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The Beatles — Doctor Robert
Album: Revolver
Avg rating:
7.2

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1500









Released: 1966
Length: 2:08
Plays (last 30 days): 1
Ring my friend
I said you'd call
Doctor Robert
Day or night, he'll be there any time at all
Doctor Robert
Doctor Robert
You're a new and better man
He helps you to understand
He does everything he can
Doctor Robert

If you're down, he'll pick you up
Doctor Robert
Take a drink from his special cup
Doctor Robert
Doctor Robert
He's a man you must believe
Helping anyone in need
No one can succeed
Like Doctor Robert

Well, well, well
You're feeling fine
Well, well, well
He'll make you
Doctor Robert

My friend works for the National Health
Doctor Robert
Don't pay money just to see yourself
With Doctor Robert
Doctor Robert
You're a new and better man
He helps you to understand
He does everything he can
Doc Robert

Well, well, well
You're feeling fine
Well, well, well
He'll make you
Doctor Robert

Ring my friend
I said you'd call
Doctor Robert
Ring my friend
I said you'd call Doc Robert
Doctor Robert
Comments (141)add comment
I always wondered whether this song was written about Bob Dylan, with whom the band had had a personal and pivotal, early-career encounter.
 baddog8it wrote:

One of the least overplayed Beatles songs.  Because of this, a solid '6'.




I gave it an 8.
One of the least overplayed Beatles songs.  Because of this, a solid '6'.
I shall never tire of the delightfully playful guitars and drums in this fun number! I also appreciate the wicked bass and clever singing of Paul, too!
my best friend is going to name her dog doctor robert.
Finally a Beatles song that has not been played to death
This is among the few Beatles songs that falls flat to me. 
But you know what? Who cares!?! Their brilliance is evident in the other 99.5% of the tunes that serve to define great music and talent.

And if you haven’t seen it, watch Ron Howard’s “Eight Days A Week” Stunning, amazing, endearing… a phenomenal film.(!!)
 igotitmade2k wrote:

Seriously? This was on Revolver? Not like a UK-only version? Do not remember it. 


It wasn't on the original North American release of "Revolver".  It appeared on "Yesterday & Today" , which was only released in North America.
"The doctor say he's comin', but you gotta pay him cash."

 idiot_wind wrote:

whoa...i hear a buck owens guitar riff



George was an awesome guitar player!  He could rock with the best of em.
Super importante canción. Inflexión entre el 60's beat y lo que venía de psycodelia
whoa...i hear a buck owens guitar riff
I have always loved and admired how playful they were on this, having such a blast making their genius sound simple!
Seriously? This was on Revolver? Not like a UK-only version? Do not remember it. 
 the_antibob wrote:

Theme song of my PhD celebration. Belt it lads!



That is Doctor antibob! I didn't spend 8 years in antibob school to be called Mr. antibob. 
 LowPhreak wrote:

One doesn't get over the Beatles. The Beatles never leave you.


When masterbation lost its fun, you're...

 Retrograde-orbit wrote:

Is there a Beatles song that is less than an 8?  Seriously, even Her Majesty is an 8 or better.



"All Together Now" is some damned lazy writing.
 alexpohlenz wrote:

The Beatles give me de creeps! It's like a rash; a skin infection.



yas, child
Great segue from the acoustic cut of "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People (live on BBC Radio 6 in 2012)
 the_antibob wrote:

Theme song of my PhD celebration. Belt it lads!



Mine too :-) they played it over and over again... 
 LowPhreak wrote:

One doesn't get over the Beatles. The Beatles never leave you.
 

Ive never even got over my ex   
 dw wrote:
Not my fave from the album but I think Revolver is my #1!
 
I think Revolver is #1 also.
Who *was* Dr Robert?
 dw wrote:

That's a great response, jberko!
 
well they are a bit deified.
the Stones are much more of a band
 ImaOldman wrote:
 jberko wrote:
Over the Beatles at this point in my life.
 
 Sounds to me like your life is over...

 
That's a great response, jberko!
Not my fave from the album but I think Revolver is my #1!
 Retrograde-orbit wrote:
Is there a Beatles song that is less than an 8?  Seriously, even Her Majesty is an 8 or better.
 
Yes. Multiple songs. This one is among them.
Theme song of my PhD celebration. Belt it lads!
Love the Beatles but Dr. Robert and Taxman are my two 10-raters
 jberko wrote:
Over the Beatles at this point in my life.
 
 Sounds to me like your life is over...

I don't think I've ever listened to this song on headphones before... it's a treat, especially the vox in the 'well well well' part.
Is there a Beatles song that is less than an 8?  Seriously, even Her Majesty is an 8 or better.
 LowPhreak wrote:

One doesn't get over the Beatles. The Beatles never leave you.

