Not The Doctor
Breaking Free from Expectations: Alanis Morissette's Not The Doctor
Lyrics
I don't want to be the filler if the void is solely yours
I don't want to fill the void in your life if it's only your own
I don't want to be your glass of single malt whiskey
I don't want to be your temporary escape or comfort
Hidden in the bottom drawer
Referencing hiding away like something kept out of sight
I don't want to be a bandage if the wound is not mine
I don't want to fix problems that aren't mine to fix
Lend me some fresh air
Give me space and freedom
I don't want to be adored for what I merely represent to you
I don't want admiration for a false representation of who I am
I don't want to be your babysitter
I don't want to be responsible for taking care of you
You're a very big boy now
Asserting independence and maturity
I don't want to be your mother
I don't want to take on a motherly role towards you
I didn't carry you in my womb for nine months
Rejecting the idea of a maternal connection
Show me the back door
Wanting to leave or escape the situation
Visiting hours are 9 to 5 and if I show up at 10 past 6
Setting boundaries about availability
Well I already know that you'd find some way to sneak me in and oh
Expectation of being accommodated despite the rules
Mind the empty bottle with the holes along the bottom
Be cautious of the dangers or pitfalls
You see it's too much to ask for and I am not the doctor
Not capable of meeting unrealistic expectations and not a healer
I don't want to be the sweeper of the egg shells that you walk upon
Refusal to clean up after someone else's mess
And I don't want to be your other half, I believe that 1 and 1 make 2
Rejecting the idea of completing someone else
I don't want to be your food or the light from the fridge on your face
Not wanting to be someone's sustenance or sole source of happiness
At midnight, hey
Highlighting a specific time of questioning needs
What are you hungry for?
Asking about desires or cravings
I don't want to be the glue that holds your pieces together
Refusing to be the sole support for someone's life
I don't want to be your idol
Rejecting being put on a pedestal as an ideal
See this pedestal is high and I'm afraid of heights
Fear of being idolized or revered
I don't want to be lived through
Not wanting to be experienced through someone else
A vicarious occasion
Being part of someone's experiences indirectly
Please open the window
Seeking a change in the environment or situation
Visiting hours are 9 to 5 and if I show up at 10 past 6
Reiteration of specified visiting hours, emphasizing boundaries
Well I already know that you'd find some way to sneak me in and oh
Expectation of bending the rules for access despite set boundaries
Mind the empty bottle with the holes along the bottom
Warning about potential dangers or risks
You see it's too much to ask for and I am not the doctor
Reiteration of inability to meet unrealistic expectations
I don't want to live on someday when my motto is last week
Rejecting living for an uncertain future and preferring the present
I don't want to be responsible for your fractured heart
Not wanting to bear responsibility for someone else's emotional pain
And it's wounded beat
Reference to someone's wounded emotional state
I don't want to be a substitute for the smoke you've been inhaling
Refusing to be a substitute for someone's harmful habits
What do you thank me
Questioning the gratitude or appreciation
What do you thank me for
Seeking acknowledgment for contributions or actions
Visiting hours are 9 to 5 and if I show up at 10 past 6
Reiteration of set visiting hours, emphasizing boundaries
Well I already know that you'd find some way to sneak me in and oh
Expectation of finding a way to surpass the rules for access
Mind the empty bottle with the holes along the bottom
Reminder about potential dangers or risks
You see it's too much to ask for and I am not the doctor
Reiteration of inability to meet unrealistic expectations
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