Strangely there aren’t quite as many songs about nurses as you might think! Given they do such an important job, which we are all pretty thankful for, You’d think there’d be more.
We had to dig deep with this one, so be prepared to hear a fair few new tunes along the way, as well as the handful of classic nurse songs.
The pandemic of course brought with it a newfound appreciation and we saw lots of songs about nurses emerge to show them some love.
The lockdowns that came with it also brought about a goldmine of funny nurse songs and songs about nursing in a comedic light.
So here are the best of the bunch;
25 Songs About Nurses
1. Gregory Isaacs – “Night Nurse”
Of course, we had to start with this one, probably first to spring to mind for everyone! It dominates google search rankings if you search for songs about nurses and has been covered by just about everyone out there.
The nurse in question is not an officially trained matron but rather the protagonist’s night-time partner. His “one and only remedy” is the woman who can “quench his thirst”.
2. The Slackers – “The Nurse”
Securing our second spot is this modern ska track that discusses the perfect remedy for when life gets a little tough. The music typical of the genre, is upbeat enough to draw y the listener out of a funk anyway but the words give a little more encouragement, despite their simplicity;
“Roll out the stretcher
And make me feel better
For what is bad, don’t be glad
And what is worse, I’m the nurse”
The protagonist needs no help from women, or whiskey, or anything else for that matter to when times are hard, they can lift their own spirits!
3. The White Stripes – “The Nurse”
With a bizarre maraca and marimba-intro interrupted chaotically by the crashing of drumkits and guitar, this nurse song, is pretty out there for The White Stripes.
Unsurprisingly, it was an editing mistake, that occurred whilst trying to record primitively with an 8-track.
The singer wrote it about an ex he had been in love with for 10 years. He declares that he will never let them down, after remarking that a “nurse should not be the one who puts salt in your wounds”.
4. Billy Bragg – “A Nurses Life Is Full Of Woe”
In a track from his 3rd album; Billy Bragg sings with his recognizable, attitude fuelled voice about his reasons for believing that the life of a nurse isn’t an easy one…
He discusses some great points, such as the long hours of overtime often expected of them.
For many, nursing is a calling, it takes hours of study for a nurse to graduate. It appears to Billy like a nurse he knows may not have dedicated herself to the right path and to her detriment, after putting so much time in and choosing such a solid career path he believes she can’t walk away from it for the fear of humiliation.
“To live forever in your stupid dream
And face the ignominy that old age brings
Looking up in your heart, but I think you know
That a nurse’s life is full of woe”
Great use of the word ignominy!
5. The The – “Infected”
This 1987 post-punk rock song about a nurse, is again a love song of sorts. The character is not necessarily a professional.
The narrative is pretty easy to grasp, they want to be infected, nursed into sickness, and back to health-simple!
“I can’t give you up, ’till I’ve got more than enough
Infect me with your love
Nurse me into sickness
Nurse me back to health
Endow me with the gifts of the man-made world”
Beneath the love-themed lyrics are political truths, as to be expected from the group.
6. A Perfect Circle – “The Nurse Who Loved Me”
This song about nurses is either about imagined intimacy, from the POV of a mentally ill patient- or drugs… There has been some debate.
Whether there is more to it or not the lyrics tell of a patient in and out of a manic mental state and his delusional fascination with his nurse.
It ha happens in a regular hospital setting, as caregivers, nurses are often friendly which can be perceived incorrectly by a lonely person.
7. Katatonia – “Sweet Nurse”
“O my sweet nurse
Seems you have so little time
That you rather put
Me to sleep than sit by my side”
A chilling narrative told in a few short lines, this progressive heavy metal song about a nurse is told from the perspective of somebody dying in a hospital.
Nurses have a lot of patients and not a lot of time to do the rounds. They beg in the first verse to have their curtains open to see the sun and have their request brushed aside. Metaphorically it centers on depression, on how it seems the system is only interested in treating the chemical imbalance with “poison”. (Meds).
8. Sonic Youth – “Dude Ranch Nurse”
This early Noughties’ alt-rock track has a post-grunge vibe with Kim’s airy apathetic vocals telling a bizarre tale, that appears to be about some sort of doctor and nurses ‘roleplay’ going down on the farm.
However, on close examination of the disconnect and non-full sentences, there is a tonne of room for ambiguity. The band has introduced this track live several times with an Anti-Bush speech.
So it has been debated that the ‘Nurse’ was in fact Bush trying to heal a sick America with efforts that were insincere and is essentially just ‘roleplay’.
If that is the case then the shot is in reference to gunfire and wars rather than injections.
9. The Compulsive Gamblers – “Rock n Roll Nurse”
With some of the better-known nurse songs covered it’s time to introduce something from a lesser-known group in the mix. We chose this one for some of the better lyrics, namely clever medical and illness references scattered amongst the sexier, chorus lyrics.
