The sick songs

: Popular music is ubiquitous, and musicians and songwriters have similar experiences with disease as other people. The aim of this review was to analyze popular songs' content of descriptions of diseases. The most frequently occurring symptom was fever, mostly a metaphor for lovesickness or sexual orgasm. The most frequent and complete descriptions of diseases were in respiratory and psychiatric ailments. In conclusion, popular songs may provide valuable descriptions of symptoms and disease of educational importance to doctors.