Music
A companion when one has had enough of the real world and its trappings.
A form of expression that is most universal, across all age, culture & racial barriers.
Music is a crutch, an undeniable support system to any situation in life, happy or sad. A good song boosts your mood and a better song lets you cry your eyes out (no judgement, no pity). Either way, it’s cathartic. It gives you a strange sense of belonging, of being understood. It is that neat articulacy of elusive emotions that have you jumping to the lyrics or sobbing on the floor.
So, here is a haphazard selection (read: calculated chaos) of songs for all chronic pain warriors; the battle cries for the warrior that you are & sappy retreats because if anyone deserves a break, it’s YOU! Here’s hoping for a small reprieve, a distraction from whatever’s haunting you.
1. My Body – Young the Giant
Building slowly to an explosive chorus of:
My body tells me no
But I won’t quitCause I want more
Cause I want more
This song is no less than an anthem to all the warriors fighting their battles everyday, living the best that life has to offer despite everything. Are you in immeasurable pain? Yes. Are you going to quit? Hell no. To the warrior spirit!
2. Unwell – Matchbox Twenty
But I’m not crazy,
I’m just a little unwell
I know right now you can’t tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you’ll see
How many times have people said to you that “it’s all in your head”? It makes you want to scream, doesn’t it? This is a clapback to all those insensitive people, you’ve had to come across. Scratch screaming, let’s karaoke!
3. White Flag – Sabrina Carpenter
But I’m way too proud, never giving up
And if the riptide comes to get me
And pulls me under, it won’t upset me, I’ll go down
(Oh oh oh oh oh oh)
I’ll throw the white flag of surrender
Knock me down, not forever, just for now
A wise warrior knows retreat isn’t something to be ashamed of; it is the time you give yourself to regroup, recuperate & reign. Gather your forces, humming to the tune.
4. Bring On the Rain – Jo Dee Messina & Tim McGraw
I might be barely breathing, but I’m not dead
Tomorrow’s another dayAnd I’m thirsty anywaySo bring on the rain
A beautiful medley of fighting, losing, accepting the loss but never giving up. Bring On the Rain, is fragile but brave. It is you. It might make you cry but it will also have you listening to it on repeat.
5. Pain Told Love – Tribe Society ft. Kiesza
Pain comes and you find a way to build your world around it
Oh, how true it is! So what if life threw a major curveball, so what if it is one hell of a gut punch to recover from? Recovering, you are. Dealing with it as best you can, with a smile and sometimes an apology for something you did not ask for!
Why should you be apologising for mankind’s insensitivity? Humans, I tell you. Spoonies, this next line is yours to own, for you are the rarest of them all. You look at the eye of the storm and oh, how you bloom. ‘Cause hurricanes make flowers grow
6. The Climb – Miley Cyrus
Sing along, cause this gem lets you accept your losses, while nurturing a hope of what’s to come. It helps you get through one of those tough days, because it is not about the destination or how fast you get there. It is always be about the climb.
The struggles I’m facing
The chances I’m taking
Sometimes might knock me down but
No I’m not breaking
God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in his shoes
‘Cause then you really might know what it’s like to sing the blues
Big or small, your pain is your pain. No one can ever go through it or carry it for you. So, when people say (sympathetically) “I understand, I hit my toe the other day and it hurt like.…“, you know it’s not true. They can’t understand. In today’s time, where everything seems to be a competition, with everyone trying to outdo the other, empathy is not topping humanity’s chart.
This song is for those times when you know, your pain is yours alone. THIS IS TO REMIND YOU HOW STRONG YOU ARE! Somewhere, someone understands. Not the same pain, but the emotion behind it.
Note to World: “Then you really might know what it’s like!”
Say what you’re gonna say
I don’t care anyway
You don’t know about me
This is my body, this is my war
While not being listed on the list, this song had to have a mention because after all the drama and the emotional tidal waves with the listed songs, this song is the ultimate flip to the world and a great pick-me-up for spoonies. It is beautiful, it is assertive, it is empowering and it becomes Spoonies.
This list was an attempt to acknowledge music as our salvation and though it barely scratches the tip of the iceberg of great songs that can be curated into a Spoonie Playlist, it was a genuine effort to help, even as, in the tiniest way possible, as a 3 minute distraction. Here’s hoping that it serves it purpose.
If you have any song(s) that make it to your Pain playlist, please let us know in the comments. Happy listening!
About the Author
Pradershika Sharma is a dog-eared paperback, who believes her creases will never break her spine.
