My Chemo Playlist

I sometimes listen to my iPod during chemo, which has a huge collection of songs in a playlist I labeled Hospital. There are way too many songs to name on that list, but it's a selection of music I thought would make chemo more enjoyable, along with the recliner, free food and beverages, and waving to all the (much) older patients as I take one of my many trips to the bathroom while toting my IV cart.

I decided to make a mix cd to listen to in the car on the way to chemo, rather than listen to whichever XM station my father/chaffeur happens to have on in his car that morning. I call it Songs that make me Happy, and yesterday was my first day trying it out. The trip is suppossed to take only 20 minutes, and my appointment is early enough to avoid morning rush hour traffic on Route 4 East as commuters make their way to the George Washington Bridge to get to their jobs in New York City. Yesterday's trip took more like 45 minutes because of a bad accident, so Dad and I got to listen to nearly the entire cd. The song list is below, along with some comments my father made while listening to them. His music tastes stopped evolving in the 1970s, so all of this music was very new to him.

I suggest these songs to anyone who needs to be put in a good mood no matter where you're going. Enjoy!

Jai Ho (from the Slumdog Millionare soundtrack); "What's he saying? Tally ho? What language is this?"
Falling Slowly (from the Once sondtrack): "This is a nice song...I like it."
Killer Queen (Queen): "Queenie!"
Rock and Roll (Eric Hutchinson)
Falling (Tyrone Wells)
Electronica Bellydance (Mezdeke): "Is this another Slumdog song?"
Come on get Higher (Matt Nathanson): "Is this about pot?"
Single Ladies (Beyonce): "So she's saying she won't screw a guy until he marries her?"
Broken Strings (James Morrison and Nelly Furtado)
She Holds a Key (Gavin DeGraw): "This is a nice song."
The Kid with the Pointy Shoes (Thing-One): "What boys wear pointy shoes?"
Lifesize (A Fine Frenzy): "I like her voice better than the one about putting a ring on it to get in on it, or whatever the hell she sang."
Yellow Rose (Christopher Jak)

I will be happy to suggest more! For me, the music I listen to can change my mood and relax me. It's probably why my blood pressure (always taken before chemo) was a cool and calm 99/68 yesterday. People would pay for that blood pressure!