 
Ha ha amen...
 jberko wrote:
Over the Beatles at this point in my life.
 

 
One doesn't get over the Beatles. The Beatles never leave you.
Even a weak Revolver track will probably be the best thing I hear all day.
Over the Beatles at this point in my life.
 
Two Revolver tunes in four hours - brilliant. 
In memory of Sir George Martin.

 
This has a little country sound to it. 

I've heard a rumor that the Beatles and a few other bands looked to Buck Owens and his band for how to structure that two guitar RnR sound. 
 I am onmyway for the Placebo
Across the Big pharisee
To meet the Doc Rob
And now I am lost in red tape.
 Ask your doctor if Dr. Robert is right for you.  {#Fever}


 lshinkawa wrote:
The ONLY Beatles song that I never liked.

 
Really?  You prefer Yellow Submarine over Doctor Robert?
I've been schooled in the Beatles by RP.  Thanks, Bill!
I grew up listening to this, but give me the mono version from Yesterday and Today, any day. This stereo version didn't sound quite right to me.{#Beat}
The ONLY Beatles song that I never liked.
Gack! What a snoozer, crappy, shitty tune! But, what do *I* know about medicine?!
There is simply no beating the 4-level trips with that mind-bending bass - wicked guitar interplay and wild Paul-John harmonies on this!
The Beatles give me de creeps! It's like a rash; a skin infection.
I was just a kid when this was on the neighbors' older siblings turntables, but it was clear that this was SO COOL IT WAS RED-HOT when it came out...had all the parents in a tizzy with fear and loathing, too...  Even today, the harmonies, the twangy hooks, the churchy keyboards, the wry lyrics...Yup, it's still pretty AWESOME!
My older brother bought Y&T when it came out.   He peeled off the cover to find the butcher picture.    I remember it well, because I used it as my own coloring book.   I was 5.     {#Frustrated}


WonderLizard wrote:
Doctor Robert was London's '60s equivalent to Hollywood's Captain Spaulding in the '20s and '30s.

jagdriver wrote:

This is bunk.

Dr. Robert was actually from New York and serviced all of the Big Apple luminaries.
 
Okay, I'd heard it wrong. So he was from New York. But other than that, no argument re his role vis-a-vis Spaulding? BTW, you should try and relax.
 Proclivities wrote:
 westslope wrote:

Great song!   And only a 7.3 rating!?!!

Wasn't this song on the Yesterday and Today album?


In the US it was on "Yesterday & Today" - in other countries (or at least the UK) it was on "Revolver"
 

I bought the Yesterday and Today album when it first came out in Canada.  If I recall, it was the second LP I ever bought.

 

And still only a 7.3 rating!?!!  The Revolver, Yesteday and Today (and Tomorrow) LPs were path-breaking.



There's a great documentary about Klaus Voorman, the man who did the Revolver cover, and went on to play bass on countless albums including Imagine and All Things Must Pass. Check it out next time it comes around on PBS. Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pocXFx3rt4
 gjr wrote:
let's face it - even their "average" songs would have been monster hits from any other band.  if the rolling stones or the who had released this it would be considered one of their best. so let's keep things in perspective: please - let's not quibble about "average" from a band whose "average" rating on here is 9 (although it should be 10).

i still can't believe that junkie keith richards out lived john and george 
 
Keef is clearly indestructible.  He will out live them ALL!!

OK, I could live without Doctor Robert on Revolver (that otherwise would get a 10+ across the board).
 WonderLizard wrote:
Doctor Robert was London's '60s equivalent to Hollywood's Captain Spaulding in the '20s and '30s.
 
This is bunk.

Dr. Robert was actually from New York and serviced all of the Big Apple luminaries.
I agree, nicolewe.

That's what I love about RP....you hear things from great bands that aren't heard often.  We love RP.


 westslope wrote:

Great song!   And only a 7.3 rating!?!!

Wasn't this song on the Yesterday and Today album?


In the US it was on "Yesterday & Today" - in other countries (or at least the UK) it was on "Revolver"


Great song!   And only a 7.3 rating!?!!

Wasn't this song on the Yesterday and Today album?


It's hard to rate anything "Beatles' with less than a 10... but this one gets an 8.
let's face it - even their "average" songs would have been monster hits from any other band.  if the rolling stones or the who had released this it would be considered one of their best. so let's keep things in perspective: please - let's not quibble about "average" from a band whose "average" rating on here is 9 (although it should be 10).

i still can't believe that junkie keith richards out lived john and george 
siskinbob wrote:
In the grand scheme of things this song is OK. It doesn't rate the high votes just because its the Beatles. Lets be objective and fair.

