She is known for her sense of humor, which is expressed in both her music and her onstage performances. Many of her songs alternate between emotional reflections on romance and outright comedy. Two of her more famous songs include "Sensitive New Age Guys" and "Bald Headed Men".
Music To Operate By
Christine Lavin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
that during operations
music in the background
creates a calm sensation
doctors' blood pressures drop
while spirits tend to rise
keeping all hands steady
keeping a sharpness in the eyes
I worked in a hospital
before I worked in music
I've got the experience
here's my chance to use it
next time I find myself
going under the knife
I've got the song to sing
which just might extend my life. . .
Good morning doctor
I trust you are sober
I have been dreading this encounter
for a long time
my best friend is a lawyer
no, not in malpractice
but he's got friends of friends who are
so please keep that in mind
Let's get in a happy place
filled with happy thoughts
don't think about that Mazda Miata
your ex-wife just bought
clear your mind of that divorce
your kid's fancy tuition, the hoped-for horse
don't think about all the pressures
hanging over your head
just remember if you screw this up
I will come and haunt you when I'm dead
Good morning scrub nurse
I hope you like your verse
it's about how you are overworked
and under-appreciated
the doctor's get the glory
you do all the gory stuff
and today you assist that geeky doctor
the one that you once dated
Let's get in a happy space
filled with happy thoughts
don't think about the awkward break-up
how much you and he fought
don't think about your lonely life
if you had become his wife
you wouldn't have to work this job
with all this pressure heaped on you
just remember if you screw this up
I'll come back to haunt you, too
Can't you feel the love here in the air?
it must be great to operate on patients
like me who so obviously care
about you and all of your pathetic personal problems
that you should have left outside the door
because right now I'm putting my life in your hands
so concentrate! concentrate!
Last but not least
good morning anesthesiologist
remember drugs are dangerous
administered incorrectly they can do harm
I don't like the look on your face
you're not in a happy space
I don't like that needle
why did you stick it in my arm?
100 . . . 99 . . . 98 . . .
(no I don't feel any different)
why are you three laughing now
and dancing round my bed
why does it feel like
I have puff balls in my head
95 . . . 94 . . . 92 . . .
no . . . no different
just be careful with me
it's my right . . . no, it's my left knee
. . or is it my kidney
or my spine
91 . . . 8 6 . . .
I feel good . . .
I just hope my little song
has put you in a very happy state of . . .
Blue Cross. . .
why do you ask?
mind . . .
The song "Music To Operate By" by Christine Lavin is a humorous portrayal of a patient's thoughts just before being put under anesthesia, as well as a reflection on the role of music in the medical field. The opening verses of the song discuss how music can have a calming effect on the medical personnel during surgeries, thereby helping them to focus and operate with precision. The lyrics talk about how doctors' blood pressure tends to drop and their spirits rise when music is playing in the background. The upbeat tempo of the song and the reference to doctors being in a "happy space" suggest that music can make a difference in the medical setting, not just for the patients but also for the healthcare professionals.
The second half of the song continues in a lighthearted tone, as the patient addresses the various medical personnel present in the operating room. She humorously comments on the overworked scrub nurse, the geeky doctor who used to date the nurse, and the anesthesiologist who may be too happy with his job. These verses provide a light-hearted relief to an otherwise stressful situation, highlighting how humor can diffuse tension and help people cope with difficult experiences.
Overall, "Music To Operate By" takes a light-hearted and humorous approach to a serious situation, while also highlighting the role of music and humor in the medical field.
