Dear Doctor by The Rolling Stones

Album: Beggars Banquet (1968)

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Songfacts®:

This song is about a man who tries to dull the pain of his wedding day with alcohol. The song has a drunken sloppy feel to it.
Along with Keith Richards, Dave Mason played acoustic guitar on this track. Mason was a member of the group Traffic, which Jimmy Miller produced before working with The Stones. Mason also recorded with Jimi Hendrix, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney & Wings, Blondie and Fleetwood Mac.
Mick Jagger on playing country music: "As far as country music was concerned, we used to play country songs, but we'd never record them - or we recorded them but never released them. Keith and I had been playing Johnny Cash records and listening to the Everly Brothers - who were SO country - since we were kids. I used to love country music even before I met Keith. I loved George Jones and really fast, s--t-kicking country music, though I didn't really like the maudlin songs too much... the country songs, like "Factory Girl" or "Dear Doctor" on Beggars Banquet were really pastiche. There's a sense of humor in country music, anyway, a way of looking at life in a humorous kind of way - and I think we were just acknowledging that element of the music." >>
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Comments: 4

Bcook1014 from Foley, Al, UsaI'm curious about the name of the "cousin" she's down in VA with, as it sounds like she's run off with someone else, so in that case she would be with Cousin Luke, not Cousin Lou as all lyrics sites have it written. Southerners aren't known for naming guys "Lou."
Goldfish from Seattle, WaThis song is a giant joke; a man is scared of getting married, because he hates his wife-to-be. He wants to avoid it so much, he asks for help from a "doctor." Luckily, his wife to be runs away before the wedding, so he cries tears of relief. And Fred's right, that they were clowns when it came to country music, but I don't think "contempt" is the right word for it... they seemed to think that country music was funny and ironic, so they used humor a lot when they played it, but they didn't disrespect it or anything... only what I know, though. =D
Fred from Laurel, MdAshley--that's called "falsetto." The Four Seasons, the Newbeats and Lou Christie all got famous doing it. And, I suppose you could say, so did the Beach Boys and the BeeGees. But you're right, here Mick is specifically mimicking the girl's voice. And he does a hilarious job of it. The Stones had a clownish contempt for 'country' music, and this song is a prime example. But they're a great band, anyway.
Ashley from Quincy, Ili love this song.i really love it when mick sings in his girl voice.

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