To be objective and fair I'd rather listen to Revolution #9 by the Beatles than the average audio sewage pumped out by Clear Channel Radio!!! {#Puke}
In stark contrast to Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues and Kings of Leon - Sex On Fire, it's refreshing to hear an excellent AND too often neglected piece like The Beatles - Doctor Robert. This is what I like best about RP.
In the grand scheme of things this song is OK. It doesn't rate the high votes just because its the Beatles. Lets be objective and fair.
not heard this one before to my recollection. not bad
A perfect pop tune IMO.  Have to give it a ten.  Revolver is an album I _still_ get out pretty regularly (Sgt. Pepper's is gathering dust though I loved it at the time).  My little daughter (1.5 yr) loves Revolver and Rubber Soul.  The harmonies I think


 RadioDoc wrote:
This doesn't fare well following Jungle Boogie...
 
{#Surprised} What!! Please tell me you are being sarcastic. Doctor Robert is Real In! And he's healing our wounds after Kool & the Gang.
BillG, is this a remaster?  The sound is really good!
Dr. Robert makes me dance faster!!{#Dancingbanana}
 bobcat1963 wrote:
is it revolvertime? ;-)

second song from revolver within 3 hours!
love it!
  yeah, what happen with bill? {#Stupid}


is it revolvertime? ;-)

second song from revolver within 3 hours!
love it!

 RadioDoc wrote:
This doesn't fare well following Jungle Boogie...
 

