03/2009

David, it is indeed me - thanks for the kind words. I'd love to send you some new music. Drop me an email when you can (with your snail mail/ physical address) and I'll send you a disc. My email is bohoembass­y@verizon.­net Best, TC

[bronte1314]

07:54 PM on 07/25/2009

also, 'whitey on the moon,' by Gil Scott-Hero­n in 1970 has some really pertinent lyrics regarding the health care disaster, the recession in general, and even the anniversar­y of the moon landing...

[David Wild]

02:48 AM on 07/26/2009

Love GSH -- will go back and listen for the health care message

[bronte1314]

07:46 PM on 07/25/2009

Doctor, Doctor - The Who, fr 'A Quick One', 1966

[MoreLove]

04:35 PM on 07/25/2009

Bob Dylan, Leopard-Sk­in Pillbox Hat

I asked the doctor if I could see you, it's bad for your health he said
I asked the doctor if I could see you, it's bad for your health he said
Y'know I disobeyed his orders -- I went but I found him there instead!

[David Wild]

07:20 PM on 07/25/2009

That's the kind of medicine that hurts.
Good one

[mondobleu]

10:51 AM on 07/25/2009

"Numb As A Statue" Warren Zevon

"Doctor, Doctor" Procol harum

"Doctor Robert" The Beatles

"Doctor My Eyes" Jackson Brownw

"Fixin' To Die Blues" Bukka White

[nsj2103]

02:18 AM on 07/25/2009

How bout "Run That Body Down" by Paul Simon?

[David Wild]

02:54 AM on 07/25/2009

A great one -- it was suggested earlier, and it was great then too.
Would Paul Simon's "Allergies­" from "Hearts & Bones" also be covered under our plan?

[nsj2103]

12:43 PM on 07/25/2009

Of course! What about "Touch The Hem of His Garment" by Sam Cooke? And I assume "Dear Doctor" has been mentioned as well?

[larry278]

06:13 PM on 07/24/2009

How about alternativ­e medicine? I got my mojo working. Good gris gris can work when anti-bioti­cs fail.

[David Wild]

12:23 AM on 07/25/2009

Good thinking -- I dub thee Dr. John

[TotallyAmazed]

04:18 PM on 07/24/2009

How about . . . "I Want a New Drug"

This verse works fine:

'I want a new drug
One that does what it should
One that wont make me feel too bad
One that wont make me feel too good'

Agree with your entire sentiment about the debate going on, and that includes what you said about the do-nothing­s that only want progress stopped with the president'­s health care initiative­s.

[David Wild]

05:26 PM on 07/24/2009

Thanks
Who knew Huey was such a health care expert?
I suppose it helps that he's always cared about the News.

DW

[jl4141]

03:37 PM on 07/24/2009

Dr. Feelgood by Aretha Franklin.

[David Wild]

05:19 PM on 07/24/2009

Yes, you are right.
I'm adding it to my list now

[Sportswoman]

01:28 PM on 07/24/2009

Forgot one of my all time favorites-­-
Nervous Breakdown-­-Eddie Cochran

[David Wild]

05:20 PM on 07/24/2009

Cool one

[Sportswoman]

01:20 PM on 07/24/2009

Part Two:
The Chill is On--Big Joe Turner
Annie Had a Baby-Hank Ballard and he Midnigters
Havin my Baby-- Paul Anka (hate this song actuallly)
Witch Doctor-- David Seville
Heebie Jeebies-- Litle Richard
Moanin at Midnight --Howlin Wolf
Rock n Roll Pneumonia and the Boogy Boogy Flu (can't recall if this was mentioned yet)
Crackin Up--Bo Diddley
Jeremiah Peabody's Poly Unsaturate­d Quick Release Fast Acting Pleasant Tasting Green and Purple Pills--Ray Stevens
Gettin Better All the Time--The Beatles

[David Wild]

01:31 AM on 07/25/2009

We seem to have a lot of talking heath care blues

[Sportswoman]

10:54 AM on 07/25/2009

Maybe we can ask Bruce to cover Screamin Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell On You" before a caucus of Blue Dems! (Of course, Joe Cocker would be far scarier...­)

[Sportswoman]

12:43 PM on 07/24/2009

Here's to better times for cardiology­, neurology, and psychiatry­!
"Heart Attack and Vine"-Tom Waits
"Broken Hearted Melody" Sarah Vaughn
"What Becomes of the Broken Hearted" -Jimmy Ruffin
"Troublin Mind" - Sam Cooke
"Heartbrea­ker" -Gene Pitney
"Ooh My Head! -Ritchie Valens
"Loves a Hurtin Thing"- Lou Rawls
"Rave On" -Buddy Holly
"Psycho Killer "-Talking Heads
"Crazy"-Pa­tsy Cline

[David Wild]

05:17 PM on 07/24/2009

You got some bluesy idea there, sportswoma­n

[MikaS]

12:19 PM on 07/24/2009

Drugs - This Mortal Coil
The Nurse Who Loved Me - A Perfect Circle
Miracles - Jefferson Starship
Nice Shot - Filter (I know a different kind of shot, but tell me that's not what you say when you get a shot of demerol)

[David Wild]

05:18 PM on 07/24/2009

"Miracles" because we need a miracle?