21 Songs to Listen to on a Hard Day With Chronic Pain
If your playlist for the tough pain days needs a refresh, your fellow pain fighters are here with the songs at the top of their lists.
It’s no secret that music can help lift us up (a little bit at least) in our darkest moments. So we asked our Facebook community with chronic pain to share the songs they’d recommend listening to on difficult days. Some capture the challenges you may be going through right now; others provide encouragement and inspiration. All hopefully offer strength and a reminder that you can get through these hard moments.
Here are the songs they shared:
1. “I Lived” by One Republic
“I did it all, I owned every second that this world could give, I saw so many places, the things that I did, yeah, with every broken bone I swear I lived.”
2. “The Greatest” by Sia
“Don’t give up, I won’t give up. Don’t give up, no no no. I’m free to be the greatest, I’m alive.”
3. “Titanium” by David Guetta ft. Sia
“I’m bulletproof nothing to lose. Fire away, fire away. Ricochet, you take your aim. Fire away, fire away, you shoot me down but I won’t fall, I am titanium.”
4. “Hey Jude” by The Beatles
“Hey Jude, don’t make it bad, take a sad song and make it better.”
5. “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus
“There’s always gonna be another mountain, I’m always gonna wanna make it move. Always gonna be a uphill battle, sometimes I’m gonna have to lose, ain’t about how fast I get there, ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side. It’s the climb.”
6. “Welcome to the Black Parade” by My Chemical Romance
“Do or die, you’ll never make me, because the world will never take my heart, go and try, you’ll never break me.”
7. “Her Diamonds” by Rob Thomas
“And she says, oh, I can’t take no more, her tears like diamonds on the floor. And her diamonds bring me down, ’cause I can’t help her now.”
8. “The Fighter” by Gym Class Heroes
“Give ’em hell, turn their heads, gonna live life till we’re dead. Give me scars, give me pain, then just say to me, say to me, say to me, there goes a fighter, there goes a fighter.”
9. “Shine” by Ricky Fante
“When the world counts you out, when you’re lost and you doubt that you’re good enough, when you’re out on your own and you’re feeling all alone, just keep hanging on.”
10. “Unstoppable” by Foxy Shazam
“We are unstoppable, no we can’t be defeated. We are unstoppable, no we don’t need a reason.”
11. “Just Keep Breathing” by We The Kings
“Two a.m., too tired to sleep, when what you want’s not what you need and when these walls don’t feel like home, remember that you’re not alone.”
12. “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley
“Don’t worry about a thing, cause every little thing gonna be all right.”
13. “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King
“When the night has come, and the land is dark, and the moon is the only light we’ll see, no I won’t be afraid, no I won’t be afraid, just as long as you stand, stand by me.”
14. “Shake It Out” by Florence + the Machine
“So I like to keep my issues strong, but it’s always darkest before the dawn. Shake it out, shake it out.”
15. “Stronger” by Sugababe
“I’ll make it through the rainy days, I’ll be the one who stands up longer than the rest. When my landscape changes, rearranges, I’ll be stronger than I’ve ever been.”
16. “Worn” by Tenth Avenue North
“Let me see redemption win, let me know the struggle ends, That you can mend a heart that’s frail and torn.”
17. “Float On” by Modest Mouse
“And we’ll all float on OK.”
18. “My Shot” from “Hamilton: An American Musical”
“I am not throwing away my shot, hey yo, I’m just like my country, I’m young, scrappy and hungry, and I’m not throwing away my shot.”
19. “Pain Told Love” by Tribe Society
“Pain comes and you find a way to build your world around it, and when it hurts get inside the pain and wrap your arms around it. I heard pain tell love, she said “where would I be without you?” So love I better find a way to build my world around you.”
20. “The Show Must Go On” by Queen
“Inside my heart is breaking, my makeup may be flaking, but my smile still stays on.”
21. “Wonder” by Emeli Sande
“I can beat the night, I’m not afraid of thunder. I am full of light, I am full of wonder.”
Share your favorite song for a tough pain day in the comments below.
Erin is the former senior editor and chronic illness editor of The Mighty. She joined The Mighty in 2015 and previously worked at Inside Weddings magazine, Mic, and The Huffington Post. She was also the features editor at The California Aggie, UC Davis' student newspaper. She is honored to be a part of the Mighty community!
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