“My back is breakin’
My head aches
This Shit I’m Takin
Don’t feel so great…”
It has a bluesy-Memphis-inspired rock and roll feel and the production is commendable for an independent project. It is a simple, catchy song about a nurse.
10. The Rolling Stones – ”Sister Morphine”
“Sister Morphine”, tells the story of a man who has been in a car accident in a hospital bed as he waits and begs for pain meds to arrive. Pretty harrowing stuff!
Sister was a British title for a nurse, back in the day, so it’s a clever play on the drug’s name and the nurse’s name.
The song portrays someone who is clearly a drug addict, to begin with.
“The scream of the ambulance is sounding in my ears
Tell me, Sister Morphine, how long have I been lying here?
What am I doing in this place?
Why does the doctor have no face?”
11. Jethro Tull – “Nursie”
In what is one of the band’s shortest ever recordings, “Nursie” is a sweet tune that has plenty of appreciation for a fantastic occupation. A song about nurses and thankfulness.
It is so short, that we may as well share all of its lyrics;
“Tiptoes in silence ’round my bed
And quiets the raindrops over my head.
With her everlasting smile
She stills my fever for a while.
Oh, nursie dear I’m glad you’re here
To brush away my pain.”
12. Oceansize – “Music For A Nurse”
Over to a brilliant British band of the late 80s for a melancholy mixture of indie/alternative meets prog rock-inspired roots. It is an epic 8-minute musical journey that gives much more significance to the words. The lyrics heavily describe loss, there are some religious connotations explored. The title suggests that the person is in emotional pain and in need of an emotional nurse.
You can be forgiven for not having heard of this underrated group, but you may recognize parts of the track as it was featured in the film “The Invisibles”.
“Anaesthetise me just til you return
I feel the loss like a squandered opportunity to whisper
You’re all I ever needed.”
13. Lee Harding – “Call The Nurse”
Another more obscure entry here for you, it’s from an Aussie artist who made his way onto the scene from Australian Idol’s third season.
“Call The Nurse” is a high-energy pop-punk track that makes for a great example when it comes to metaphorical songs about nurses.
“I want her back, want her back
That nurse in cardiac
Every night and day it hurts
I think it’s time
Time to call the nurse
Call the nurse”
Nurse Bety tore his heart apart, and now he needs her back like a drug for all that is bad in his life. Same story, different song- eh?
14. Jake Dodds – “She Goes To Work”
15. Brad Emanuel – “Song For Nurses”
A wholesome example, that makes for a perfect song for a nurse in your life. It is a beautiful country tribute to the hard work that nurses do. The lyrics discuss the sacrifices made…
“Everyday with her heart on her sleeve
Underpaid over time, set aside all her dreams
Doesn’t get the thanks she deserves
She goes to work”
Released in 2021, during the Covid pandemic it is one of the best recent tracks that has emerged to show appreciation for the front-line workers.
Now at the height of the pandemic, we saw many examples of songs about nurses finding their way to the masses, and this one, though less professional than some has a deeper sentiment that we can all share.
” I don’t know how you do what you do,
you’re gonna get it that doesn’t bother you
but your there on the line always in control
rest don’t matter for the caregivers soul
and you always put us first,
thankyou nurse”
The amateur singer-songwriter rose to some local fame in Wisconsin for his efforts in his heartfelt tribute to “the ones in blue” commending them upon their efforts.
16. ZDoggMDI Try (Macy Gray Parody)
Now we probably could have filled this article with entries from ZDoggMD, as his entire y Youtube Channel is focused on the hospital, and funny parodies are rife!
We chose this one as it is specifically nurse-centric and funny nurse songs are a good pick-up post-shift.
Musically it parodies Macy Gray’s late nineties hit “I Try” and the lyrics are cleverly laced with references. Some horrific but a reality;
“I hit the breakroom for pot-luck and then,
30 call lights and I smell feces…”
For more on why he wrote the song, you can visit his website.
17. Practice Nurses – “Busy (A Nursing Song Parody)”
A glorious parody of Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” and one of the best songs about nursing that comes straight from the workers.
Making nursing songs funny is no easy task for a professional songwriter, so kudos for the humor in this one!
“Clap along if you’d like an injection against the flu
Symptomatic relief for you if you’re suffering from runny poo,”
It was shot at a Christmas party and would be a fun inclusion in any nursing school graduation songs playlist.
18. Kanye West – “Roses”
We are leaving the inspirational songs for healthcare workers and funny nursing songs for a moment as we touch on this song with some pretty dark lyrics aimed at a bad nurse. Nurses can be blamed, whether or not at fault when emotions are raw.
In this song, some difficult feelings are laid bare as Kanye talks about his grandmother in a hospital bed.