Line by Line Meaning
A recent medical study proved
There's a medical study that shows
that during operations
that during surgeries
music in the background
having music playing in the background
creates a calm sensation
creates a feeling of calmness
doctors' blood pressures drop
the blood pressure of doctors drops
while spirits tend to rise
while their spirits tend to increase
keeping all hands steady
helping everyone keep their hands steady
keeping a sharpness in the eyes
keeping everyone alert and aware
I worked in a hospital
I used to work in a hospital
before I worked in music
before I pursued a career in music
I've got the experience
I have experience with the medical field
here's my chance to use it
and here's my chance to apply it
next time I find myself
if I ever find myself
going under the knife
having surgery
I've got the song to sing
I have a song that I believe can help
which just might extend my life...
which just might help me live longer
Good morning doctor
Hello, doctor
I trust you are sober
I hope you haven't been drinking
I have been dreading this encounter
I have been really worried about this meeting
for a long time
for quite some time
my best friend is a lawyer
I want you to know that my best friend is a lawyer
no, not in malpractice
not related to malpractice suits
but he's got friends of friends who are
but he has friends who are connected to malpractice suits
so please keep that in mind
so please be careful
Let's get in a happy place
Let's focus on something positive
filled with happy thoughts
think of happy things
don't think about that Mazda Miata
don't think about that new car
your ex-wife just bought
that your ex-wife recently purchased
clear your mind of that divorce
try to not think about your divorce
your kid's fancy tuition, the hoped-for horse
or your child's expensive tuition, or the horse you want to get
don't think about all the pressures
don't focus on any of the stress or pressure
hanging over your head
that is hanging over you right now
just remember if you screw this up
just know that if this surgery goes wrong
I will come and haunt you when I'm dead
I will come back to haunt you
Good morning scrub nurse
Hello, scrub nurse
I hope you like your verse
I hope you enjoy my song
it's about how you are overworked
it is about how overworked you are
and under-appreciated
and how you are underappreciated
the doctor's get the glory
doctors receive all the recognition
you do all the gory stuff
you are the one who has to do all the difficult and messy work
and today you assist that geeky doctor
and today you assist that nerdy doctor
the one that you once dated
that you used to date
Let's get in a happy space
let's focus on something positive
filled with happy thoughts
let's think of happier things
don't think about the awkward break-up
don't focus on that uncomfortable breakup
how much you and he fought
and how much you fought with him
don't think about your lonely life
don't focus on your feelings of loneliness
if you had become his wife
if you had married him
you wouldn't have to work this job
you wouldn't have to work this demanding job
with all this pressure heaped on you
where there is so much pressure on you right now
just remember if you screw this up
just know that if something goes wrong
I'll come back to haunt you, too
I'll come back to haunt you as well
Can't you feel the love here in the air?
Can't you sense the positive vibes in this room?
it must be great to operate on patients
it must be so rewarding to operate on patients
like me who so obviously care
like me, who obviously care about my health
about you and all of your pathetic personal problems
about all of your personal issues
that you should have left outside the door
that you should have left outside of the operation room
because right now I'm putting my life in your hands
because right now, my life is in your hands
so concentrate! concentrate!
so please focus! Please focus!
Last but not least
Lastly,
good morning anesthesiologist
hello, anesthesiologist
remember drugs are dangerous
be mindful that drugs can be dangerous
administered incorrectly they can do harm
if given incorrectly, they can cause harm
I don't like the look on your face
I don't like your facial expression
you're not in a happy space
you don't seem to be in a happy mood
I don't like that needle
I don't like that needle you're holding
why did you stick it in my arm?
why was it necessary to insert it into my arm?
100 . . . 99 . . . 98 . . .
Counting down from 100
(no I don't feel any different)
(I haven't felt any change)
why are you three laughing now
why are you three laughing?
and dancing round my bed
and dancing around my bed?
why does it feel like
why does it seem like
I have puff balls in my head
my head feels like it's full of air?
95 . . . 94 . . . 92 . . .
Counting down from 95
no . . . no different
no, I still don't feel any different
just be careful with me
please be careful with me
it's my right . . . no, it's my left knee
it's my right knee. No, wait, it's my left knee
. . or is it my kidney
or maybe it's my kidney
or my spine
or it could be my spine
91 . . . 86 . . .
Counting down from 91
I feel good . . .
wait, now I'm feeling good
I just hope my little song
I just hope that my little song
has put you in a very happy state of . . .
has made you feel much happier
Blue Cross. . .
the name of my insurance provider
why do you ask?
why do you want to know?
mind . . .
never mind
Contributed by Isaac H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.