I’m sick, y’all
16 songs for feeling under the weather
‘Tis the season, I guess: I was down and out with a cold1, got better, and then it boomeranged back and I was down and out again, taking at least two members of my family with me.
So let’s get to it: Here’s a playlist of songs about being sick. It ignores songs about metaphorical sickness, aka the blues. (Though there is a blues song on here.) It also ignores songs about serious illnesses — there are many good ones, but a) That’s not what I have2; b) That would make a much bleaker playlist, and I think we can all agree things feel bleak enough right now as it is.
Some liner notes:
I assumed going in that most of these songs would sound like “I’m So Tired” by the Beatles — languid, exhausted, dreary. Instead, songs 1-93 are surprisingly rockin’, a much-needed injection of musical vitamin B-12, right from the jump
If you’re looking for languid, well, you won’t find it in songs 10-12, either. This is the funk to get you up and moving again. It’s also where you’ll find one of at least four songs called “Call the Doctor” that earned consideration. This is, I think, the best, but the ones by Sleater-Kinney, J.J. Cale, and Spacemen 3 are all worth your while for different reasons.
13-14: Well, here’s that languid sound I was talking about. You can take Buffalo Nichols’ version of a Skip James song at face value — it’s miserable being sick. But you can also take it as someone who just feels a lot of self-pity about being sick, and really wants to complain about it. Not that I know anyone like that. (Cough, cough.4)
15-16: Behold the healing power of jauntiness. I don’t really understand what the verses of “Lou’s Got the Flu” have to do with the chorus, but I also can’t deny that hook. Finally, a little incendiary guitar playing from Trey Anastasio will usually cure what ails me — I hope it works for you, too.
Dr. Funk is all I need,
P.L.U.
Or allergies? Who knows.
And if it were, I probably wouldn’t announce it on Substack. Probably.
Given Jack White’s political leanings, I can envision him saying this song title to the Secretary-Elect of Health and Human Services. Also, my daughter has been calling everyone “Girl,” lately, so I hear it in her voice, too.
And I do mean cough! (Sorry, I’ll see myself out now.)