When we first met you gave me a book
Love In The Ruins, the title
When later you left that book on the shelf
I knew that it had to be final

It turned out to be a story of doom
We read the first chapter together
But I still continued to read in my room
And hoped it would go on forever

Doctor, dear, doctor, I know how you feel
There's so many people you're dying to heal
And all you can do is the best you can do
Doctor, dear, doctor, it's all up to you

A boy from the south with a hole in his heart
Thought he would marry an actress
I bought him a bed from a second hand store
With a queen sized extra firm mattress

I followed the characters hangin' on the edge
A Merle Haggard record was playing
Closing my eyes as we lay on the bed
I could not hear what they were saying

Doctor, dear, doctor, I know how you feel
There's so many people you're dying to heal
And all you can do is the best you can do
Doctor, dear, doctor, it's all up to you

And how could you leave me at a time like this
How could you leave me at all?
Haven't you heard this is serious?
I'll pick up the telephone and call, I'll call

Doctor, dear, doctor, I know how you feel
So many people are crying
And all you can do is the best you can do
Doctor, dear, doctor, keep trying

Doctor, dear, doctor, I know how you feel
So many people are crying
And all you can do is the best you can do
Doctor, dear, doctor, keep trying