Weird Al Yankovic wrote “Like a Surgeon” after Madonna asked a mutual friend when Yankovic would parody one of her songs!
However, Madonna is partly responsible for his parody of “Like A Virgin.” She asked a friend how long they thought it’d take for Yankovic to satirize her song “Like a Virgin” to “Like a Surgeon.”
Her friend was also a friend of Yankovic’s manager, Jay Levey. Levey pitched the idea to Yankovic who liked the idea and decided to write the song. It is the first and only time known that Yankovic has gotten a parody idea directly from the original artist.
Yankovic’s music video to compliment “Like a Surgeon” took ideas and cues from Madonna’s original music video of “Like a Virgin.” His music video takes place in a hospital while Madonna’s was set in Venice. At one point Yankovic rides a gurney which parodied Madonna who rode in a canal boat. Also, both videos feature a lion.
