Like a Surgeon

The idea for "Like a Surgeon" arose immediately following the completion of his song "Yoda".[2] Although Yankovic generally did not use parody ideas from other musicians, Madonna was partly involved during the writing process of the track. An acquaintance of the singer suggested the idea while with Madonna, noting that it would not take long for Weird Al to satirize her 1984 hit single "Like a Virgin". The acquaintance was a mutual friend of Jay Levey, Yankovic's manager, and brought the idea up to him following the encounter.[3] This is the only known time that Yankovic has obtained an idea directly from the original artist, as he "openly discourages people from giving him parody ideas".[3] It was recorded alongside other singles in February 1985: "I Want a New Duck" and "Hooked on Polkas", and album track "Girls Just Want to Have Lunch".[2]

Yankovic parodies the pop song[1] by speaking from the point of view of a new surgeon, singing lines: "Like a surgeon / Cuttin' for the very first time / Like a surgeon / Organ transplants are my line".[4] It contains "play-on-rhymes" from its original counterpart, and describes the singer noting that "he's more bothered by the fact that his patients are dying before they can pay than the fact that they're dying at all".[5] Before the chorus, he also coos: "I'll pull his insides out, pull his insides out / And see what he ate".[6] The creation of the song was parodied in the show How I Met Your Mother. In one episode, lead character Ted Mosby gave "Weird Al" the idea to the song after sending him a fan letter when he was 8 years old.[7]

Critical reception for "Like a Surgeon" was generally positive. In Eugene Chadbourne's AllMusic album review for Dare to Be Stupid, he congratulated Yankovic for "perhaps his best parody ever, the brilliant and cutting 'Like a Surgeon'". Chadbourne continued: "Turning the tacky Madonna hit inside out and upside down, Yankovic comes up with a hilarious satire of the medical profession."[8] Richard Stim, claimed in his book Music Law: How to Run Your Band's Business that "Like a Surgeon" was "an effective parody",[9] while Bryan Brewer from the Digital Audio and Compact Disc Review called it "as good on CD as the original, digitally recorded 'Like a Virgin'".[10] Christopher Thelen of Daily Vault didn't find it up to par with the singer's previous parodies; however, Thelen stated: "but since I've developed a healthy distrust of the medical community, I appreciate the somewhat biting sarcasm that Yankovic works in."[11]

Commercially, the single became one of Yankovic's more well-known works. In the United States, it became his fifth entry on the Billboard Hot 100, and highest since "Eat It"'s peak of number 12 in 1984.[12] It climbed the charts for eight weeks in mid 1985, before reaching its peak at number 47 for the week ending July 13, 1985.[13][14] On list compiling Yankovic's most successful releases, Billboard described "Like a Surgeon" as his third biggest hit single.[4] According to RPM, the single reached its peak of 37 on August 17 of the same year, becoming his second entry in Canada.[15] In Australia, it peaked at number 19, similarly his third highest peak in that country at the time.[16]

The music video is set in a hospital.[17] It parodies several elements of the promotional video for "Like a Virgin", famously set in Venice; Yankovic singing on a moving gurney references Madonna on a canal boat, and both videos feature a lion at the beginning. During one scene, a Madonna wannabe is sitting in a corner filing her nails. At the end of the "Like a Surgeon" music video, dance moves and scene changes spoof the video for Madonna's "Burning Up", then Yankovic and two dancers perform a routine that spoofs the video for "Lucky Star". Both songs appear on Madonna's first album. The video also includes the famous PA announcement from The Three Stooges ("Paging Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard"). The visual would later be included on Yankovic's 1992 video album The "Weird Al" Yankovic Video Library.[18]

Filming was done at a closed hospital that had been turned into a set for various productions where hospital shots were needed. The lion was real, and Yankovic recalled several of the actors were slightly intimidated by the lion being led through the sets.[19]

The singer has performed "Like a Surgeon" at several of his concert tours. A staff member from Rolling Stone called the renditions a "key part of Yankovic's live show[s] for decades".[20] For the performance, he mocks Madonna's "Middle Eastern rendition" as shown in her 1991 documentary film Madonna: Truth or Dare.[20]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Dare to Be Stupid, Scotti Brothers.[24]

Recording

• Recorded at Santa Monica Sound Records, Santa Monica, California

Personnel

On June 4, 1985, "Like a Surgeon" was released as a 7" single by Scotti Brothers Records,[25] while a 12" and picture disc would also be released in Mexico and Germany, respectively.[22][23]

• List of singles by "Weird Al" Yankovic
• List of songs by "Weird Al" Yankovic

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics