Grey’s Anatomy: The Only Episode Title That Isn’t A Song Reference (& Why)

Grey’s Anatomy has stood out from other medical dramas for a couple of reasons, and one of its particularities is that every episode title is a song reference, except for one – here’s which episode it is and why it’s different. Created by Shonda Rhimes, Grey’s Anatomy made its debut on ABC in 2005 as a mid-season replacement, but it was so well-received by critics and viewers that it has lived on for over 10 seasons, and shows no signs of stopping soon.

Grey’s Anatomy follows the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings at Seattle Grace Hospital (now Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital) as they do their best to juggle their personal and professional lives, which more often than not end up overlapping. The series is led by Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), who viewers have followed on her journey from intern to head of general surgery. In over a decade, Grey’s Anatomy has won the audience over and has also stood out from other medical dramas for various reasons, one of those being that every episode title is a song reference.

From the very beginning, Grey’s Anatomy has borrowed song titles to give its episodes a name. The very first episode is titled “A Hard Day’s Night”, like the song by The Beatles, and was followed by “The First Cut Is The Deepest”, written by Cat Stevens and performed by various artists over the years. It’s a Grey’s Anatomy tradition that every episode will be titled after a song (another good example is the two-parter bomb storyline titled after R.E.M’s “It’s The End of the World As We Know It”), and there has been only one exception, but it wasn’t because the writers ran out of songs that fitted the episode’s stories. The episode in question is season 14’s “1-800-799-7233”, and there’s a very powerful and important reason behind this peculiar title.

In that episode, the staff of the hospital was fascinated by the presence of Paul Stadler (Matthew Morrison), a praised general surgeon who also happened to be Jo’s (Camilla Luddington) abusive ex-husband. Meredith stayed by her side while she and Paul signed the divorce papers so she wouldn’t be left alone with him, and Jo later had a chance to talk to his fiancée, Jenny, who denied any abuse and refused her help. Still, Jo gave her her card with her phone number on the back in case she needed any help. The episode was originally titled “Four Seasons in One Day” (a song by Crowded House), but was changed to “1-800-799-7233” as that’s the phone number for the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Showrunner Krista Vernoff revealed (via Glamour) that the title change was suggested by Giacomo Gianniotti, who plays Dr. Andrew DeLuca.

The episode was followed by a PSA by Luddington telling viewers that psychological abuse is a form of violence and reminded them of the number for the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Through its stories, Grey’s Anatomy has managed to save lives and raise awareness on different diseases, but this episode will stand-out for being more direct about its cause, and for going above and beyond to make sure its message got across as intended.

About The Author

Adrienne Tyler
(3273 Articles Published)

See also  Diane Keaton & 9 Other Iconic Actresses Of The 1970s

Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided’s BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.

More From Adrienne Tyler