Like a Surgeon ("Weird Al" Yankovic song)

"Like a Surgeon"
Single by "Weird Al" Yankovic
from the album Dare to Be Stupid
B-side	"Slime Creatures from Outer Space"
Released	June 4, 1985
Format	7", 12", picture disc
Recorded	February 21, 1985
Genre	Comedy, Pop
Length	3:27
Label	Scotti Brothers
Producer	Rick Derringer
"Weird Al" Yankovic singles chronology
"This Is the Life" (1984) "Like a Surgeon" (1985) "I Want a New Duck" (1985)
Dare to Be Stupid track listing "Like a Surgeon" "Dare to be Stupid" "I Want a New Duck" "One More Minute" "Yoda" "George of the Jungle" "Slime Creatures from Outer Space" "Girls Just Want to Have Lunch" "This Is the Life" "Cable TV" "Hooked on Polkas"

"Like a Surgeon" is a song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of "Like a Virgin" by Madonna.

Track listing

1985 release

The following tracks are on the single:

1. "Like a Surgeon" – 3:27
2. "Slime Creatures from Outer Space" – 4:23

The promo single only contains "Like a Surgeon".

1985/1993 re-release

The following tracks are on the single:

1. "Like a Surgeon" – 3:27
2. "King of Suede" – 4:12

Writing and development

Although Yankovic refuses to use parody ideas from other people, Madonna is partly responsible for "Like a Surgeon". Madonna asked one of her friends how long it would take until Yankovic satirized her song "Like a Virgin" as "Like a Surgeon". This friend was a mutual friend of Al's manager, Jay Levey. When word got back to Yankovic, he decided it was a good idea and wrote the song. This is the only known time that Yankovic has gotten a parody idea directly from the original artist. According to popular culture, Ted Mosby gave "Weird Al" the idea to the song after sending him a fan letter, 8 years old.

Music video

The music video, which takes place in a hospital, can be considered an extension of the parody. Several features of "Like a Virgin"'s promotional video - famously set in Venice - are mimicked: shots of Yankovic singing on a moving gurney are substituted for footage of Madonna on a canal boat, and both videos feature a lion at the beginning.

Live performances

For the 1990 Blond Ambition Tour, Madonna re-invented "Like a Virgin" with a middle-eastern arrangement and risqué, and ultimately infamous, choreography. Yankovic ultimately decided to parody her performance (a bit less risqué): when played live in concert, the song features Yankovic rolling around on a hospital bed that is placed in the middle of the stage while keyboardist Rubén Valtierra belly dances next to him. This version of "Like a Surgeon," often called the "Like a Surgeon (Truth or Dare Version)" was performed in concert by Yankovic for a few tours.

Chart positions

Chart (1985)	Peak Position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart	19
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	47

See also

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