not feeling it: Making a playlist for sick days

By Jess Santacroce
Music Writer, Phoenix Radio 

Fall is a beautiful season. Between the colors, the crisp air, and the coming holidays, it is a favorite time of the year for many. But with all the coziness comes a drop in temperature that can bring on health issues or make them worse. It’s respiratory virus season, and some of those can be serious. People with indoor allergies lose the open windows and less crowded spaces that brought them some relief in warmer weather. Those who deal with arthritis or other causes of chronic pain, asthma, Grave’s disease, and depression often find cold weather worsens their symptoms. A lot of us are going to be spending some days, or at least some evenings after work, stuck at home coping with a health issue. While it is not a substitute for the appropriate professional care and treatment of whatever you may be going through, music can help you cope with and heal during those times you are out of commission due to a temporary or chronic health condition. 

Consider these five songs to get you started on your own coping and healing playlist. 

You Sound Like You’re Sick ( The Ramones 1981): Punk

The Ramones “You Sound Like You’re Sick” describes someone who looks and sounds so bad, they need to move into an institution as their new home. While this certainly isn’t something we hope to relate to on a literal level, the combination of the lyrics and the angry tone of the music make this a great one for those times when your health issue is making you feel like you’re just never going to move out of your bed or off of your couch again, and you’ve had just about enough of feeling that way. 

1919 Influenza Blues (Essie Jenkins 1930s): Blues 

Little is known about the origins of this song, including who wrote the lyrics or the exact year that the song was recorded. Based on the music and lyrics, most sources estimate that it must be from sometime in the 1930’s. The song reflects the attitude that illness, in this particular example, the deadly 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, was punishment from God for wrongdoing. It is often featured on protest music sites as a way to protest against this habit of blaming people for their illness, an attitude that certainly still exists today. The song may be nearly a century old, but the message is certainly one that will resonate with anyone coping with both a chronic health condition and everyone telling them that if they just did better, simply ate healthier, exercised more, forced themselves to look on the bright side, or tried this supplement, it would all go away. 

Unwell (Matchbox Twenty 2003): Alternative rock 

The tempo of this song about struggling with mental illness is a bit more upbeat than the lyrics would seem to call for, giving it a hopeful feel despite noting that the person the narrator is singing to does not care about them right now. Adding to the hope is the line “soon enough you’re gonna think of me, and how I used to be.” Anyone who has ever had to make changes in their long-term plans due to a mental health problem will likely relate to this feeling that people do not care, that they brush their illness off as “crazy” or nothing but a series of bad or self-indulgent choices. At the same time, it can serve as a reminder that not everyone will respond in this way, and that even those who do may remember them the way they were when they were healthy. 

Believer (Imagine Dragons 2017): Rock

While many songs about illness and healing are about the issue in general, or at least about an illness or epidemic overall, Imagine Dragons’ “Believer” was written about their lead singer Dan Reynolds’ lifelong struggles with multiple chronic illnesses, including a type of arthritis known as “Anklylosing Spondylitis,” a condition that causes severe back pain as well as other serious health issues like fatigue and reduced flexibility and mobility. 

Despite the cry of “Pain!” throughout the song, it is not about simply being in pain, but about the process of coping with pain and coming out stronger and happier on the other side. Listening to the song can be encouraging for anyone who feels like there is no other side to what they are going through, while its existence serves as a reminder that those with chronic illnesses are not doomed to spend all of their time focused on their illness, and  have the potential to be successful in their chosen field. 


Not Afraid (Eminem 2010): Rap

Eminem has long been open about his struggles with addiction, and has written multiple songs about addiction and the problems it can cause. This one expresses determination to retake control of one’s life and keep promises made to others. Although the lyrics are explicit in places, and there is an undercurrent of anger at both the addiction and those who stood in the way of the narrator’s recovery, the song does encourage fans to take charge of their treatment plan for an addiction or any other serious, long-term health issue. 

Be sure to tune in to 95.5 The Heat: Phoenix Radio to listen for additional ideas for this playlist and more great Blues, Rap, Hip-Hop, R&B, Jazz, Reggae, and Soul. If you suspect you may have one of the health issues referenced in this article or have any other health concerns, please seek help from a trained and licensed healthcare provider as soon as possible.