“If Magic Johnson got a cure for AIDS
And all the broke motherfuckers passed away
You telling me if my grandma’s in the NBA
Right now, she’d be okay?
But since she was just a secretary
Working for the church for thirty five years
Things supposed to stop right here?
My grandfather tryin’ to pull it together, he strong
That’s where I get my confidence from
I asked the nurse, “Did you do the research?”
She asked me, “Can you sign some t-shirts?”
“Bitch, is you smokin’ reefer?
You don’t see that we hurt?””
19. Pink – “Just Like A Pill”
Okay, now this one makes such a brief reference to a nurse and it isn’t in the best of lights either but considering it has a multitude of medical references strewn about the lyrics we chose to include it in our round-up and save you having to suffer a song about nurses with less than a hundred hits on Youtube! You’re welcome…
“I can’t stay on your life support
There’s a shortage in the switch
I can’t stay on your morphine
‘Cause it’s making me itch
I said I tried to call the nurse again
But she’s being a little bitch
I think I’ll get outta here, where I can”
20. The Stink – “Sexy Nurse (She Likes To Dance)”
Well, we warned you there would be songs about nurses with very little notoriety…
This one however has some fantastically cheesy rock-opera moments that make it well worth a listen.
I honestly can’t divulge much about the group and the lyrics aren’t the most profound but musically there is a lot of cool stuff going on. With a Queen-like opening and lots of bold decisions give it a spin!
21. The Marvelettes – “You’re My Remedy”
A sincere entry from the swinging sixties that again makes the comparison to the way our needs are met by our lovers with that to medicine…
In this one, the trio of gal pals insists that they require no medical professional as they already have someone who is their remedy.
“Don’t call a doctor
A nurse is worse
‘Cause a pill won’t heal my pain
When I’m feeling blue
You know what to do
To make me feel alright again”
22. Barry Saddler – “A Salute To The Nurses”
This one is a sincere but somber piece of music for nurses. It’s pretty specific actually as it was written in tribute to the nurses of the Vietnam war by Barry Sadler a sergeant himself.
“Many a wounded soldier pain is eased for a while by opening his eyes to see a nurses smile
To each of the wounded on the operating shelf, these nurses give a part of themselves”
It has a lot of touching moments in the lyrics. It is a grave place to be in the hands of a battlefield nurse. It tackles a heavy subject in a candid manner, making mention of how some part of the job was even to write down some of the soldier’s last words.
23. ICN – “I Am A Nurse”
An altogether more pro piece to have come out of the pandemic was this inspiration song for healthcare workers released by the International Council of Nurses (ICN). The self-described song for all nurses has plenty to say on the subject of nursing…
It takes the listener through the ever-changing role of being a nurse with its highs and obvious lows, it describes it as at times a thankless task.
“I have strength to carry on
Because I know what you are worth
Though we’re on our knees we’re still here to please
The most rewarding job on earth”
24. JJ Cale – “The Devils Nurse”
Now for something a little more “out there” as a concept. This is a song about a mysterious woman shrouded in some chilling characteristics who is revealed to be the nurse of the devil himself. The lyrics are well-written;
“Fortune-teller sister long and bred
Lay down next to you and stroke your head
She had a way about her, it’s hard to explain
Brings chills to your body and blood to your veins
A devil’s woman
With the devil’s curse
Satan’s lady
She was the devil’s nurse”
The late songwriter J.J Cale left a few musical gems before he parted with this world and this strangely catchy fusion is a fun song about a nurse that fits into an outside-of-the-box box.
25. The Sugarcubes – “Happy Nurse”
We are parting on a positive note and what could be happier than a sone entitled “Happy Nurse” this one was a popular tune for the Sugarcubes and Björk’s sweet and innocent vocals bring a nativity to the eclectic nursing song that makes it all the more sugary.
So we know what you’re thinking where’s the ‘weird’? Björk is renowned for it, right? Okay so full disclosure; it may or may not be discussing mother earth as a nurse, wet-nursing…
Judge for yourself with some of the stranger lyrics below;
“Her breast was, great and soft
Incredibly great, great and soft
And could squirt, a long way
A great distance…”
Lost in translation perhaps?
Final Thoughts
Whether it was by way of a search for songs for nursing graduation or just a song for a nurse in your life to show them that you care, we hope our write-up will have included a few you hadn’t considered.
There are not so many songs about nurses as you might think, so many of the nursing songs we have rustled up were probably new to you.
Nurses play a crucial role in our lives soo hopefully we will continue to see the popularity of giving our thanks in musical form thrive, past the metaphorical “Night Nurse with its sexual connotations.
The best songs for nurses are the inspirational songs for healthcare workers that we are starting to see appear or the funny nurse song satire that is worth a bit of a laugh.