Agree
This doesn't fare well following Jungle Boogie...
I love the fact that RP plays the lesser played "b" sides. This is a perfect example. Rock on RP !
Hannio wrote:
What?? My copy of Revolver I bought sometime around 1970 had it. I guess the very first releases didn't.
Actually Dr. Robert first appeared on the album Yesterday & Today. This was a strictly an American released album.
bronorb wrote:
Another Beatles song that the record company hid from American consumers. I've had Revolver since it was released and never heard this song until about 3 years ago. Bastards!
What?? My copy of Revolver I bought sometime around 1970 had it. I guess the very first releases didn't.
crinky wrote:
Hearing Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" and this back to back points out how similar they are musically...and how much Lennon was trying to sound like Dylan on this song.
Good insight.
helene wrote:
This Doctor Robert character is supposed to be the same guy that Procol Harum was singing about in "Robert's Box".
Doctor Robert was London's '60s equivalent to Hollywood's Captain Spaulding in the '20s and '30s.
Mugro wrote:
Obama theme song?
Don't look now, it's the martyr crying about politics in the song comments. Must've flip-flopped!
Hearing Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" and this back to back points out how similar they are musically...and how much Lennon was trying to sound like Dylan on this song.
Obama theme song?
madaxeman wrote:
Average for The Beatles maybe.
Too true this is average for the Beatles and it's bad.
Another Beatles song that the record company hid from American consumers. I've had Revolver since it was released and never heard this song until about 3 years ago. Bastards!
wanderlust wrote:
classic where have all the good doctors gone?
I'm a good doctor. In fact they say I'm quite the operator.
Mindscrape wrote:
One of the few Beatles songs that are just so average.
Average for The Beatles maybe.
Holy Stetson, what a segue from them Bottle Rockets. Bill rides again!
I always liked the way each one of these guys is just having fun with their instrument here on this one (and just love Paul's bassin' around here while he does that off-colored harmony he could do so well), meanwhile of course spilling some of the first of many cryptic mystic beans...Think they were smokin' something? popping things? drinking elixirs? Dare say we they surely did all of that and then some! RJP&G still sound fresh sometimes, and some of Dr. Robert's stuff always helps!
I had a friend in college I used to call dr. robert(after this song), he was a science major at the time. Now he is getting his MFA. He went a different direction
for me... it's Abbey Road, no question. exciter76 wrote:
there are an infinity of beatles songs taken from all their album I love... but if I had to choose a complete album probably would be REVOLVER! I like it from taxman to tomorrow never knows.... great!
My favorite song right now. Will defend my PhD dissertation in a couple of months...
One of the few Beatles songs that are just so average.
there are an infinity of beatles songs taken from all their album I love... but if I had to choose a complete album probably would be REVOLVER! I like it from taxman to tomorrow never knows.... great!
ScottN wrote:
To me a remarkable thing about the Beatles is how good their mediocre songs are. Good example here.
I give a 10 on your comment!!
Krispian wrote:
Whoa! Is that album cover for real? The Beatles seemed so sweet & innocent.... until this:
I own an original copy of Yesterday and Today butcher cover. I hear these days they sell for around $9000. Great song, I'm a major beatlemaniac, so I couldn't give it less than a 10!
Whoa! Is that album cover for real? The Beatles seemed so sweet & innocent.... until this: laozilover wrote:
(click on image for large size showing track listing)
Okay, who can say "Doctor Robert's Bottle Rockets" five times fast?
drover wrote:
...This was basically done by Capitol Records as a cynical means to extract more money from more US-market record sales by crafting another "album" out of thin air....
That may be. At the time, it was the norm for UK albums to have more groovage per LP side than in the US - I may have been naive, but I assumed it was to get a better signal-to-noise ratio by cutting a louder signal (which required wider grooves). I liked the "Yesterday and Today" album, but I always wanted to own the "original" cover which got yanked after a few thousand sales. (click on image for large size showing track listing)
ScottN wrote:
To me a remarkable thing about the Beatles is how good their mediocre songs are. Good example here.
Well put !!!
To me a remarkable thing about the Beatles is how good their mediocre songs are. Good example here.
Not the best song by the Beatles, but a memorable story about it. John Lennon did a Playboy interview before he died and they printed comments he made about many of the Beatles' songs. As I recall, Lennon was Dr. Robert. Apparently he carried the pills when they were on tour and I guess that was a code they used.
This Doctor Robert character is supposed to be the same guy that Procol Harum was singing about in "Robert's Box".
I never get tired of this song. One of my favorite Beatles tunes.
Ah...a blast from the past that I'd forgotten...thanks!!!
click on the song meanings link above for some interesting theories on the identity of "Dr. Robert". I like the one that links the name to Bob Dylan, who first turned the lads onto weed ... the gateway drug ...
Revolver is such an amazing album. Dr. Rober and every other song is a classic!
A fine story about John (and George's, I think) first LSD trip -- thanks to dinner at a dentist friend's in London (IIRC). But not one of their best songs.
Not one of my favorite Beatles songs. Of course, I haven't heard it much... when it first came up, I actually thought it was a Beatles knock-off! Still, it's pretty good.
It's nice to hear a Beatles song for which one does not already know the lyrics. What a rare treat...
Hannio wrote:
All true, but Dr Robert was indeed included in the original Revolver LP. At least the one I had. I wore out my copy pretty quickly.
Then you must have had a U.K. version of the album, because the line-up of songs from the American "Revolver" is as follows… Side A: Taxman Eleanor Rigby Love You To Here, There and Everywhere Yellow Submarine She Said She Said Side B: Good Day Sunshine For No One I Want to Tell You Got to Get You Into My Life Tomorrow Never Knows
lester wrote:
Well, I've checked, and it seems there was indeed a band named "Korn." Who knew?
You didn't miss much.
lester wrote:
"Korn"?
Well, I've checked, and it seems there was indeed a band named "Korn." Who knew?
drover wrote:
The CD re-releases have the original UK song lineups. A handful of original US-released albums (Help, Rubber Soul, Revolver) had two or three songs omitted from them so they could be compiled together on a separate "album" (Yesterday and Today). This was basically done by Capitol Records as a cynical means to extract more money from more US-market record sales by crafting another "album" out of thin air. The fact that the CD releases feature the original UK lineups is why you won't find "Yesterday and Today" on CD.
All true, but Dr Robert was indeed included in the original Revolver LP. At least the one I had. I wore out my copy pretty quickly.
mojoman wrote:
Yes, but I appreciate the fact that Bill goes into the deep cuts when he plays the Beatles.
i second that
classic where have all the good doctors gone?
jadewahoo wrote:
If it wasn't recorded within the last five years it seems to some that a song, or band, is unworthy of consideration. Ok, so what? In 150 years who will be remembered more: Beatles or Korn?
"Korn"?
It's amazing how Beatle "throw aways" (per Lennon) are exceptional songs that hold the test of time.
beelzebubba wrote:
Wow. I'm sure I've heard this before, but I did not know that this was from Revolver, and I was born to the sound of Revolver and have been listening to it my entire life. Was this an extra cut when it was re-released on CD?
The CD re-releases have the original UK song lineups. A handful of original US-released albums (Help, Rubber Soul, Revolver) had two or three songs omitted from them so they could be compiled together on a separate "album" (Yesterday and Today). This was basically done by Capitol Records as a cynical means to extract more money from more US-market record sales by crafting another "album" out of thin air. The fact that the CD releases feature the original UK lineups is why you won't find "Yesterday and Today" on CD.
sharkartist wrote:
From what I understand, John wrote this about a certain "Dr." in L.A. who had the scrips for every ailment.
I heard something similar, but I think it was in New York City.