I'd Rather Have A Bottle In Front Of Me (Than A Frontal Labotomy)

Album: Dr. Demento 30th Anniversary Collection (1992)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • A song with such an alluring title has to be on somebody's favorite list, and in the 1994 publication The Book of Lists: The '90s Edition, by David Wallechinsky and Amy Wallace, it figures at #8 in Dr. Demento's 11 Worst Song Titles Of All Time.

    Without wishing to question Dr. Demento's judgment, this is great title for a song, and it gets even better because it really is as good as it sounds. Randy Hanzlick M.D. was a real life doctor, and this composition is pure joy.
  • The good doc appears to have borrowed the title from the American wit Dorothy Parker; the original is "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a pre-frontal lobotomy" - without the brackets. The song begins with a young boy asking his father what is a lobotomy, and by way of explanation the father explains by relating the story of two brothers, one who went insane, the other who took to the bottle. No prizes for guessing who was the happiest.
  • The song has a C&W feel to it, and an accompaniment of a youthful chorus, and how about these immortal lines?

    But I'd rather have a bottle in front of me
    Than have to have a frontal lobotomy
    I might be drunk, but at least I'm not insane


    And

    Funny how the world works
    People can be real jerks


    The good doctor proves without a doubt that laughter is truly the best medicine. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 3

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)Songwriter Interviews

Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai were two of Graham's co-writers for some '80s rock classics.

U2

U2Fact or Fiction

How did The Edge get his name? Did they name a song after a Tolkien book? And who is "Angel of Harlem" about?

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?Fact or Fiction

Bradley Cooper, Michael J. Fox, Rami Malek, Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow and George Clooney: Which actors really sang in their movies?

Strange Magnetics

Strange MagneticsSong Writing

How Bing Crosby, Les Paul, a US Army Signal Corps Officer, and the Nazis helped shape rock and Roll.

American Hits With Foreign Titles

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?

The Real Nick Drake

The Real Nick DrakeSong Writing

The head of Drake's estate shares his insights on the late folk singer's life and music.